“We didn’t put enough [wins] together in a row,” the New York Islanders’ Anders Lee said back in April as the team lost to the Flyers on the road and were ousted from the 2025 playoffs. Finishing sixth in the Metropolitan Division, the Isles missed the postseason for the first time in three seasons. However, things might not yet be out of control.
For a team that has gone over four decades without winning the Stanley Cup, fans can hardly hold back on their optimism before every season begins. But there hasn’t been much to celebrate of late. On top of that, the New York Islanders didn’t have any first-round draft picks between 2020 and 2023. Thankfully, that changed when they roped in Cole Eiserman in 2024. And things are only going to get even better the next time around.
In a post on X from May 5, the official NHL account shared some news that would undoubtedly bring a smile to the Islanders fans’ faces after a disappointing end to the regular season. “The @NYIslanders win the Draft Lottery and will select first overall at the 2025 #NHLDraft!” the social media update reveals.
In both 2023 and 2024, the New York Islanders were ousted from Stanley Cup contention in Round 1 of the playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes, and one would suspect that not having any first-round draft picks had something to do with the Isles’ misfortunes. However, with the chance to be the first one to name a new player for its roster for the next season, the New York team will have a lot of options to get the ball rolling for its fifth Stanley Cup.
The @NYIslanders win the Draft Lottery and will select first overall at the 2025 #NHLDraft!
The Draft Lottery continues on @espn, @Sportsnet, and @TVASports! pic.twitter.com/tNrHE89DFz
— NHL (@NHL) May 5, 2025
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The post What Lottery Did New York Islanders Win? The American NHL Team Gains Huge Advantage for the Upcoming 2025 Draft appeared first on EssentiallySports.
