The St. Louis Blues, who acquired the Detroit Red Wings' first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, will use it to select 15th overall.
The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery was held on Tuesday evening, an annual event that had become a source of frustration for Detroit Red Wings fans given the staggering number of spots they've fallen back in recent years.
In 2017, they dropped back two spots. That was followed by slipping one spot in 2018 and two more in 2019. But the most egregious and jaw-dropping example came in 2020, when they fell three spots, from first to fourth, despite finishing with the NHL’s worst record by a wide margin before the COVID-19 pandemic paused the season.
Last season, the Red Wings fell back one spot from 12th to 13th.
However, Detroit traded their first-round selection in this year's NHL Draft to the St. Louis Blues along with prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, a 2026 third-round pick, and defenseman Justin Holl in return for defenseman Justin Faulk.
The pick, which was widely projected to be in the middle of the pack, turned out to be just that. The Blues learned their position they'll be selecting with the pick they received from the Red Wings, and it will be 15th overall.
The Blues, who missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs, also picked up the 11th overall selection based on their finish in the standings this season.
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Not only that, but they also hold a third first-round pick—one that originally belonged to the Colorado Avalanche and was acquired in the trade that sent captain Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders at the trade deadline.
Meanwhile, one of Detroit's top divisional rivals landed the first overall pick - the Toronto Maple Leafs, a club that had made the playoffs nine straight years but finished in 28th place with 78 points this season.
The first 16 selections in the 2026 NHL Draft are as follows:
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- San Jose Sharks
- Vancouver Canucks
- Chicago Blackhawks
- New York Rangers
- Calgary Flames
- Seattle Kraken
- Winnipeg Jets
- Florida Panthers
- Nashville Predators
- St. Louis Blues
- New Jersey Devils
- New York Islanders
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- St. Louis Blues (from Detroit)
- Washington Capitals
Following his acquisition by the Red Wings, Faulk skated in 17 games, scoring five goals while adding three assists. He's under contract for one more season with a $6.5 million salary cap hit.
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