If the Canucks win the NHL Draft Lottery and earn the first-overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, they'll be the second Vancouver hockey team to acquire the first-overall pick in their league's entry draft this season.
In BC, all eyes are on the Vancouver Canucks heading into the NHL Draft Lottery on May 5. The Canucks, who finished 32nd overall in the NHL, will enter the lottery with the highest odds of drafting first-overall. Earning the first-overall selection would make them the second professional hockey team in Vancouver to earn a first-overall pick in their respective 2026 Entry Drafts, as the Vancouver Goldeneyes clinched this feat on Saturday night.
The Goldeneyes finished their inaugural PWHL season with a record of 9–3–4–14, ultimately being eliminated from playoff contention on April 18. This activated their race for the Gold Plan, which is a system that helps decide which of the eliminated teams will be awarded the first-overall pick. From after a team is eliminated until the end of the regular season, they will continue to collect points in the standings; however, these points will instead go towards a potential draft order, with the team that collects the most points being awarded the first-overall selection in the upcoming draft.
After taking a 4–3 overtime win against the Minnesota Frost on Saturday, and having the Seattle Torrent lose in a shootout, the Goldeneyes were able to secure the rights to the first-overall pick in the 2026 PWHL Entry Draft.
The Canucks have yet to pick first-overall throughout franchise history, though their current odds should set them up well to do-so. They have made four selections at second-overall (Daniel Sedin, 1999; Petr Nedvěd, 1990; Trevor Linden, 1988; and Dale Tallon, 1970) and four at third-overall (Henrik Sedin, 1999; Dennis Ververgaert, 1973; Don Lever, 1972; and Jocelyn Guevremont, 1971).
Photo Credit: @Canucks - XInterestingly, this would not be the first time a city’s (or overall demographic) NHL and PWHL team were both awarded the first-overall draft pick. This honour belongs to New York, as the Islanders and the Sirens both selected first-overall in the 2025 Draft, with the Islanders picking defenceman Matthew Schaefer and the Sirens selecting forward Kristýna Kaltounková.
The options at first-overall are bountiful for both the NHL and PWHL. For the NHL, forward Gavin McKenna appears to be the favourite to go first, though Ivar Stenberg has made a strong case for himself. From a PWHL standpoint, all signs point towards defender Caroline Harvey going first-overall; however, defender Laila Edwards, forward Abbey Murphy, and centre Tessa Janecke have all made notable impressions in their respective seasons.
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