The Vancouver Canucks will officially finish the 2025-26 season with the best odds to pick first-overall.
It’s official: the Vancouver Canucks will finish the 2025–26 season dead-last in the NHL. With their 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild tonight, Vancouver officially secures the best odds at picking first-overall in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Tonight’s result ensures that regardless of how the remaining games go, the Canucks will remain 32nd in the NHL. Vancouver was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention last week and currently hold a record of 22–45–8 with 52 points in 75 games. Ahead of them in the standings are the Calgary Flames (70 points in 74 games) and Chicago Blackhawks (68 points in 75 games), who now have too-high a point lead on the Canucks to challenge for the best draft lottery odds.
Through their 56 years of existence, the Canucks have yet to pick first-overall in any NHL Entry Draft. They have made a total of eight selections within the top-three: Daniel Sedin (2nd, 1999), Petr Neded (2nd, 1990), Trevor Linden (2nd, 1988), Dale Tallon (2nd, 1970), Henrik Sedin (3rd, 1999), Dennis Ververgaert (3rd, 1973), Don Lever (3rd, 1972), and Jocelyn Guevremont (3rd, 1971).
The 2026 NHL Draft lottery date is set for May 5. The 2026 NHL Entry Draft itself will take place at KeyBank Centre in Buffalo, with the first-round taking place on June 26 and round two to seven occurring on June 27.
Jan 12, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; View of a Vancouver Canucks logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team during the second period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn ImagesMake sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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