Breaking down every NHL team’s draft pick situation ahead of 2025 NHL Trade Deadline

Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

We’re just under seven weeks from the NHL’s March 7 trade deadline and we’ve got you covered at Daily Faceoff with at least one trade-focused story every day until Deadline Day.

Today, we break down every team’s draft pick situation with a month and a half to go. It’s one of the most valuable forms of currency, and there’s going to be no shortage of picks moved as teams look to bulk up for the playoffs or prepare for the future.

2025 NHL Trade Deadline Countdown: 48 Days

Close to 60 draft picks were traded in the month leading up to the March 8 NHL Trade Deadline last year, including 51 on the week of the deadline itself. If you ever need a trade sweetener, moving a pick is perfect – it costs nothing, doesn’t add an extra contract immediately and can be swapped later to grab another asset. If you can get out of the deadline without moving high-end assets, that’s great. But for others, it’s the perfect tool to get the right piece you need.

There’s no clear favorite to go No. 1 in the NHL Draft, but Matthew Schaefer and James Hagens currently lead the way. It’s a good top four, with the pair joined by Michael Misa and Porter Martone. From there, anything can happen – but there is some solid depth available at every position.

Here’s how every team’s 2025 NHL Draft pick situation stacks up right now:

Anaheim Ducks

2025: 1/3/3/4/5/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/2/3/5/6/7

Sooner rather than later, the Ducks will need to take the plunge forward and start pushing the needle. They are a better team overall, sitting a little below .500, and no longer sit inside the bottom three in the NHL. Many of Anaheim’s top young players are with the big club, with Beckett Sennecke and Stian Solberg being farther away. It seems unlikely that they’ll be buyers with their picks, especially without a second-rounder this year. They also don’t have many notable pending UFAs that’ll get them a pick in the 33-64 range, but maybe they can add another pick or two for later on in the draft.

Boston Bruins

2025: 1/3/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/7
2027: 1/2/4/5/6/7

The Bruins have only drafted in the first round three of the past seven years, so having their next three intact is a welcome sight. But will it last? Given that the Bruins really need a No. 1 center if they’re going to make noise, it likely won’t. They might even need to move multiple high-end picks – they traded a 2023 first-rounder, a 2024 third-rounder, and the second-round pick this year to get Garnet Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov in 2023 only for both to depart as UFAs in the summer. The Bruins need to be buyers to secure their spot in the playoffs, and it’s going to be costly.

Buffalo Sabres

2025: 1/2/3/4/4/5/6/7/7/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Sabres have all their picks intact for the next three years and then some. The Sabres are the one team that appears out of the playoff picture in the East right now, and rumors have surrounded some of the team’s core players – most notably Dylan Cozens – becoming possible trade targets. Could they sell off some of their UFAs, like Jason Zucker or James Reimer, to add a few more picks? Potentially. This isn’t a buyer year for the Sabres, and they could very well have a new GM come next year.

Calgary Flames

2025: 1/1/2/2/3/5/6/7
2026: 1/1/2/3/3/4/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Flames have seven picks in the first two rounds over the next two years – and with the playoffs in reach, you have to think they’ll use at least a few of them. They’d probably be better off snagging a bigger fish you could stick around for a few years – someone like a Cozens. The Flames could use some top-six scoring help, and they’ve got the assets – and about $17 million in projected cap space – to make something happen.

Carolina Hurricanes

2025: 1/2/3/3/4/6/7
2026: 1/2/4/5/6/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Hurricanes typically draft in the second half of Day 1 and still come out looking good. But they’ve got some glaring issues to address before the deadline. Can they trust their goaltending enough? Frederik Andersen has missed most of the season, Pyotr Kochetkov has been just fine and the backups have had their ups and downs. More importantly, though, they could use another skilled, dynamic forward to give the team a bit of a boost, and that won’t come cheap.

Chicago Blackhawks

2025: 1/1/2/2/4/4/6/7
2026: 1/2/2/2/3/4/4/5/6
2027: 1/2/2/3/5/6/7

The Hawks look destined to select first overall for the second time in three years – and with two first-round picks, it’s looking to be an important year for the team’s scouting department. Taylor Hall is a pending UFA, and it looks like he could be on the move. Other notable future UFAs include Patrick Maroon, Ryan Donato, and Craig Smith, as well as RFA Philipp Kurashev, who has been a healthy scratch at points this year. The Blackhawks won’t be competitive for at least a few more years, so now’s the time to snag up all the young help they can get.

Colorado Avalanche

2025: 2/4/4/7
2026: 1/4/5/5/7/7/7
2027: 1/2/4/5/5/6/7

At this point last year, the Avs had just five picks, but they turned it into nine. Will GM Chris McFarland do the same this year? The Avs turned their first and third-round picks last year into five picks, so but they don’t have either of those to work with this year. So it looks less likely, but maybe we’ll see them ship off depth to add an extra selection, just like they did with Ben Meyers last March. The Avs are one of the top teams since Dec. 1, putting their early season issues to the side. They still need some help to fill out the team’s depth down the middle, but the goaltending has been figured out and they’ll have plenty of LTIR cash to work with, too.

Columbus Blue Jackets

2025: 1/1/3/4/4/6/7/7
2026: 1/3/3/4/4/4/5/6/6/7
2027: 1/2/2/3/3/3/4/5/6/7

One of the hottest teams in the NHL and with plenty of draft capital to spare? The Blue Jackets are outperforming expectations in a big way, and still have two first-rounders they can use if they please. GM Don Waddell is a smart cookie, so he won’t throw away assets if he doesn’t think the Blue Jackets have a legitimate chance at making noise. But he also showed he’s not afraid to move on from future talent, trading top defensive prospect David Jiricek to Minnesota for four draft picks and depth defender Daemon Hunt. It seems unlikely that they’ll go all in, but having two picks on Day 1 of the draft has to be exciting.

Dallas Stars

2025: 1/3/5/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Stars are projected to be buyers this year, with many pointing towards their lack of blueline depth on the right side. Ilya Lyubushkin, Nils Lundkvist and Matt Dumba make up the team’s RHD, and… that’s not going to win you the Stanley Cup. The problem? The market doesn’t look great for right-shot defensemen. Rasmus Ristolainen and Will Borgen are two of the more notable options who could be moved. Parents, just start forcing your kids to shoot right – it’ll help out their long-term career prospects.

Detroit Red Wings

2025: 1/2/3/3/5/6/7/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The playoffs are definitely within reach – but how aggressive will the Red Wings get if they don’t see a path to success? The Wings already have a quality prospect pool with solid options at every position, so they can afford to move picks to get more immediate help. If anything, the Wings need someone who can thrive on the penalty kill and help out a bit offensively, too. Detroit has struggled while down a man and could use some help on the blueline – something they didn’t address adequately enough after shipping out Jake Walman last summer.

Edmonton Oilers

2025: 2/3/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/5/6/7

The Oilers made a big splash by acquiring Adam Henrique at the deadline last year, moving out a first-round pick, among other assets, to make it happen. They eventually snagged a first-rounder in 2024, but did so at the expense of having a 2025 first-rounder as a trade chip this year. That’ll hurt them as a buyer, but given their biggest need is likely a second-pairing right-shot defenseman, it might not cost them an arm and a leg to make it happen. Unfortunately, the market on the right side isn’t looking too sharp right now. Will John Klingberg adequately fill that need?

Florida Panthers

2025: 4/4/5/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/4/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Panthers have one of the weakest prospect pools in the game, but they won the Stanley Cup last year – so nobody cares. The club traded a few picks to bring in veterans Vladimir Tarasenko and Kyle Okposo last year but won’t have the same buying power this year. They don’t pick until the fourth round, so they’ll have to get creative. They still have their first two picks in each of the next two drafts, so if they want to sweeten the pot to add some help for another Stanley Cup push, they can reach into the reserves a bit.

Los Angeles Kings

2025: 1/3/4/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Kings have a mighty fine repository to work with, given they’ve only traded away one pick in the next three years. It could help them add some help to the blueline, particularly on the left side. While adding a third-pairing defenseman would be ideal (and cheaper), getting a chance to snag someone like Ryan Lindgren or K’Andre Miller from the Rangers has to be enticing. Look for the Kings to be buyers, and they’ve got the future assets to buy in heavily if they so desire.

Minnesota Wild

2025: 2/4/5/6
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/5/6/6/7
2027: 1/3/4/5/6/7

The Wild don’t have much to work with for 2025, but they have a decent number of selections for the following two years. Minnesota has a good young core, so they can afford to move on from some future assets. The team could use some help down the middle – Minnesota native Brock Nelson, anyone? – and would likely want someone who isn’t just simply a rental. Could you imagine if they paired Elias Pettersson with Kirill Kaprizov? It would be costly, for sure, but they have some decent assets to throw at long-term help.

Montreal Canadiens

2025: 1/1/2/2/3/3/3/4/4/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/2/3/4/4/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

Now, THIS is interesting. The Canadiens have nine picks in the first four rounds this year, and with the team on a heater right now, could they swap some picks to get some long-term help? For as solid as they’re playing right now, they still have a flawed roster and they shouldn’t make potentially damaging mistakes to try and squeak into the post-season. The focus still needs to be on the future, and there will be no shortage of teams chasing someone like Mike Matheson. But, still – having this much draft capital and being this close to a playoff position is absolutely fantastic.

Nashville Predators

2025: 1/1/1/2/2/3/4/5/6/6
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/7
2027: 1/2/3/3/4/4/5/6/7

The Predators went all-in this past summer, spending big bucks to bring in Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchesseault and Brady Skjei. Right now, they’re miles out of a playoff spot and are battling for the first overall draft pick. Are the Predators truly this bad? Can they find a way to salvage the season? Or do they take their potential top five pick and run? Or… do they dangle it to get something extra sweet? There’s a lot for GM Barry Trotz to think about in the coming weeks as the Preds try to figure out what type of team they actually are.

New Jersey Devils

2025: 2/2/2/3/4/6/6
2026: 1/2/3/4/4/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Devils have a firm grip on a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division, so they’ll be buyers, if anything. They’ve been getting solid offense from middle-six forward Stefan Noesen, but they could use some extra scoring depth to move the needle in ways guys like Ondrej Palat, Erik Haula and Tomas Tatar can’t. They don’t have their first-rounder, but having a trio of second-rounders gives them something to work with.

New York Islanders

2025: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7
2026: 1/3/4/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

It’s rare to see a team having not traded at least one pick in the upcoming draft – but for a bubble team with a poor pipeline, it’s probably for the best. GM Lou Lamoriello has hurt the team with some unmoveable contracts, and his inability to make meaningful changes has put them in an ugly spot heading into the deadline. Under no circumstances should they be buyers, and they need to ship out players to bring in assets to make them competitive in the long term. But will Lamoriello – who isn’t far off of retirement – be interested in that, knowing he likely won’t be leading the team for much longer?

New York Rangers

2025: 1/3/4/5/6/6/7
2026: 1/3/5/6/7
2027: 1/3/5/6/7

Welp. The Rangers are much deeper in the standings than anyone could have possibly thought heading into the year, with the only redeeming aspect being the play of goaltender Igor Shesterkin. GM Chris Drury told teams that the Rangers are open to selling off just about anyone, and that could mean moving some key pieces on their blueline. But that’s kind of the issue – the team’s D-corps needs a retooling, and fast. Many believe the Rangers are a decent team that’s simply underperforming – we’ll see how they handle the deadline.

Ottawa Senators

2025: 1/2/3/5/6/7
2026: 1/3/3/3/5/6/6
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Sens’ prospect pool is dreadful, but they’re definitely trending the right way where it matters – the NHL standings. The team is a bubble playoff squad for now, but they could use some extra defensive depth. With most of their picks intact for 2025 and an abundance of third-rounders in 2026, the Senators can afford to move a few of them to get immediate help. Ottawa has a good core with a top-end goalie (when Linus Ullmark is healthy), so they could easily make some noise.

Philadelphia Flyers

2025: 1/1/1/2/2/2/3/4/5/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Flyers have three first-rounders at their disposal, which is wild. They’re still in the hunt for a Wildcard playoff spot (and would probably be higher with better goaltending). But with so many players linked in trade rumors – Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee, for example – they’re looking more like sellers than buyers. If they go all-in, they’ve got the assets to find long-term help. If not, they can recoup even more draft picks and help use them to land someone closer to the NHL Draft. It’s going to be an interesting deadline for the club.

Pittsburgh Penguins

2025: 1/3/3/3/4/5/5/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/2/3/3/4/6/7/7
2027: 1/2/2/3/3/4/5/6/7

The Penguins had built a reputation of selling draft picks to keep the Stanley Cup dream alive – and it definitely worked in 2016 and 2017. From 2015-24, the team made just three first-round selections – Samuel Poulin, Owen Pickering and Brayden Yager. For now, they’ve got their opening pick, but they’ve also got 10 selections overall. For reference, the last time they had more than six picks in a draft was when they took nine players back in 2012 (the first five became NHLers). So that’s some incredible capital that GM Kyle Dubas and new scouting lead Wes Clark have – both as trade bait, and to help bolster the future.

San Jose Sharks

2025: 1/2/3/4/5/7
2026: 1/2/2/4/7
2027: 1/2/4/6/7

The Sharks have a legitimate chance at selecting No. 1 for the second year in a row. At the very least, they’re getting another high pick – even if they don’t have the same surplus of picks they had the past two years. The kids are looking good in San Jose, but there’s no rush to the rebuild just yet. So don’t look for them to ship out picks – instead, maybe they’ll get some decent assets in return for one of their seven pending UFAs.

Seattle Kraken

2025: 1/2/4/4/5/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/4/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Kraken used two 2025 picks to bring in Kaapo Kakko a few weeks back, and it’s been very successful. Can they use some of their other assets to push the team back into playoff contention? They need help, but they also seem likely to move on from pending UFAs Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev, which could net them more assets. At the very least, don’t expect them to enter the draft in June with just six picks.

St. Louis Blues

2025: 1/5/6
2026: 1/3/4/5/5/6/7
2027: 1/3/4/4/5/6/7

As it stands, the Blues are probably one of the teams most excited to stay home for the NHL Draft with just three picks right now. The Blues still have a chance to make the playoffs, but they don’t have much draft capital to work with. As Frank Seravalli said, it feels like a “hope and pray” year for the club after acquiring Cam Fowler, Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg as well as making a coaching change.

Tampa Bay Lightning

2025: 2/2/4/4/5/6/7/7/7/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7
2027:1/2/3/4/6/7

The Bolts have made just nine first-round picks since 2010, and just one – NCAA goal-scorer Isaac Howard – is still with the organization. They didn’t even pick until the fourth round last year, but still made seven selections. They don’t have a first-rounder in 2025, but they do have two second-rounders (and four seventh-rounders, for some reason). So, there’s still plenty of draft capital to make a meaningful move, especially since they have each of their first-round picks in 2026 and 2027. Look for them to find some more bottom-six depth this year, which GM Julien BriseBois always seems happy to chase at the deadline.

Toronto Maple Leafs

2025: 2/3/5/6/7
2026: 1/3/5/6
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

Mark Leach is now running the show as the director of amateur scouting – and he was part of a great scouting department in Dallas. As it stands, the team doesn’t have a first-rounder, but they’ve often been willing to trade down anyway when they’re confident they value a given player higher than others do. We’ll see how much runway Leach is given because the Leafs could instead use some of their picks to grab some bottom-six scoring help at the deadline. The team needs a third-line center, and that second-rounder this year could be a spicy asset.

Utah Hockey Club

2025: 1/2/3/4/5/6
2026: 1/2/2/2/3/3/4/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/4/4/5/5/6/7

Utah had an excellent first draft last year, making 11 selections. But with the team firmly in the playoff conversation, but currently on the outside looking in, they look to be buyers heading into the deadline. GM Bill Armstrong could end up looking for some longer-term upgrades, which starts with finding some extra help on the wing. Utah has plenty of prospects to offer up and can afford to move on from one of their earlier draft picks in 2025 – or their abundance of second- and third-rounders in 2026 – to get what they need.

Vancouver Canucks

2025: 1/2/4/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/4/5/6
2027: 1/3/4/4/5/6/7

The Canucks are still in the Wildcard race, with the race between them, Calgary and St. Louis looking quite tight. There’s been so much talk about whether they’ll trade Elias Pettersson or J.T. Miller, and either one of them would be able to bring in quite the haul. Vancouver definitely needs a capable puck-moving defenseman who can take the load off Quinn Hughes from time to time. Ideally, they’ll target some long-term help – and they’ve got their first two picks in the next two drafts that could make for nice trade chips.

Vegas Golden Knights

2025: 2/3/3/4/5/6/6
2026: 2/3/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/3/4/5/6/7

The Golden Knights are famous for trading their first-round picks, and they aren’t scheduled to select on the opening day until 2027. Heck, they probably would have traded their 2024 first-rounder if they weren’t hosting the draft. Vegas will likely target some extra winger depth, but with a team as deep as theirs, they don’t need to overpay with draft picks to make it happen.

Washington Capitals

2025: 1/2/2/3/4/5
2026: 1/2/4/4/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/4/5/6/7

Not only are the Capitals one of the top teams in the NHL and have a boatload of quality prospects, but they also have three picks in the top 64 for 2025. What a time to be alive. The Capitals could still use some extra center depth, preferably someone who can play a bottom-six role. It’s not a great year to be looking for center depth, so the Capitals could look to stay pat with the group they have. With Alex Ovechkin’s career winding down, they’re going to want to chase the Cup as soon as possible. It helps that he’s playing lights-out, too – Washington will want to capitalize on that.

Winnipeg Jets

2025: 1/3/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Jets were the hottest team in the NHL at one point, but it’s clear they need some more help up front. The team specifically could use help finding a second-line center, and the first-rounder might be worth the price if the right player comes along. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff got aggressive last year, trading all but four picks – and he still managed to get steals with Kevin He (fourth-rounder) and Kieron Walton (sixth-rounder). It would be wise to get aggressive again.

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