Islanders win the 2025 Draft Lottery: My thoughts

My thoughts on the New York Islanders winning the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery, their first number one pick since drafting John Tavares in that spot 16 years ago.

There's no doubt that this will be a day changing the trajectory of the Islanders franchise, with a future very uncertain as Hockey Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello was let go from his duties as President of Hockey Ops/General Manager just weeks ago. It becomes all the more brighter as the countdown now begins for the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles. And to think I was setting the stage for this on Pags' Perspective earlier today! You can't make this story up.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
But also tonight the NHL Draft Lottery. Islanders going into
this tonight with a three point five percent chance, in
other words, thirty five different four number combinations to win
either the number one or number two overall picks. So
how about all this Isles news as they enter a
new era which could perhaps be really kickstarted tonight with
a good draft pick. Will the Islanders three point five

(00:23):
percent odds result in something greater than the tenth pick.
We'll find out tonight seven pm Eastern Time, NHL Draft Lottery.
I'll be watching and let the anticipation begin.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
The winner of the twenty twenty five NHL Draft Lottery
and the first overall selection in the twenty twenty five
Upper Deck NHL Draft belongs to the New York Islanders.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
I mean, you really can't make this story up. I
was literally just talking about this in my podcast earlier
this afternoon, about the isles potential odds at winning the
draft lottery. I had some speculation that, you know, maybe
on account of the All Star Game being taken away
from Elmont next year, that the NHL somehow rewards this
team back with the first overall pick in the this

(01:08):
year's draft. Only a three point five percent chance and
it becomes one hundred. The New York Islanders actually won
the Draft Lottery in twenty twenty five. This is just unreal,
unfreaking reel. And who better to represent them at the
Lotto than Ken Morrow, of all people, my guy, Ken Morrow.

(01:30):
At that I actually met him at his book signing
at the NHL store in February. Great down Earth guy,
and he turned out to be the lucky charm representing
the Isles as their director of pro scouting, has an
Olympic Gold medal to his name, four straight Stanley Cups
and now you can make it two Draft Lottery wins
because he was representing the Islanders the last time they
won the Lotto in nine when they took John Tavares

(01:52):
first overall. And you know, that worked out pretty well
until it didn't, which is to say that it worked
out really well for us. But I could not be
more ecstatic right now. Islanders getting the first pick in
the draft June twenty seventh, twenty twenty five is going
to be nowaday that will forever change the trajectory of
this franchise. But this is also going to go down.

(02:14):
It's one of the best moments in the history of
the team, no question about it. A scent three point
five percent chance turns into number one. When that final
ping pong ball in the first draw revealed to number thirteen,
which was one of the numbers that the Islanders needed
to actually win the number one pick, it was that
are number five. I was wearing my Matt barz Al
jersey all the while for good luck. I was just

(02:36):
a disbelief. I'm sure many other people across Aisles Nation
were two. But you know what, that's quickly turning into
excitement and a hell of a lot of anticipation for
what is to come next month in the draft. One
thing's for sure too, It's gonna make us a more
appealing destination for all these general manager candidates now they
have a first overall pick to play with. That's a

(02:57):
very big selling point to give to all these potential
next GMS, guys like Gregory Campbell of the Florida Panthers,
Matthew Darsha of the Tampa Bay Lightning. I've also heard
Mark Bergevon, formerly of the Canadians, being thrown around in
these rumors. There are a lot of solid perspective GM
and President of Hockey operations candidates out there, and now
suddenly it's going to become all the more appealing to

(03:20):
try to net one of the top guys to come
to Elmont. Just a crazy franchise changing day that I
don't think anybody would have seen coming at the end
of the season, when it was almost certain that lou
Lamborello was going to be gone, nobody really knowing where
the heck this franchise was going to go next. But
for the first time in a long time, there's actually

(03:42):
optimism in Isles Nation, and I'm really looking forward to
seeing what they do with this first overall pick. They
got a month to decide, and that countdown starts now,
and I could not be more thrilled to have talked
about this and kind of set at the stage for
what was to come. Just some crazy stuff. Earlier today

(04:04):
on Pag's perspective,