Read through the order of picks for the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft.

The NHL Draft order is determined by a combination of lottery, regular season standing, and playoff results. 

As with the other major sports leagues, the basic draft order is intended to favor the teams with the weakest performance who presumably need the most improvement in their roster to compete with the other teams. Subject to the results of the NHL Draft Lottery, the teams pick in the same order each round, with each team getting one pick per round.

The Chicago Blackhawks possess the top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

2023 NHL Draft - First Round Order

1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. Anaheim Ducks
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
4. San Jose Sharks
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Arizona Coyotes
7. Philadelphia Flyers
8. Washington Capitals
9. Detroit Red Wings
10. St. Louis Blues
11. Vancouver Canucks
12. Arizona Coyotes (from Ottawa Senators)
13. Buffalo Sabres
14. Pittsburgh Penguins
15. Nashville Predators
16. Calgary Flames
17. Detroit Red Wings (from New York Islanders via Vancouver Canucks)
18. Winnipeg Jets
19. Chicago Blackhawks (from Tampa Bay Lightning)
20. Seattle Kraken
21. Minnesota Wild
22. Columbus Blue Jackets (from Los Angeles Kings)
23. New York Rangers
24. Nashville Predators (from Edmonton Oilers)
25. St. Louis Blues (from Toronto Maple Leafs)
26. San Jose Sharks (from New Jersey Devils)
27. Colorado Avalanche
28. Toronto Maple Leafs (from Boston Bruins via Washington Capitals)

David Schneidman

• NHL Draft
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