The 2015 NHL entry draft was the 53rd draft for the National Hockey League. It was held on June 26–27, 2015, at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. The first three selections were Connor McDavid by the Edmonton Oilers, Jack Eichel by the Buffalo Sabres, and Dylan Strome by the Arizona Coyotes.
As of 2026, there are 66 active NHL players from this draft. That year, this draft was compared alongside the 2003 draft by The Athletic as one of the deepest in modern NHL history.
Eligibility Players born between January 1, 1995, and September 15, 1997, were eligible for selection in the 2015 NHL entry draft. Additionally, undrafted, non-North American players born in 1994 were eligible for the draft, and those players who were drafted in the 2013 NHL entry draft, but not signed by an NHL team and who were born after June 30, 1995, were also eligible to re-enter the Draft.
Draft lottery Since the 2012–13 season, all 14 teams not qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs have a "weighted" chance at winning the first overall selection. Beginning with the 2014–15 season, the NHL changed the weighting system that was used in previous years. Under the new system, the odds of winning the draft lottery for the four lowest finishing teams in the League decreased, while the odds for the other non-playoff teams increased. The Edmonton Oilers won the 2015 draft lottery that took place on April 18, 2015, thus moving them from the third overall pick to the first overall pick.
Top prospects Source: NHL Central Scouting final (April 8, 2015) ranking.
Ranking North American skaters European skaters 1 Connor McDavid (C) Mikko Rantanen (RW) 2 Jack Eichel (C) Gabriel Carlsson (D) 3 Noah Hanifin (D) Jacob Larsson (D) 4 Dylan Strome (C) Joel Eriksson Ek (C) 5 Lawson Crouse (LW) Michael Spacek (RW) 6 Mitch Marner (C/RW) Oliver Kylington (D) 7 Ivan Provorov (D) Denis Gurianov (RW) 8 Pavel Zacha (C) Robin Kovacs (RW) 9 Zach Werenski (D) Filip Ahl (LW) 10 Timo Meier (RW) Jens Looke (RW) Ranking North American goalies European goalies 1 Mackenzie Blackwood Ilya Samsonov 2 Callum Booth Daniel Vladar 3 Samuel Montembeault Felix Sandstrom
Selections by round The order of the 2015 entry draft is listed below.
Round one
# Player Nationality NHL team College/junior/club team 1Connor McDavid (C) Edmonton Oilers Erie Otters (OHL) 2Jack Eichel (C) Buffalo Sabres Boston University Terriers (Hockey East) 3 Dylan Strome (C) Arizona Coyotes Erie Otters (OHL) 4Mitch Marner (C/RW) Toronto Maple Leafs London Knights (OHL) 5Noah Hanifin (D) Carolina Hurricanes Boston College Eagles (Hockey East) 6 Pavel Zacha (C) New Jersey Devils Sarnia Sting (OHL) 7 Ivan Provorov (D) Philadelphia Flyers Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) 8Zach Werenski (D) Columbus Blue Jackets Michigan Wolverines (Big Ten) 9 Timo Meier (RW) San Jose Sharks Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) 10Mikko Rantanen (RW) Colorado Avalanche TPS (Liiga) 11 Lawson Crouse (LW) Florida Panthers Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) 12 Denis Gurianov (RW) Dallas Stars Lada Togliatti (KHL) 13 Jakub Zboril (D) Boston Bruins (from Los Angeles)1 Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) 14 Jake DeBrusk (LW) Boston Bruins Swift Current Broncos (WHL) 15 Zachary Senyshyn (RW) Boston Bruins (from Calgary)2 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) 16Mathew Barzal (C) New York Islanders (from Pittsburgh via Edmonton)3 Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) 17 Kyle Connor (LW) Winnipeg Jets Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) 18Thomas Chabot (D) Ottawa Senators Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) 19 Evgeny Svechnikov (LW) Detroit Red Wings Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL) 20 Joel Eriksson Ek (C) Minnesota Wild Farjestad BK (SHL) 21 Colin White (C) Ottawa Senators (from NY Islanders via Buffalo)4 U.S. NTDP (USHL) 22 Ilya Samsonov (G) Washington Capitals Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL) 23Brock Boeser (RW) Vancouver Canucks Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) 24Travis Konecny (C) Philadelphia Flyers (from Nashville via Toronto)5 Ottawa 67's (OHL) 25 Jack Roslovic (C) Winnipeg Jets (from St. Louis via Buffalo)6 U.S. NTDP (USHL) 26 Noah Juulsen (D) Montreal Canadiens Everett Silvertips (WHL) 27 Jacob Larsson (D) Anaheim Ducks Frolunda HC (SHL) 28 Anthony Beauvillier (LW) New York Islanders (from NY Rangers via Tampa Bay)7 Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) 29 Gabriel Carlsson (D) Columbus Blue Jackets (from Tampa Bay via Philadelphia and Toronto)8 Linkopings HC (SHL) 30 Nick Merkley (RW) Arizona Coyotes (from Chicago)9 Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Notes The Los Angeles Kings' first round pick went to the Boston Bruins as the result of a trade on June 26, 2015, that sent Milan Lucic to Los Angeles in exchange for Martin Jones, Colin Miller and this pick. The Calgary Flames' first-round pick went to the Boston Bruins as the result of a trade on June 26, 2015, that sent Dougie Hamilton to Calgary in exchange for Calgary and Washington's second-round picks in 2015 (45th and 52nd overall) and this pick. The Pittsburgh Penguins' first-round pick went to the New York Islanders as the result of a trade on June 26, 2015, that sent Griffin Reinhart to Edmonton in exchange for a second-round pick in 2015 (33rd overall) and this pick. Edmonton previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on January 2, 2015, that sent David Perron to Pittsburgh in exchange for Rob Klinkhammer and this pick. The New York Islanders' first-round pick went to the Ottawa Senators as the result of a trade on June 26, 2015, that sent Robin Lehner and David Legwand to Buffalo in exchange for this pick. Buffalo previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on October 27, 2013, that sent Thomas Vanek to New York in exchange for Matt Moulson, a second-round pick in 2015 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – Buffalo will receive a first-round pick in 2014 or 2015 at New York's choice – was converted on May 22, 2014, when the Islanders elected to keep their 2014 first-round pick. The Nashville Predators' first-round pick went to the Philadelphia Flyers as the result of a trade on June 26, 2015, that sent Tampa Bay's first-round pick in 2015 (29th overall) and Chicago's second-round pick in 2015 (61st overall) to Toronto in exchange for this pick. Toronto previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on February 15, 2015, that sent Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli to Nashville in exchange for Olli Jokinen, Brendan Leipsic and this pick. The St. Louis Blues' first-round pick went to the Winnipeg Jets as the result of a trade on February 11, 2015, that sent Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian and Jason Kasdorf to Buffalo in exchange for Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – Winnipeg will receive the lowest of Buffalo's first-round picks in 2015 – was converted on April 27, 2015, when the Islanders were eliminated from the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs, ensuring that the Blues' first-round pick would be lower. Buffalo previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on February 28, 2014, that sent Ryan Miller, Steve Ott and conditional second and third-round picks in 2014 to St. Louis in exchange for Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart, William Carrier, a conditional first-round pick in 2014 and this pick. The New York Rangers' first-round pick went to the New York Islanders as the result of a trade on June 26, 2015, that sent Edmonton's second-round pick in 2015 (33rd overall) and Florida's third-round pick in 2015 (72nd overall) to Tampa Bay in exchange for this pick. Tampa Bay previously acquired this pick as the result of trade on March 5, 2014, that sent Martin St. Louis and a conditional second-round pick in 2015 to New York in exchange for Ryan Callahan, a conditional first-round pick in 2014, a conditional seventh-round pick in 2015 and this pick. The Tampa Bay Lightning's first-round pick went to the Columbus Blue Jackets as the result of a trade on June 26, 2015, that sent Toronto's second-round pick in 2015 (34th overall) and Philadelphia's third-round pick in 2015 (68th overall) to Toronto in exchange for this pick. Toronto previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on June 26, 2015, that sent Nashville's first-round pick in 2015 (24th overall) to Philadelphia in exchange for Chicago's second-round pick in 2015 (61st overall) and this pick. Philadelphia previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 2, 2015, that sent Braydon Coburn to Tampa Bay in exchange for Radko Gudas, a third-round pick in 2015 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – Philadelphia will receive the Lightning's first-round draft pick in 2015 if it is not the first overall selection – was converted on March 30, 2015, when Tampa Bay qualified for the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs ensuring that this pick could not be a lottery selection. The Chicago Blackhawks' first-round pick went the Arizona Coyotes as the result of a trade on February 28, 2015, that sent Antoine Vermette to Chicago in exchange for Klas Dahlbeck and this pick.
Round two
# Player Nationality NHL team College/junior/club team 31 Jeremy Roy (D) San Jose Sharks (from Buffalo via Colorado)1 Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL) 32 Christian Fischer (RW) Arizona Coyotes U.S. NTDP (USHL) 33 Mitchell Stephens (C) Tampa Bay Lightning (from Edmonton via NY Islanders)2 Saginaw Spirit (OHL) 34 Travis Dermott (D) Toronto Maple Leafs (from Toronto via Los Angeles and Columbus)3 Erie Otters (OHL) 35Sebastian Aho (LW) Carolina Hurricanes Kärpät (Liiga) 36 Gabriel Gagne (RW) Ottawa Senators (from New Jersey)4 Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL) 37 Brandon Carlo (D) Boston Bruins (from Philadelphia via NY Islanders)5 Tri-City Americans (WHL) 38 Paul Bittner (LW) Columbus Blue Jackets Portland Winterhawks (WHL) 39 A.J. Greer (LW) Colorado Avalanche (from San Jose)6 Boston University Terriers (Hockey East) 40 Nicolas Meloche (D) Colorado Avalanche Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL) 41 Ryan Gropp (LW) New York Rangers (from Florida via New Jersey via Anaheim)7 Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) 42 Mackenzie Blackwood (G) New Jersey Devils (from Dallas via Ottawa)8 Barrie Colts (OHL) 43 Erik Cernak (D) Los Angeles Kings (from Los Angeles via Buffalo)9 HC Kosice (Slovak Extraliga) 44 Matthew Spencer (D) Tampa Bay Lightning (from Boston)10 Peterborough Petes (OHL) 45 Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (C) Boston Bruins (from Calgary)11 Omaha Lancers (USHL) 46 Daniel Sprong (RW) Pittsburgh Penguins Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL) 47 Jansen Harkins (C) Winnipeg Jets Prince George Cougars (WHL) 48 Filip Chlapik (C) Ottawa Senators Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL) 49 Roope Hintz (LW) Dallas Stars (from Detroit)12 Ilves (Liiga) 50 Jordan Greenway (LW) Minnesota Wild U.S. NTDP (USHL) 51 Brendan Guhle (D) Buffalo Sabres (from NY Islanders)13 Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) 52 Jeremy Lauzon (D) Boston Bruins (from Washington via Calgary)14 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL) 53 Rasmus Andersson (D) Calgary Flames (from Vancouver)15 Barrie Colts (OHL) 54 Graham Knott (LW) Chicago Blackhawks (compensatory)16 Niagara IceDogs (OHL) 55 Yakov Trenin (C) Nashville Predators Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL) 56 Vince Dunn (D) St. Louis Blues Niagara IceDogs (OHL) 57 Jonas Siegenthaler (D) Washington Capitals (from Montreal via Edmonton and NY Rangers)17 ZSC Lions (NLA) 58 Kevin Stenlund (C) Columbus Blue Jackets (from Anaheim)18 HV71 J20 (J20 SuperElit) 59 Julius Nattinen (C) Anaheim Ducks (from NY Rangers)19 JYP-Akatemia (Mestis) 60 Oliver Kylington (D) Calgary Flames (from Tampa Bay via NY Rangers and Arizona)20 Farjestad BK (SHL) 61 Jeremy Bracco (RW) Toronto Maple Leafs (from Chicago via Philadelphia)21 U.S. NTDP (USHL)
Notes The Buffalo Sabres' second-round pick went to the San Jose Sharks as the result of a trade on June 27, 2015, that sent a second-round pick in 2015 (39th overall), Colorado's second-round pick in 2016 and Colorado's sixth-round pick in 2017 to Colorado in exchange for this pick.