The NHL's annual draft lottery was held on Monday at NHL Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. For the first time, the draw was held live in-studio, allowing viewers to see the results at the same time as the 16 lottery participants.

O'Brien would be a steal at this point in the draft, as Buffalo could try to replace center Dylan Cozens for the long haul with the sharpshooting O'Brien. He's coming off a 32-goal, 66-assist season in the OHL.

After the Islanders, the San Jose Sharks landed the second pick while the Chicago Blackhawks will pick third. The Sharks own a top-five pick for the third straight season after selecting Macklin Celebrini with the top pick in 2024 and Will Smith with the No. 4 pick in 2023.