The Tampa Bay Lightning enter the 2025 NHL Draft with seven selections, scheduled for Friday, June 27, and Saturday, June 28, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. While the Lightning have a few picks in earlier rounds, four of those seven selections come in the seventh and final round. The Lightning currently have the following selections: Round 2 – 56 overall (from Los Angeles Kings), Round 4 – 127 overall (from Edmonton Oilers), Round 5 – 151 overall, Round 7 – 193 overall (from San Jose Sharks), Round 7 – 206 overall (from Utah Mammoth), Round 7 – 212 overall (from Minnesota Wild), Round 7 – 215 overall.
Historically, the Lightning have found success in the later rounds, including their selection of Ondrej Palat in the 7th round in 2011. With four picks in the final round, the Lightning will be hoping to find another hidden gem. Here are a few prospects that the Lightning could target in the late rounds of the draft:
Kale Dach (Forward): Dach is an offensive player who dominated the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) with the Sherwood Park Crusaders. A natural playmaker, Dach excels with one-touch passes, quick hands, and subtle delay tactics. He led the BCHL in assists with 62 and had 31 multi-point games. Though his smaller size at 5-foot-10 is a concern, he is committed to the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the 2025-26 season, which will provide a tougher level of competition to assess his abilities.
After Over-aged Players and Europeans: Don't be surprised if they take some players that are off the board This is where the Lightning have been going after over-aged players and Europeans in recent drafts. Maybe a highly-skilled forward that is undersized (Joona Saarlainen in 2024 and Jack Harvey in 2023). They seem to have done pretty well with an over-age goalie in Harrison Meneghin last year, maybe they look to build their prospect depth in net.
The Tampa Bay Lightning's management team has been preparing for the draft for weeks. While most team personnel will operate from their home offices, each team will send a representative to the draft in Los Angeles.
