The 2025 NFL draft will reportedly be held at Los Angeles' Peacock Theater on June 27-28, per Greg Wyshynski of ESPN, and will feature a "decentralized format" that will allow teams to call in their picks from their own facilities, similar to how the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball operates.

The NHL has had both teams and prospects alike gathered on the draft floor in a central location in all but two drafts—both during the COVID-19 pandemic—dating back to 1963.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has pushed making the change in the past.

"Families are going to be there, prospects are going to be there, we're all going to be there," he said back at the 2023 NHL board of governors meeting. "With more and more people with computers and data involved with the draft and doing that type of work on the floor, they were all more comfortable in their home environments."

Members of NHL front offices and coaching staffs are expected to embrace the change.

"There's noise at the draft. The telephones don't work extremely well either. I think you can be more productive and more accurate when you're in your own room with more information around you," Utah Hockey Club general manager Bill Armstrong told ESPN last year. "Also, you're not worried about exposing your screens to anybody. There's obviously more privacy."

As for the draft itself, Brampton Steelheads winger Porter Martone, Boston College center James Hagens, Erie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, Saginaw center Michael Misa and Brandon Wheat Kings center Roger McQueen are expected to be the top prospects available.

Macklin Celebrini, last draft's top overall pick for the San Jose Sharks, has registered 12 goals and 15 assists in 27 games this season. He's locked in a battle with Philadelphia Flyers' dynamo Matvei Michkov (12 goals and 17 assists in 35 games) for the NHL's Rookie of the Year award this season.