The Red Wings currently have one first-round selection at the No. 13 position. They made a selection in the top-10 in each draft between 2017-23. The New York Islanders are scheduled to go first overall after winning the draft lottery for the first time since 2009. The Islanders won the lottery despite having the 10th-best odds to win.

The order for each round was determined by the order that teams finished the 2024-25 regular season, but the first-round order was altered by the draft lottery. The New York Islanders won the first draft lottery draw, moving up to No. 1, while the Utah Mammoth won the second draw, moving up to No. 4.

Schaefer (6-foot-2, 186 pounds), who has been the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft all season, had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) and a plus-21 rating in 17 games with the Otters this season.