The 2011 NHL entry draft was the 49th NHL entry draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars hosted the 1989 NHL entry draft. The top three picks consisted of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins going to the Edmonton Oilers, Gabriel Landeskog going to the Colorado Avalanche, and Jonathan Huberdeau going to the Florida Panthers. The draft was also noteworthy as the venue at which the recently relocated Atlanta Thrashers franchise announced that they would be known as the Winnipeg Jets, making the announcement as they drafted Mark Scheifele with their first pick.

Eligibility

Ice hockey players born between January 1, 1991, and September 15, 1993, were eligible for selection in the 2011 NHL entry draft. Additionally, un-drafted, non-North American players over the age of 20 were eligible for the draft; and those players who were drafted in the 2009 NHL entry draft, but not signed by an NHL team and who were born after June 24, 1991, were also eligible to re-enter the draft.

Draft lottery

The draft lottery was held on April 12, 2011, and was won by the New Jersey Devils, who moved up four spots to the fourth-overall pick. The Edmonton Oilers retained the first-overall pick. This was the first time since the 2007 draft lottery that a team other than the team with the worst regular season record won the draft lottery. New Jersey were also tied with the 1999 Chicago Blackhawks for the lowest ranked team to win the lottery as the eighth seed.

Top prospects

Selections by round

Round one

Round two

Round three

Round four

Round five

Round six

Round seven

Draftees based on nationality

North American draftees by state/province