Headlines

Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks Win 2026 NHL Draft Lottery

By | at May 5, 2026 6:20 pm

The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the 2026 NHL draft lottery, shared by the league, which was conducted at the NHL Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey this evening. On 8.5% odds, Toronto jumped from #5 to the top selection and will be first on the stage on June 26 in Buffalo. 

They were not the only club to have luck on their side, as the San Jose Sharks jumped from #9 to the second overall selection (5.2%), leaving the Vancouver Canucks to drop from the top slot to #3 overall. At this point, with the lottery determined, the 2026 draft’s first 16 selections are now official:

  1. Toronto Maple Leafs
  2. San Jose Sharks
  3. Vancouver Canucks
  4. Chicago Blackhawks
  5. New York Rangers
  6. Calgary Flames
  7. Seattle Kraken
  8. Winnipeg Jets
  9. Florida Panthers
  10. Nashville Predators
  11. St. Louis Blues
  12. New Jersey Devils
  13. New York Islanders
  14. Columbus Blue Jackets
  15. St. Louis Blues (from Red Wings)
  16. Washington Capitals

The Maple Leafs will have their choosing of the first player, for the first time since 2016, where they netted Auston Matthews, a draft which was also held in Buffalo. It will be the third time ever, the first being Wendel Clark in 1985. Of all the lottery scenarios tonight, Toronto’s chances at winning were a wild possibility, and sure enough, it has happened.

After hiring John Chayka as general manager, it was already apparent there’s serious pressure on the new regime to win over Matthews. Things couldn’t be off to better of a start than they are tonight. With a sparse free agent market, and complicated trade assets, the Leafs got a lucky break which has dramatically shifted their outlook. Just hoping to stay in the top five, to avoid relinquishing their pick to Boston as a result of the Brandon Carlo trade, that’s no longer a concern. Boston fans may simply look ahead to next year, but with conditions existing on the Philadelphia/Scott Laughton deal as well, they may have to wait for 2028 to obtain Toronto’s first rounder, while the 2027 selection would end up in the hands of Philadelphia.

Not to be outdone, already building one of the most talented young teams in the league, San Jose will pick #2 for the second consecutive season, despite taking a serious step forward, going 39-35-8 on the back of soon to be 20-year-old Macklin Celebrini‘s 115 points. It’s an embarrassment of riches for a team already thought to have one of the highest ranked prospect pools in the NHL, who will pick in the top five for the fourth straight year.

Gavin McKenna, widely considered to be the top prospect, jumped from Medicine Hat of the WHL to Penn State University in 2025-26, seeking a bigger challenge. Adversity he got, facing questions early on about his production against higher competition, as well as an off the ice incident where charges were eventually dropped. Through it all, the Whitehorse, Yukon native stayed the course, tying for fifth in NCAA scoring with 51 points in 35 games. Barring any major developments, Leaf fans can expect to see #72 in the blue and white next fall, although his immediate full time NHL role is a question mark. Even if not an immediate standout, McKenna’s offensive flair, reminiscent of Patrick Kane, has him a potential star for years to come. It’s about as perfect of a match as the organization could hope for after losing Mitch Marner, as McKenna is a natural wing who could feast alongside Matthews.

Likely missing out on the chance to select McKenna, but certainly not complaining, the Sharks still have a tremendous prospect in their grasp, Ivar Stenberg. The Swedish winger posted 33 points for Frolunda of the SHL, playing against men and coming away fifth in team scoring despite playing in fewer games than teammates. Back in January, the 18-year-old was thought to be emerging as jumping McKenna for the top spot. Largely considered to be a top six lock, with first line upside, Stenberg could be an immediate contributor wearing the teal next season. If so, he’d complete an entire top six corps made up of dynamic young forwards: Celebrini, Will Smith, William Eklund, Michael Misa, and Igor Chernyshov. Clearly not in much need of another forward, Stenberg is likely too strong a prospect to pass on. 

Outside of McKenna and Stenberg, holding the highest upside, the field opens up a bit, which is especially cruel to Vancouver, who fell to #3, a range the haven’t found themselves in since selecting the Sedin twins in 1999. Defensemen Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff, and Alberts Smits all offer top pairing potential as prospects any team would salivate over. If that’s the path they take, the Canucks would create a tremendous one-two punch with 20-year-old Zeev Buium. 

Also worth mentioning, Caleb Malholtra stands out as the top center. Son of longtime NHL center Manny Malholtra, and current head coach of the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, Caleb will benefit from a major breakout campaign with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs, and being a member of a draft class which is more thin down the middle among the top five. Besides the obvious connections, it will be a story line to watch on if Vancouver passes on the defensemen and considers Malholtra, who will join Boston University next fall. 

Last year the New York Islanders jumped from #10 to the top spot. After a solid playoff window, their aging core was running out of juice. There was a fair bit of speculation on if they could select a game-breaking forward such as Misa or go with the top player, defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who lost a large chunk of his draft year due to injury. 

New York went with Schaefer, as Misa landed with the Sharks, and the reward was massive. The teenager led all Islanders in ice time, playing over 24 minutes a night, scoring 23 goals and 36 helpers for 59 points in 82 games. The #1 pick finished second in the entire NHL in goal scoring from defensemen, a spectacular campaign for a player who wasn’t even a lock to make the roster. For how good he was as a rookie, it’s scary to think about what is in store. Such is indicative of the power of the draft lottery, and a number which will always be synonymous with Schaefer as an Islander; 3.5%. 

Meanwhile, Toronto will hope to have the same sort of fortune with their selection. Often the NHL lottery is weighed by the “deserved” scale, up for interpretation. While every franchise deserves the opportunity to select game breaking talent, especially those with the worst records, it’s fascinating to consider how different things could be for the Maple Leafs, and just how much they had at stake tonight. Rather than forking over a top 10 selection to their playoff nemesis, and coming away with nothing from a lost season, the lights are as bright in Toronto as ever, and now, they’re on the clock for June 26.

2026 NHL Draft Newsstand San Jose Sharks Toronto Maple Leafs
Main
View Comments (128)
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors