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:
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- San Jose Sharks
- Vancouver Canucks
- Chicago Blackhawks
- New York Rangers
- Calgary Flames
- Seattle Kraken
- Winnipeg Jets
- Florida Panthers
- Nashville Predators
- St. Louis Blues
- New Jersey Devils
- New York Islanders
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- St. Louis Blues (from Red Wings)
- 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.
Wow, what “luck”.
Wouldn’t giving the pick to a team that needs to attract fans and sponsors be more beneficial?
On SiriusXM at least, this sounds like the most ridiculous spectacle ever. And of course the Leafs win the lottery. 🙄
NOW I know this is fixed for sure!!!
Because Gary Bettman would willingly hand over the 1st overall pick to a GM he suspended for a year in a failed market that he desperately wanted to save?
Because he can’t let Toronto lose Auston Matthews and be irrelevant for 3-5 years, when Edmonton is floundering, Vancouver is awful, no one wants to play in Winnepeg and Calgary and Ottawa are middling. Montreal is the only Canadian team worth watching right now.
I don’t think Gary cares much about Canada. His job is to make money for 32 owners and the NHL as a product is tapped out north of the border. Any new money will be made by growing the game in American markets.
He absolutely can. They’ve been unsuccessful on the ice for 60 years and are worth several billions. There is no correlation between the Leafs, their fans, and logic.
Yes he would, “birds of a feather”……….you know the rest.
What a joke
No way
lmao can’t wait to see the rest of the hockey world completely melt down.
The bigger meltdown will be in Toronto if Sundin & Co. take Stenberg over McKenna. 😄
You’re probably right. Even though Stenberg is a pretty reasonable pick at #1 imo.
Rigged
Any evidence? By the way, please provide tangible evidence. The stuff rattling around inside your melon does not count.
@doghockey. That’s the problem the people that check are in the office. They don’t show you anything. There is no evidence. At least post the charts on the league website. You might as well skip watching it and wait for the results to get posted.
Matthews wants to leave so make sure they get the first pick
Why would Bettman care if Matthews left Toronto?
And here we go…………..the news is out and most of the locals are already babbling about a conspiracy. You folks never disappoint!
@doghockey. My team didn’t even have pick, but they dont show you the combinations so no telling. Just put the logo on a ball, and spin the top 5.
Vancouver did all they could to get a top two pick and poof, no can do.
I feel bad for Mckenna
As a Bruins fan, bleh. Oh well.
As far as a “conspiracy” goes? Seriously, what’s wrong with some people that they’d jump to that conclusion? Lead in the drinking water when they were kids? Shooting up in college?
The biggest story tonight isn’t that the Leafs got 1st overall IMO it’s that the Sharks got 2nd. That team is going to be a certified WAGON very soon and for a very long time.
Man, if they get Stenberg… I shudder to imagine how dominant he and celebrini together would be
Sharks trade #2OA and Misa for Mathews.
Toronto picks McKenna and Reid or maybe Verhoeff
It is rather convenient that NY and the league office team win the lottery 2 years in a row with huge odds but whatever. Hawks and KD should have already put that pick on Hockey’s Craigs List with the purpose of trading for a legitimate D Man.
Man, I feel sorry for any player getting drafted #1 to Toronto. An absolute nightmare scenario. The media alone will be bloodhounds analyzing & critiquing every little thing on that player nonstop.
Hahah feels so McKenna
Why would the NHL possibly rig the draft in the Leafs’ favour? They sell out games and have massive viewership even when they’re terrible, which is a lot of the time.
Oh stop. The league takes the Leafs for granted for the absolute cash cow they are. This is worst case for the league
Bettman has always said the League is better when Tor, Mtl, NYR, Oilers, abd his hot weather teams gave good teams.
If you look at the Lottery – it does seem that these teams do well.
Post the link to this quote.
If these are the teams that he favors, and I highly doubt you will ever provide evidence of him saying that, please explain why one warm weather team has picked #1 in the past 12 drafts, recently Buffalo and NJ picked #1 four times in five years, and Toronto and the NYR just finished at the bottom of their divisions. Even if he said it, the results say that he is either not favoring any of those teams or he is doing a horrible job of favoring them.
And the Kraken muddle along while the Sharks become a wagon and the Leafs get a life saving transfusion. I know life isn’t fair but I wish it would be occassionally unfair in our favor.
Dude, your team has been in existence for four years. It’s a bit early to complain about things never being in your favour.
How much does a ping pong ball tech make a year, He was the only guy on the set who’s suit didn’t fit.
Just surprised it wasn’t the Blackhawks.
Oh great now Leafs fans will be back to saying plan the parade.
Counter point would be they gave us the first overall because Matthews is likely headed elsewhere.
Misa + #2 for Matthews?
The Leafs just finished a decade with the most talent they’ve ever drafted and still messed it up. This will be no different.
Oh boy, here come the tin hat folks
Not that big a deal, according to the “experts”. No golden #1 this year, but a very deep draft. Probably one of those drafts we look back on in 10 years and say how a lot of teams got it wrong.
Odds that Toronto would be willing to trade the pick?
Can’t really see SJ trading the pick unless they’re getting an established superstar back
@deron867. The experts were calling bedard a generational talent, and weren’t saying that about celebrini the next year. He’s already established himself as elite. I guess they get stuff wrong, but McKenna hasn’t moved from the #1 spot all year, so he’s probably in that conversation.