Toronto Maple Leafs win the lottery for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL draft
- On Tuesday, May 5, 2026, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the NHL Draft lottery, securing the first overall pick in a drawing held in Secaucus, New Jersey.
- With 8.5% odds, the Leafs claimed the top pick, marking their first lottery win since selecting Auston Matthews after the franchise missed the playoffs for the first time in his career.
- The pick was top-five protected in a trade with Boston for Brandon Carlo, allowing the Maple Leafs to retain the selection while the Bruins and Philadelphia receive future first-rounders in 2027 and 2028.
- NHL Central Scouting identifies Penn State left wing Gavin McKenna and Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg as top prospects, leaving the Maple Leafs to decide between them before the draft in June.
- The 2026 NHL Draft will be held from Friday, June 26, to Saturday, June 27, providing Toronto an opportunity to address roster needs after their unexpected lottery success.
56 Articles
56 Articles
The Leafs Fell Ass-Backward Into Gavin McKenna
At the NHL Draft lottery drawing, some of the league's most woeful, benighted, talent-free franchises came together to find out they'll be drafting third and later. Moving up to take the second pick in a draft class with a consensus top 2 are the San Jose Sharks, who will make their third top-2 selection in three years. And selecting first in the Gavin McKenna Sweepstakes will be the damn Toronto Maple Leafs. If the little men skating around ins…
The Toronto Star
Leafs secure No. 1 NHL draft pick as McKenna and Stenberg separate from the field
Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg have been under a microscope for some time, with the two star wingers considered front-runners to be the No. 1 pick in June's NHL draft.
No 6-7 luck for Bruins as Maple Leafs win NHL Draft lottery to keep protected pick and score No. 1 overall selection - The Boston Globe
The Bruins held Toronto’s first-round pick as part of the Brandon Carlo deal at the 2025 trade deadline. The pick was top-five protected, however.
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