After winning the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, the Toronto Maple Leafs now hold the No. 1 overall pick in this summer's draft. With an elite collection of talent in the 2026 draft class, the Maple Leafs will get a franchise cornerstone as they rebuild their roster.
Behind Toronto, the San Jose Sharks jumped up from No. 9 overall to grab the No. 2 overall pick.
The Vancouver Canucks entered the night with the best odds of landing the top pick after a miserable 25-49-8 campaign. The Canucks slid to the No. 3 pick, which makes it tough to consider Vancouver anything other than a loser after the team finished 14 points behind the next closest team in the standings.
Top Prospects
While no prospect is considered a lock to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2026, there are plenty of intriguing names at the top of the board. The most well-known prospect is Penn State left winger Gavin McKenna. After leading the Medicine Hat Tigers to a Memorial Cup victory in 2024-25, McKenna made the jump to NCAA hockey this past season and shook off a slow start to post strong numbers. He finished with 15 goals and 36 assists in 35 games.
Soo Greyhounds defenseman Chase Reid is another player who has gotten a lot of buzz as the potential top pick. A right shot defenseman, Reid stands at 6-foot-3 and moves extremely well. That mobility helps him create offense, which resulted in 48 points in 45 games last season.
Keep an eye on Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg as well. He just turned in one of the best under-19 seasons in the history of the SHL with 33 points in 43 games while playing against grown men. Stenberg oozes skill, and he will bring immense offensive upside to whichever team selects him.
Draft Lottery Results
With the Maple Leafs now on the clock, here are the complete 2026 NHL Draft Lottery results:
- No. 1 — Toronto Maple Leafs
- No. 2 — San Jose Sharks
- No. 3 — Vancouver Canucks
Impact for the Maple Leafs
Miracle for the Maple Leafs. Just one day ago, new Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka was accused of being a "con artist" at his introductory press conference. Now, Chayka holds the top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft as he rolls into what will be a pivotal summer for the franchise.
Following a 32-36-14 campaign in 2025-26, Toronto hasn't felt further away from the Stanley Cup at any point in the Auston Matthews era. That's bad news for a team in the midst of a 59-year championship drought and front office shake-up.
Entering Tuesday night, there were very real questions about Matthews' future with Toronto. He has just two years left on his contract, and The Athletic recently reported that there is uncertainty about whether the Olympic gold medalist will be in a Maple Leafs sweater this fall.
Winning the draft lottery should help Chayka convince Matthews to stick around while he retools the roster. If the Maple Leafs select McKenna or Stenberg, they'll get an instant impact top-six winger capable of playing alongside Matthews on a dirt cheap entry-level contract. If the Leafs decide to look at a defenseman like Reid, it will inject offensive skill and youth into a blue line that desperately needs a heavy dose of both.
The No. 1 overall pick alone may not be enough to sell Matthews on a vision for the future, but it sure doesn't hurt. In the event Matthews wants a change of scenery anyway, it will be an easier pill for Toronto to swallow knowing that the rebuild has already been supercharged before factoring in the possible return on a Matthews trade.
Devastating Blow for Canucks
Not only did the Canucks miss out on the No. 1 overall pick, but they also tumbled one more spot to No. 3 overall. Considering the roster demolition that Jim Rutherford and Patrick Allvin oversaw last year, that's a devastating blow.
Vancouver is still guaranteed an elite player at No. 3 overall, but two possible game-changers will already be off the board by the time the team makes its selection.