NHL: Maple Leafs win No. 1 pick in NHL draft lottery

The Toronto Maple Leafs will select first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft following Tuesday’s draft lottery, securing the No. 1 pick for the third time in franchise history.

Toronto previously held the top selection in 2016, when they drafted Auston Matthews, and in 1985, when they selected Wendel Clark. The result marks a major turnaround for the franchise, which entered the lottery with the fifth-best odds after finishing the 2025–26 season with a 32–36–14 record (78 points), the fifth-worst mark in the league.

The San Jose Sharks will pick second overall, followed by the Vancouver Canucks at No. 3, the Chicago Blackhawks at No. 4, and the New York Rangers rounding out the top five selections.

Toronto’s rise to the top of the lottery comes as the organization enters a new era under a restructured front office led by general manager John Chayka, with franchise icon Mats Sundin serving in a senior advisory role. Both were officially introduced earlier this week.

“I’m extremely happy for the Toronto Maple Leafs fan base, of course,” Sundin told ESPN. “It’s great to get the first pick. Great night, great lottery.”

With the top pick secured, Toronto’s immediate decision centers on two highly regarded prospects: Penn State forward Gavin McKenna and Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg, who are widely viewed as the premier talents in the draft class.

San Jose, meanwhile, continued its recent surge in draft fortune. After narrowly missing the playoffs following a strong 2025–26 campaign, the Sharks moved up from ninth to second overall. The franchise previously held the No. 1 pick in 2024 (Macklin Celebrini) and the No. 2 pick in 2025 (Michael Misa).

“Our scouts have been working hard all season, and we’re excited,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in an interview with Sportsnet. “There are a lot of options—centers, defensemen, wingers. To add another highly talented player to our young core is very exciting.”

The Canucks, who finished with a league-low 25–49–8 record (58 points), slipped to third despite the worst record in the league, as both Toronto and San Jose jumped ahead of them in the lottery order.

The complete 2026 NHL Draft order for picks 1–16 is as follows:

1. Toronto

2. San Jose

3. Vancouver

4. Chicag

5. New York Rangers

6. Calgary

7. Seattle

8. Winnipeg

9. Florida

10. Nashville

11. St. Louis

12. New Jersey

13. New York Islanders

14. Columbus

15. St. Louis (from Detroit)

16. Washington

— Field Level Media / Reuters