Maple Leafs win Draft Lottery, will have choice of McKenna or Stenberg at No. 1
NHL.com • • general
Key Points:
- The Toronto Maple Leafs won the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft lottery, marking the third time they have secured the top selection, with previous picks including Auston Matthews (2016) and Wendel Clark (1985).
- The San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks won the No. 2 and No. 3 picks respectively, while the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers hold the No. 4 and No. 5 selections.
- The 2026 NHL Draft will take place at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on June 26-27, with the first round televised on ESPN and other networks.
- Top prospects for the No. 1 pick include Penn State forward Gavin McKenna, who leads North American skaters in Central Scouting's final ranking, and Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg, the top-ranked international skater.
- Several highly regarded defensemen are also projected as potential top picks, including Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff, Daxon Rudolph, and Alberts Smits, each seen as franchise-defining players in the future.
