NHL Draft Lottery 2026: Toronto Maple Leafs Win No. 1 Overall, Full Results & First-Round Order

The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery and will select first overall in June.Despite entering the lottery with just an 8.5% chance at the top pick, Toronto came away with the No. 1 selection on Tuesday night in Secaucus, New Jersey. It marks the franchise’s first No. 1 pick since 2016, when they selected Auston Matthews.

The Maple Leafs’ 2026 first-round pick had previously been traded to the Boston Bruins but included top-five protection. Because it landed at No. 1, Toronto retains the selection.

Top Prospects Await Toronto’s Decision

With the No. 1 pick secured, the Maple Leafs must now decide between two elite prospects expected to headline the class:

Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State (Top North American skater)

Ivar Stenberg, LW, Sweden (Top international skater)

General Manager John Chayka, who faced scrutiny upon his recent hiring, now holds the most valuable asset in the draft.

Full 2026 NHL Draft Order (First Round)

1. Toronto Maple Leafs

2. San Jose Sharks

3. Vancouver Canucks

4. Chicago Blackhawks

5. New York Rangers

6. Calgary Flames

7. Seattle Kraken

8. Winnipeg Jets

9. Florida Panthers

10. Nashville Predators

11. St. Louis Blues

12. New Jersey Devils

13. New York Islanders

14. Columbus Blue Jackets

15. St. Louis Blues (via Detroit)

16. Washington Capitals

The San Jose Sharks will pick second overall for the second consecutive year after winning the second lottery draw. The Vancouver Canucks, who finished last in the standings, dropped to the third position.

Top Prospects for 2026

Top North American Skaters

(NHL Central Scouting)

LW Gavin McKenna, Penn State

D Chase Reid, Sault Ste. Marie

D Carson Carels, Prince George

D Keaton Verhoeff, North Dakota

D Daxon Rudolph, Prince Albert

Top International

Skaters LW Ivar Stenberg, Sweden

D Alberts Smits, Latvia

C Oliver Suvanto, Finland

C Viggo Bjorck, Sweden

RW Elton Hermansson, Sweden

How the Lottery Worked

The NHL conducted two separate drawings on camera for the first and second picks. Teams could move up a maximum of 10 spots from their regular-season position. The last-place team (Vancouver) was guaranteed no worse than the third overall selection.Toronto’s victory continues a trend of lottery surprises, following the New York Islanders’ dramatic win with just 3.5% odds the previous year.The 2026 NHL Draft is scheduled for June, where the Maple Leafs will officially make their long-awaited first overall selection.

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