Breaking: Toronto Maple Leafs Win Draft Lottery

Tuesday, May 05, 2026 , ,


In a stunning stroke of luck, the Toronto Maple Leafs have won the NHL's Draft Lottery, and the right to select the likely choice as the No. 1 pick, Gavin McKenna in next month's Draft. They came in with the 5th-best odds of winning it. 

Just one day after officially being introduced as the new senior executive adviser of hockey operations for the Leafs, team legend Mats Sundin was all smiles, as the Toronto representative on screen. 

The Buds have had one of the most disastrous seasons in franchise history, mired in controversy right from last summer, when Mitch Marner left in free agency. It was all downhill from there, with the team plummeting 30 points in the standings from the year before, eventually firing the GM, and then getting ripped all over the sport for their decision to hire John Chayka as their new "GM of hockey operations."

But perhaps this lucky break will set the team on a different path going forward. 

McKenna, the 6-foot, 170-pound winger, would be the Mitch Marner replacement for the Leafs, bringing an elite hockey IQ, playmaking vision, and the ability to control the pace of play.

Sharks win 2nd pick in Draft Lottery, Canucks drop to 3rd

The San Jose Sharks won the right to the 2nd pick in next month's NHL Draft, moving up from the 9th-best odds before the lottery began. 

The Vancouver Canucks, who had the overwhelming best odds to win the lottery, wind up with the 3rd pick in the Draft. Needless to say, fans in B.C. were not happy.


The Chicago Blackhawks will get the 4th pick, and the New York Rangers drop to 5th. 

Photo: © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images 

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