2026 NHL Draft Lottery Results
The Toronto Maple Leafs won the right to select first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, held Tuesday, May 5, at the NHL Network studio in Secaucus, New Jersey. The lottery determined the first 16 picks for teams that did not qualify for the 2025-2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Lottery Results and Draft Order
The lottery determined only the first two selections. Picks 4 through 16 were set by the inverse order of regular-season finish. Picks 17-32 will be determined by the results of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Top Five Selections
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- San Jose Sharks
- Vancouver Canucks
- Chicago Blackhawks
- New York Rangers
Full First-Round Order
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- San Jose Sharks
- Vancouver Canucks
- Chicago Blackhawks
- New York Rangers
- Calgary Flames
- Seattle Kraken
- Winnipeg Jets
- Florida Panthers
- Nashville Predators
- St. Louis Blues
- New Jersey Devils
- New York Islanders
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- St. Louis Blues (from Detroit Red Wings)
- Washington Capitals
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs entered the lottery with an 8.5% chance of winning, the fifth-best odds. This marks the third time in franchise history Toronto has held the first overall pick. They previously selected center Auston Matthews in 2016 and defenseman Wendel Clark in 1985.
Toronto finished the 2025-2026 regular season with a record of 32 wins, 36 losses, and 14 overtime losses (74 points), placing them 28th overall in the NHL.
Top Prospect
Left wing Gavin McKenna, who plays for Penn State University, is projected as a potential first overall selection. NHL Central Scouting ranked McKenna first among North American skaters for the 2026 draft.
Upcoming Draft
The 2026 NHL Entry Draft is scheduled to be held at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The first round is set for June 26, with rounds two through seven taking place on June 27.