The Toronto Maple Leafs won the draft lottery and have the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft. The San Jose Sharks won the second draw and will choose second overall.
The Toronto Maple Leafs won the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft.
The San Jose Sharks have the second overall pick. Both teams won the rights to those picks after two draws at the NHL draft lottery, held at NHL Network Studios in Secaucus, N.J., on Tuesday.
Toronto's winning combination was Nos. 7, 2, 11 and 12. This is the first time the Maple Leafs have had the first overall pick since 2016, when they selected current captain Auston Matthews. New GM John Chayka and senior executive advisor of hockey operations Mats Sundin get to start their Leafs management tenure with a team-changing pick.
The Sharks' winning combination was Nos. 11, 4, 3 and 7. They won the second lottery draw and will pick top-two for the second time in the past three drafts after selecting Macklin Celebrini first overall in 2024.
Fans on social media platform X have endless reactions to the Maple Leafs getting the No. 1 pick. They have the ability to potentially select Penn State freshman Gavin McKenna or Swedish left winger Ivar Stenberg, who were the top-ranked North American and European skaters by NHL Central Scouting, respectively.
"Oh, my sweet boy McKenna, you're about to experience Leafs hockey, alright. I'm so ready to continue to suffer!" @notxareej posted.
"Literally shaking!!!" @MMAdamMartin reacted.
Some Leafs fans are now grateful for the turmoil of the 2025-26 campaign, where Mitch Marner departed the team, and the Buds missed the playoffs unexpectedly.
"Ok, now I'm a lil happy Marner didn't stay….we wouldn't be in this position if he stayed," @ScrapyRedRabit posted.
"I can't even explain how I feel right now. THANK YOU BERUBE!!!!!" @TMLJaysNiners said.
"Woooooooo!!!!! We did it!!!! I was just happy for top 5 but now we get a generational player omg!" @NATHANHOCKE95 wrote.
"MCKENNA’S GONNA BE A LEAF!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAA," @ChipdudeYT said.
The lottery win also means the Leafs will retain their first-round pick. If it fell out of the top five, the Leafs would have had to transfer that pick to the Boston Bruins to complete last year's Brandon Carlo trade.
"This is genuinely the worst week in Boston sports in probably the last 50 years," @tappedinpierre said.
This is the first time the Leafs missed the post-season since they won the 2016 lottery and selected Matthews.
So naturally, fans are suspicious about the Maple Leafs winning it, as one of the most popular and valuable franchises in the league.
"Of course it's Toronto, could've told you that the moment they missed the playoffs," @BWrld22 said on X.
"You guys don't deserve this. Toronto doesn't deserve anything," @Bandymfww said.
"Omg it's rigged and I'm a Leafs fan admitting it," @PaulDelser wrote.
Sharks Get Second Pick, Canucks Lose Both Draws
Sharks fans are already brainstorming what the franchise should do for the 2026 draft with the second pick.
"STENBERG WELCOME TO THE BAY THE FUTURE IS SO TEAL," @zymbops posted on X.
"Wowowow I guess we are getting our Franchise Dman after all," @CommonBayTakes reacted.
As for Canucks fans, who watched their team lose both draws despite having the best odds, they aren't pleased with the results.
"Yeah this is the biggest loser franchise in the history of all sports. Why was I cursed to be a Canucks fan…" @unc_ultra said on X.
"Vancouver has NEVER won a lottery draw since it started. They've ALWAYS dropped down the order no matter what the odds were. I called it OVER 3 weeks ago that Vancouver would end up with the 3rd pick," @KerryDu96742216 ranted on X.
The 2026 NHL draft takes place at Buffalo's KeyBank Center on June 26 and 27.
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