Maple Leafs Win 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, Full Selection Order Results and Reaction

While the Toronto Maple Leafs had a season to forget as they missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there was something worth celebrating on Monday.

The Maple Leafs won the 2026 NHL draft lottery and will pick first in June if they decide not to trade that pick. Had Toronto fallen outside of the top five, its pick would have gone to the Boston Bruins.

Here's a look at the full order after the varied odds prior to the lottery:

The San Jose Sharks finished with the second pick after a big jump:

It meant the Vancouver Canucks finish with the third pick despite having the best odds to go No. 1.

Maple Leafs fans were thrilled after getting lucky on Tuesday.

Heading into the draft, there has been plenty of debate about whether Penn State left winger Gavin McKenna or Swedish left winger Ivar Stenberg should go first overall.

McKenna might have the slight edge at the moment thanks to his incredible season with the Nittany Lions. The 18-year-old from Canada recorded 15 goals and 36 assists in 35 games, shaking off some early struggles to break a handful of program records.

McKenna also had a strong showing at the World Junior Championships, finishing with four goals and 10 assists.

Stenberg, also 18, played in the Swedish Hockey League in 2025-26 and finished with 33 points (11 goals and 22 assists). Much like McKenna, he seems to thrive when he's directing the offense, and that should translate well to the NHL.

Once the draft order is set, the favorite to go first overall should reveal itself more. For now, fans can continue to speculate on who their favorite team will end up taking in June.