This evening, the National Hockey League (NHL) press office released the final results of the draft lottery, which determines the initial selection order for the upcoming North American league draft.
Following the lottery outcomes, the right to the first overall pick was retained by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It should be noted that the Canadian squad finished second to last, in 15th place within the Eastern Conference standings following the conclusion of the regular season. Initially, the “Maple Leafs'” probability of securing the top spot stood at 8.5%.
The last time Toronto held the privilege of the first selection was back in 2016, when they used that pick to select forward Auston Matthews at the start of the draft.
The San Jose Sharks were awarded the second overall pick.
The remaining slots were not decided by the lottery but rather based on competitive standing: the Vancouver Canucks will pick third, as the team with the poorest record in the preceding regular season; the fourth pick belongs to the Chicago Blackhawks, and the fifth to the New York Rangers.
The 2026 NHL Draft is scheduled to take place in Buffalo. The first round will occur overnight leading into June 26th, while rounds 2 through 7 are set for June 27th.
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