Toronto Maple Leafs win the lottery for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL draft‎

The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the lottery for the first pick in the NHL draft. The victory comes at a critical time for Toronto in the aftermath of hiring John Chayka as general manager and bringing back franchise legend Mats Sundin to serve as a hockey operations adviser. The future of captain and best player Auston Matthews is the biggest question after missing the playoffs for the first time in his career.