Toronto Maple Leafs win 2026 NHL Draft Lottery | ESPN NHL

0:00 Follow us along with us as each lottery ball is drawn.

0:03 You'll see the odds change and which teams are eliminated in real time.

0:08 So, the time has come.

0:09 Mr.

0:10 Commissioner, please get our first draw started.

0:12 Alex, please release the balls into the machine.

0:19 And please start the machine.

0:23 And so again, we have two drawings tonight.

0:25 The first one for the first overall pick,

0:28 and then we'll do it again for the second overall pick.

0:32 Thomas, please start the clock.

0:36 So, 15 seconds to zero.

0:39 The balls will mix around into the machine.

0:41 And again, as each ball is drawn, you'll see the odds change next to each team.

0:49 DRAW.

0:55 NUMBER SEVEN.

0:57 BALL NUMBER one is a lucky number seven.

0:59 No one has been eliminated, as you can see.

1:02 Vancouver actually ticks up a bit to 19.9.

1:10 Thomas, start the clock, please.

1:13 Don't forget the teams under the red line, New Jersey, New York, Columbus, St.

1:18 Louis, Washington, cannot get to number one overall,

1:21 but they can move up 10 big spots, which they would love to do.

1:27 Draw.

1:32 Number two.

1:34 Seven and a two.

1:36 We're halfway there.

1:37 What happens now?

1:39 Two teams eliminated.

1:40 St.

1:41 Louis out.

1:42 Washington out.

1:44 Good move for the Rangers.

1:46 Look at Seattle.

1:47 They haven't had a number one pick.

1:48 They're up to 18% now.

1:51 Thomas, start the clock.

2:02 So, here comes big ball number three.

2:08 Draw.

2:13 11.

2:14 11.

2:15 Now what happens?

2:17 Whoa.

2:18 So, you see the teams in gray, they are out.

2:21 Vancouver has shot back up to 27.3% to win

2:26 the draw and retain the number one overall pick.

2:30 The Rangers make a nice move.

2:32 Chicago drops back again.

2:34 So, this is the situation now.

2:36 There's eight teams remaining.

2:40 So, those are the numbers now needed for your team

2:42 to win the draft lottery and get the number one overall pick.

2:47 Again, Vancouver three chances, the Rangers with two, the rest with one.

2:51 Mr.

2:51 Commissioner.

2:53 Thomas, start the clock.

2:56 Again, you see the numbers on your screen.

2:59 Those are the numbers that they want to see pop up through this chute.

3:04 It comes down to one bouncing ball.

3:07 Who gets the first pick of the draft?

3:10 Draw.

3:13 12.

3:14 Wow.

3:14 Number 12.

3:17 The number 12.

3:18 The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the NHL Draft

3:22 Lottery and Mats Sundin is smiling ear to ear.

3:27 One day after the official announcements.

3:31 It appears, but now to make it official,

3:34 Pam Collerher and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly.

3:38 I can confirm it is official.

3:40 Toronto has won the first draw in the 2026 Draft Lottery,

3:44 and as a result of winning the draw,

3:45 they have the number one overall selection in the 2026 draft.

3:50 Holy schnikes, Sam Cosentino.

3:53 Wow.

3:54 Mats, first day on the job, pretty good gift for you.

3:57 We saw with Matthew Darche last year in the New York Islanders.

4:00 He gets onto the job, he gets Matthew Shaffer.

4:02 Mats, congratulations.

4:04 Any good luck charm that you brought with you to the draw tonight?

4:08 Sorry, can you repeat the question?

4:10 I didn't hear the first part there.

4:11 Was there any good luck charm that you brought with you to the draw tonight?

4:15 Well, I'm I'm unlucky in in this kind of lottery results so

4:19 but I'm extremely happy for Toronto Maple Leafs fan base, of course.

4:24 It's it's great to get the first pick and uh great night, great lottery.

4:30 The job was announced Sunday.

4:32 You were officially brought to the press yesterday.

4:35 Have you had any chance at all to even discuss the draft, look at the draft?

4:39 It's sort of in the immediate future here for Toronto.

4:43 Not really.

4:44 We're we're just starting.

4:46 John and me, obviously, first day yesterday and a lot of evaluation

4:51 going on, but it's certainly this really going

4:54 to help me looking into the future and try to help this team uh uh you know,

4:59 when we're looking for the future with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

5:02 So, it's great to get the first pick.

5:04 All right, Mats, congratulations once again.

5:06 The Toronto Maple Leafs have picked first overall twice in their history.

5:09 1985 with Wendel Clark, 2016 with Auston Matthews.

5:13 Bucci?

5:14 That's right.

5:14 And the draft in Buffalo, and of course,

5:16 Toronto has had good luck there in the past.

5:18 And you imagine the crowd that's going to take place in Buffalo

5:21 at the draft with the Toronto Maple Leafs as the first overall pick winner.

5:26 Proud to announce the three finalists.

5:27 Starts with Ivan Demidov,

5:29 who had 62 points leading all rookies this year on 19 goals and 43 assists.

5:33 He had three five-game point streaks,

5:35 seven power-play goals, and four game-winners.

5:38 Matthew Shaffer, my goodness.

5:40 The first defenseman in over 90 years to lead all rookies in goals with 23,

5:45 and set the standard for 18-year-old defenseman with his 23 tucks and 55 points.

5:49 He did this while playing over 24 and a half

5:51 minutes in all 82 games for the New York Islanders.

5:55 And how about Beckett Sennecke?

5:56 Even he was surprised when Pat Verbeek

5:58 selected him third overall in the 2024 draft.

6:01 He tied for the rookie lead with 23 goals,

6:03 wound up with 60 points in 82 games for the Anaheim Ducks,

6:07 getting them into the playoffs since 2018.

6:10 Bucci?

6:10 Yeah, three electric players.

6:12 Only Shaffer was number one overall.

6:14 So, this second drawing is very important.

6:16 You can move up and get talent like that.

6:18 So, now this this draft will start now.

6:20 The four combinations assigned to Toronto will be designed as redraws.

6:25 Mr.

6:26 Commissioner, let's start the second drawing for the second overall pick.

6:30 Alex, please release the four balls drawn in the first drawing into the machine.

6:36 And please start the machine.

6:40 So again, the same process as the first drawing.

6:43 This is for the second overall pick.

6:45 Still a chance for those teams at the bottom to move up.

6:49 Thomas, please start the clock.

6:53 Again, 15 seconds.

6:55 So again, you see the red line.

6:57 All those teams above it can get to number two.

7:01 But again, the teams below it can still move up big time.

7:06 DRAW.

7:12 NUMBER 11.

7:14 BALL one is an 11.

7:16 That immediately puts Washington out.

7:19 So, they will not be moving up in this year's draft lottery.

7:23 Thomas, please start the clock.

7:27 A good ball for Vancouver, a good ball FOR CHICAGO.

7:34 AS WHO WILL FOLLOW Toronto with the second overall pick?

7:40 Draw.

7:43 Number four.

7:46 Number four, Bobby Orr.

7:47 So, it's 11 and four.

7:49 That knocks out St.

7:50 Louis' pick from Detroit.

7:52 It knocks out the Florida Panthers as well.

7:55 Good weekend for the owner at the derby, but not at the draft lottery.

8:00 Well, look at Vancouver, up to 21.2%.

8:03 Thomas, start the clock.

8:07 Good weekend for Vinny Viola.

8:08 Yes, it was.

8:09 At Churchill Downs.

8:10 So, you see Chicago in a good position, 19.7.

8:14 Again, Toronto, if they win this thing again, will have to have a redraw.

8:20 Draw.

8:23 Number three.

8:25 Ball three is number three.

8:27 11 four three.

8:29 Now, where do we stand?

8:31 Great ball for Toronto, but look at San Jose.

8:34 Flyers up to 18%.

8:36 Chris Drury's up to 18%.

8:39 So again, six teams remain for a chance at the second

8:43 overall pick in this summer's draft in Buffalo, New York.

8:47 Again, Toronto number one.

8:49 So, these are the remaining balls that the teams need to pick second.

8:53 Vancouver, five and eight.

8:55 Chicago, six.

8:56 New York, one and 13.

8:57 There's Toronto's three, in case of a redraw.

9:00 Seattle at 14 and San Jose, seven or nine, they get another top two pick.

9:06 Thomas, please start the clock.

9:10 San Jose went Celebrini and then Mešár last year at number two.

9:15 And Mike Grier has a chance to get up there again if he gets a seven or a nine.

9:22 Two, 10, or 12, we have a redraw.

9:26 We do not.

9:27 And it's the San JOSE SHARKS.

9:30 MIKE GRIER HAS DONE IT AGAIN.

9:33 The Sharks are going to pick second overall at the June draft in Buffalo.

9:39 Smile, Mike.

9:40 It's a good night for you.

9:44 AND LOOK AT THE WATCH PARTY.

9:46 And now to make it official,

9:47 Pam Collerher and Bill Daly, do the numbers all add up?

9:51 The numbers all add up.

9:52 San Jose Sharks won the second draw of the 2026 Draft Lottery,

9:56 and as a result will own the second overall selection

10:00 in the 2026 NHL draft with Vancouver dropping to position number three.

10:07 What a result.

10:08 So yes, Vancouver hoping to come in with that first pick falls to three.

10:12 There's still excellent players at number three,

10:15 but it's Toronto who goes to one and Sam we're

10:19 talking to Mike Gear every year it seems at this thing.

10:21 It sure does.

10:22 Well, Mike congratulations.

10:23 You've had six first round picks in each of the last three years.

10:27 You have another two this year.

10:29 Really the cupboards are getting full when you look at this pick,

10:32 what are you thinking about in terms of players?

10:34 You've got wingers, you've got defense, you got centers.

10:36 You have a little bit of everything to select from.

10:38 What are you thinking about with the San Jose Sharks and your scouts?

10:42 Yeah, it's exciting for us the scouts I'm sure.

10:46 They've been doing their work.

10:46 They've been on the road.

10:47 So um yeah, we're excited.

10:50 Like you said, there's lots of options.

10:51 There's your centers, there's D, there's wingers.

10:53 So to have the opportunity to add another very talented

10:57 player to our our young core is is very exciting.

11:01 [snorts] Because you have had so many first round picks because

11:03 of the direction that your club is in right now,

11:05 can you lean a little bit more towards positional need as opposed

11:08 to looking at best player or is that still the theory here?

11:12 Um I think for the most part we're probably going to look at best player.

11:16 Um you know, it's still a long road for these kids, long runway,

11:20 little different than the you know, the NFL draft where they're plug and play.

11:23 These kids there's some runway for them.

11:25 So um you know, we'll probably look at best player available.

11:28 Mike congratulations once again.

11:30 You'll be picking second overall in the 2026 draft.

11:33 Buchi?

11:33 Wow, there's the official list.

11:35 Here's the official list of the top 16 selections in the upcoming NHL draft.

11:39 At number 16, the Washington Capitals.

11:42 At number 15, the St.

11:44 Louis Blues.

11:46 At number 14, the Columbus Blue Jackets.

11:49 The New York Islanders own the 13th overall selection.

11:53 The New Jersey Devils own the 12th overall selection.

11:56 The St.

11:57 Louis Blues, their second first round pick will also pick [music] number 11.

12:01 Two picks in the top 15, first time ever for them.

12:04 The Nashville Predators will pick number 10.

12:08 The Florida Panthers will pick number nine.

12:11 It's been a while since they had a top 10 pick Owen Tippett.

12:13 The Winnipeg Jets will come in at selection eight.

12:19 The Seattle Kraken own selection number seven.

12:22 Calgary Flames own position number six.

12:26 The New York Rangers will be drafting at number five.

12:29 Chicago Blackhawks will be drafting at number four.

12:32 The Vancouver Canucks will be drafting at number three.

12:35 The San Jose Sharks as we know will be picking second

12:39 and the Toronto Maple Leafs has the first overall selection in the NHL draft.

12:42 The last time Vancouver had a top three pick were the Sedin twins in 1999.

12:47 They were hoping to bring Vancouver some

12:49 good luck tonight with that [music] first pick, but in the end it is Toronto.

12:53 So tonight was determined the order for this, [music] the 2026

12:58 Upper Deck NHL draft live from KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

13:02 Round one in Buffalo Friday night, June 26th in prime time.

13:07 The first round on ESPN, [music] Sportsnet and TVA and then rounds

13:11 two through seven all day Saturday 10:00 a.m.

13:15 on on NHL Network and Sportsnet.

13:29 [music]