Those who believe draft lotteries are rigged will have plenty of new ammunition to work with after the Maple Leafs were awarded the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL draft. It’s a seismically lucky turn for Toronto, which had its worst season since 2016.
The Maple Leafs have missed the playoffs just twice in the last 11 years. Both times, they won the draft lottery and secured the No. 1 pick, a fate other franchises who have struggled vastly more than Toronto could only dream of. The last time the Maple Leafs picked first, in 2016, they selected Auston Matthews, who rapidly became the face of the franchise and its all-time leading goal scorer.
