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NHL draft lottery winners, losers include Maple Leafs, Canucks

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The Toronto Maple Leafs had a contentious introduction for general manager John Chayka, with one reporter questioning the due diligence that went into the decision.

Chayka now had a gift fall into his lap a day later as the team tries to get back to the playoffs quickly after the end of its nine-year run.

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The Maple Leafs won the draft lottery and the right to pick No. 1 overall for the first time since selecting Auston Matthews in 2016.

The San Jose Sharks won the second drawing and will choose second.

Here are the winners and losers of Tuesday’s NHL draft lottery:

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WINNERS

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs can choose between Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg in June. Both have the talent to make a quick impact on the franchise and help with the scoring. And adding someone of that caliber to the team could help sway Auston Matthews’ decision when he’s eligible for a contract extension on July 1, 2027.

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San Jose Sharks

The Sharks showed massive improvement in 2024 No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini’s second season. They finished four points out of a playoff spot and now will add Stenberg or McKenna to a young team that already has Celebrini, Will Smith and Michael Misa.

Draft lottery show presentation

Last year’s show was dull and reminded people why it’s done offstage. But there were different touches this year. Having New York Islanders No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer and Matt Martin’s kids explain how the lottery works was cute. They also didn’t show each ball being loaded into the chute, as they did last year. They cut to commercial and showed it as an inset. Overall, the production values were better.

LOSERS

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks never have chosen No. 1 overall and they won’t again. Not only that, the NHL’s worst team in 2025-26 dropped to third place. They’ll get a very good prospect but not as good as McKenna or Stenberg.

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Chicago Blackhawks

The Blachawks, the league’s second-worst team, could have had Stenberg or McKenna to play alongside Connor Bedard and Anton Frondell. But they drop to the fourth pick.

Boston Bruins

The Bruins acquired the Maple Leafs’ 2026 No. 1 pick in the Brandon Carlo trade. The pick was top-five protected, so Boston won’t get it in what is considered a deep 2026 draft. Instead, the first-round pick transfers to a future year and is unprotected.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL draft lottery winners, losers: Maple Leafs rise, Canucks fall

Read the full article here

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