3 winners and losers of the 2026 NHL draft lottery

Q: Who were the biggest winners of the 2026 NHL draft lottery?

The Toronto Maple Leafs were one of the biggest winners of the 2026 NHL draft lottery.

Q: What teams were negatively impacted by the 2026 NHL draft lottery results?

Several teams faced setbacks, but specific teams impacted are detailed in the analysis of the lottery results.

Q: What were the key outcomes of the 2026 NHL draft lottery?

The key outcomes include the identification of top winners and losers among NHL teams based on the draft lottery results.

Q: How does the NHL draft lottery affect team strategies for 2026?

The outcomes of the NHL draft lottery can significantly influence team strategies, including player acquisitions and rebuilding efforts.

3 winners and losers of the 2026 NHL draft lottery originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The 2026 NHL draft lottery is complete, and it was a wild one. There were undoubtedly some teams that benefited immensely from the draft lottery results, while many others were negatively impacted.

Due to this, let’s look at the three biggest winners and losers from the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery.

Winners: Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs were, without a doubt, the biggest winners of the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery. You can’t argue against that, as they won the first-overall pick after having the fifth-best odds.

Now, they will be the lucky team that gets Gavin McKenna after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016. On paper, McKenna and Auston Matthews look like a perfect match.

MORE: Franchise-Altering: Gavin McKenna steals the NHL draft lottery spotlight as he draws comparisons to Patrick Kane

Winners: San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks are another clear winner from the draft lottery. This is because they won the second-overall pick after having just a 5.2% chance to do so.

Now, the Sharks will be adding another top prospect to their system, even after they took a nice step forward in their rebuild this season.

The Sharks have options. They are in need of a stud No. 1 defenseman, and could either select that player with the second pick, or trade down and recoup more assets. They could also draft Ivar Stenberg and add to their already loaded forward group.

Winners: Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers may not have been in the draft lottery this year, but they are among the winners from it. With the Maple Leafs winning the draft lottery, they are expected to get Toronto’s unprotected 2027 first-round pick from the Scott Laughton deal.

If the Maple Leafs struggle again next season, this pick could benefit the Flyers very nicely.

MORE: 2026 NHL mock draft: Maple Leafs, Sharks win big in draft lottery

Losers: Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks were the biggest losers from this year’s draft lottery. After being the NHL’s worst team by a significant margin this season, they dropped to the third-overall pick.

With this, it is highly unlikely that they will land McKenna or Ivar Stenberg. That is definitely bad news for Vancouver, as they likely won’t find the franchise-altering player they desperately need.

Losers: Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks are another team that were losers at the draft lottery. Like the Canucks, they dropped two spots and are now selecting fourth overall in the draft as a result.

While the Blackhawks have a strong prospect pool, landing a top-two pick would have been big for them, given that they need a star winger to play with Connor Bedard.

There could be an avenue for the Blackhawks to trade up with to the Sharks’ pick, but for now, they remain losers of the draft lottery.

MORE: Chicago Blackhawks Fall In 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, Will Make 4th Overall Pick

Losers: Boston Bruins

The draft lottery results are certainly bad news for the Boston Bruins. With the Maple Leafs winning the lottery, the Bruins now won’t be receiving their first-round pick this season.

This is rough for the Bruins, as they could have landed the sixth or seventh-overall pick if the Maple Leafs dropped. Instead, they will now get Toronto’s 2028 first-round pick. They will also very likely need to deal with Gavin McKenna playing for one of their biggest division rivals.