NHL fans all made the same Maple Leafs jokes after draft lottery win

Good things can, in fact, happen to the Toronto Maple Leafs!

On Tuesday, the Maple Leafs won the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery after having just an 8.5 percent chance to take home the top spot with the fifth-best odds. We've seen bigger jumps to the No. 1 spot, to be sure, but considering the circumstances surrounding Toronto at the moment, the win feels like an incredible spot of luck.

First, the Maple Leafs had an incredibly tense press conference with reporters on Monday introducing John Chayka as the team's new general manager. Chayka's hiring left many in Toronto feeling underwhelmed, as his previous gig with the former Arizona Coyotes was filled with controversy.

Then early on Tuesday before the draft lottery, reports circulated that captain Auston Matthews is unsure of his future in Toronto as the forward faces unrestricted free agency in a handful of years. The Maple Leafs had a poor 2025-26 season and with the controversial general manager hire, the uncertainty surrounding Matthews and the increasing possibility that Craig Berube could be coming back as head coach, the vibes could not have been worse in Toronto ahead of the draft lottery.

We also can't forget the drama in this draft lottery for Toronto before they won it all. If the Maple Leafs had slid past the first five picks, their 2026 first rounder would have gone to the Boston Bruins as part of the trade from last year. With getting the first overall pick this year, the Maple Leafs will likely lose out on both of their 2027 and 2028 first rounders, but that cost is well worth it for No. 1 overall.