SECAUCUS, N.J. – The Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks made moves upthe order of selection for the First Round of the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft as a result of the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, conducted this evening at NHL Network’s Secaucus, N.J., studio.
The Maple Leafs were selected in the first of two drawings to climb from the No. 5 position to No. 1. The Sharks were selected in the second drawing, moving up from the No. 9 position to No. 2.
Participants in the Draft Lottery included all teams that did not qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs (or the teams that have acquired the first-round drafting positions of those non-playoff teams).
The two draws were conducted to determine the order of selection for the first 16 picks in the First Round of the Draft. Among the changes to the Draft Lottery format announced on March 23, 2021, there was a limit on the total number of selections (10) a team participating in the Draft Lottery could “move up” in the event it won one of the Lottery Draws.
The broadcast of the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery again featured a live drawing of the lottery balls. Viewers were able to follow along and learn the results at the same time as the Draft Lottery participants. As each lottery ball was drawn, odds changed and teams were eliminated. The viewing audience learned which clubs were still in the running in real time.
The order of selection for the first 16 picks of the First Round, only, of the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft is as follows:
1. Toronto Maple Leafs
2. San Jose Sharks
3. Vancouver Canucks
4. Chicago Blackhawks
5. New York Rangers
6. Calgary Flames
7. Seattle Kraken
8. Winnipeg Jets
9. Florida Panthers
10. Nashville Predators
11. St. Louis Blues
12. New Jersey Devils
13. New York Islanders
14. Columbus Blue Jackets
15. St. Louis Blues (from Detroit)
16. Washington Capitals
The remaining positions are determined by the results of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Maple Leafs Win First Draw, No. 1 Drafting Position
In the drawing that determined the No. 1 drafting position, the Maple Leafs combinations had the fifth-greatest percentage likelihood of being selected based on inverse order of regular-season finish (8.5%).
The Maple Leafs have selected first overall twice before, in 1985 (Wendel Clark) and 2016 (Auston Matthews).
Sharks Win Second Draw, No. 2 Drafting Position
In the drawing for the No. 2 drafting position, the Sharks had the eighth-greatest percentage likelihood among the remaining clubs eligible for selection (5.5%).
San Jose has selected second overall four times, beginning with the first draft pick in franchise history, Pat Falloon, in 1991. The Sharks also have used the second overall pick to select Andrei Zyuzin (1996), Patrick Marleau (1997) and Michael Misa (2025).
Winning Combinations for Maple Leafs, Sharks
For each of the two drawings, 14 balls, numbered 1 to 14, were placed in a lottery machine. The machine randomly selected four balls. The resulting four-number series (without regard to selection order) was matched against a chart that shows all possible combinations and the clubs to which each was assigned. The chart showed that the Maple Leafs had been assigned the numbers (7-2-11-12) that were expelled in the first drawing, followed by the Sharks (11-4-3-7) in the second drawing.
Live Draw Adds To Suspense
In the First Draw, the winning Maple Leafs were among eight clubs still in contention to claim the first overall pick after the first three balls had been drawn (7-2-11). The others were Vancouver, NY Rangers, Chicago, Calgary, Seattle, Winnipeg and San Jose.
In the Second Draw, the winning Sharks were among five clubs still in contention to land the second overall pick after the first three balls had been drawn (11-4-3). The others were Vancouver, Chicago, NY Rangers and Seattle. A sixth club, Toronto, was still in contention to have one of its combinations chosen but its selection would have resulted in a re-draw, as the Maple Leafs had locked up the No. 1 position in the First Draw.
2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft
The NHL Draft returns to Buffalo for the first time in a decade with the Sabres set to host the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft on Friday, June 26 (Round 1: 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+, Sportsnet, TVA Sports) and Saturday, June 27 (Rounds 2-7: 11 a.m. ET on NHL Network, ESPN+, Sportsnet) at KeyBank Center.
Tickets to the NHL Draft will be available for purchase tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET, here via Ticketmaster, the official ticketing partner of the NHL, on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. Ticketmaster is the official marketplace of the NHL, providing fans with peace of mind in knowing the seats they buy on Ticketmaster.com and the Ticketmaster app are the seats they’ll get.
Top Prospects and Scouting Combine
NHL Central Scouting has released its final rankings for the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft, where Penn State left wing Gavin McKenna tops the list of North America-based skaters and Frolunda (Swedish Hockey League) left wing Ivar Stenberg leads all international-based skaters.
