The Toronto Maple Leafs stunned the hockey world on Tuesday night after winning the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery despite entering with only an 8.5% chance at the top pick.
The Maple Leafs finished 28th overall with a 32-36-14 record, a sharp drop for the franchise. They jumped four spots to secure the No. 1 selection, and fans quickly flooded social media with accusations that the lottery was “fixed.”
The San Jose Sharks secured the No. 2 pick after jumping from ninth, while the Vancouver Canucks fell to third despite entering with the best odds.
With just an 8.5% chance of winning the lottery coming in, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be selecting first in the 2026 NHL Draft 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Cs22fADYCB
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 5, 2026
One fan wrote, “Fixed. NHL is so desperate for Canadian teams to be competitive and relevant.”
Another added, “This has to be the most rigged lottery in all sports. Of course, Toronto wins. Total BS!”
A third fan claimed, “Leafs make the league the most money, it was obvious they were gonna give them the first pick to avoid another long stretch of being bad. They don’t even try to hide it.”
One fan reacted, “When Toronto’s at their lowest, they get bailed out by a draft lottery. Wow, I’m sure it’s totally not rigged!”
Another fan claimed, “Rigged. Just when Matthews is about to walk let’s give him number 1 overall to play with at league minimum for 3 years how convenient. Stay cap compliant with those terrible contracts on the books. Sick league”
One user pointed, “Good one 🤣 Gary [expletive] himself immediately cause his lackeys executed project Mickey Mouse flawlessly.”
A fan bluntly said, “That’s ok, won’t make a difference. This franchise is cursed and no matter who they get, they will never win a cup !”
Maple Leafs’ Struggles in NHL 2025-26 Season
The reaction came after a brutal season for Toronto. Injuries, defensive struggles, poor goaltending, and roster issues pushed the franchise into chaos.
Captain Auston Matthews suffered a season-ending injury in March after a knee-on-knee collision with Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas. Toronto also struggled after losing Mitch Marner in the offseason, while goalies Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz failed to provide stability.
The organization later fired general manager Brad Treliving following a seven-game losing streak to end the season. Later, they hired GM John Chayka and, with him, Senior Executive Advisor Mats Sundin.
Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Still, the disastrous campaign turned into a major opportunity. Toronto’s first-round pick was top-five protected in the Brandon Carlo trade with the Boston Bruins. By staying inside the top five and winning the lottery, the Leafs kept the pick and now control the draft board.
Toronto is now expected to target Penn State star Gavin McKenna with the top selection.
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