SECAUCUS, N.J. (AP) 鈥� The Toronto Maple Leafs won the lottery for the first pick in the NHL draft on Tuesday night, a significant victory that could change the trajectory of the storied franchise at a critical time.
The Maple Leafs got some lottery luck a little more than 48 hours after as general manager and bringing back franchise legend Mats Sundin to serve as a hockey operations adviser. Chayka and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president and CEO Keith Pelley at the introductory news conference, but it was all smiles at Toronto’s facility after getting the No. 1 pick.
鈥淚鈥檓 extremely happy for the Toronto Maple Leafs fanbase, of course,” Sundin said. “Certainly this is really going to help when you鈥檙e looking into the future and try to help this team and what we鈥檙e looking for the future for the Toronto Maple Leafs, so it鈥檚 great to get the first pick.鈥�
Penn State鈥檚 and Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg are rated as the top North American and European prospects by NHL Central Scouting. McKenna has been considered the prospective top choice for quite some time.
鈥淚鈥檝e kept track of him for a number of years now, and the skill level, the creativity, obviously the puck ability and then his shot and release is all pretty special,鈥� Chayka said. 鈥淎 good package, and it鈥檒l be good to get with the scouts and talk through it all, but I know there鈥檚 a lot of passion for a lot of players, including Gavin.鈥�
The most immediate question for the Leafs under new management is the future of captain and best player after they missed the playoffs for the first time in his career. It’s the first time they’ve won the lottery since taking Matthews with the No. 1 pick in 2016, and where they made that selection.
Toronto had the fifth-highest odds of winning it at 8.5%. Vancouver had the highest at 18.5%, has never had the first pick and dropped to third. Chayka called moving up a fortuitous bounce.
鈥淟ong road ahead, of course: Lots of work to do still, but when you get a first overall pick, it鈥檚 a monumental type of opportunity,鈥� Chayka said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going to occur in these types of situations, but you do know you need some luck and it happened. I don鈥檛 think it changes the vision or the strategy, but certainly when these things happen it can change course and timelines, etc. But it鈥檚 not something that we鈥檙e going to change how we think about things.鈥�
The Leafs get to keep the pick this year but lose their first-rounder in 2027 and ’28 to Philadelphia and Boston. There is some uncertainty as to which order for the Flyers and Bruins, and deputy commissioner Bill Daly called it a complicated situation that would need to be worked out.
The San Jose Sharks won the lottery for the second pick. With yet another top-five pick, GM Mike Grier and his staff can augment a young group already led by and including Will Smith and Michael Misa.
鈥淭here鈥檚 lots of options there,鈥� Grier said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 centers, there鈥檚 鈥楧,鈥� there鈥檚 wingers, so to have the opportunity to add another very talented player to our young core is very exciting.鈥�
Chicago has the No. 4 pick and the New York Rangers No. 5.
鈥淲e’re going to get a great player,鈥� Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said. 鈥淚t’s all about accumulating talent.鈥�
This was the second live draft conducted at the NHL Network studio, after the draw in previous years was conducted in a conference room and until the results aired on television. Commissioner Gary Bettman credited president of content and events Steve Mayer for the change.
鈥淗e goes, 鈥楾his is an exciting moment,鈥� when we would do it in the room before Bill would do the reveal,鈥� Bettman said. “He said, 鈥楲et鈥檚 do it live.鈥� And I gave him 10 reasons that we should be concerned, including, what if the machine breaks. And he said, 鈥楴o, no we鈥檙e going to be fine.鈥� He鈥檚 the one who figured out how to make it an interesting and compelling show.鈥�
After the first three numbers were drawn, the Canucks had a 27.3% chance of winning and the Rangers 18.2%, while the Leafs were among six teams with 9.1%. When the No. 12 ball popped out, completing the 7-2-11-12 sequence, Toronto won, changing the entire mood around the Original Six organization that has not hoisted the Stanley Cup since 1967.
鈥淛ust really excited for the organization, for the fan base,” Chayka said. “I think it’s a meaningful step and just elated.鈥�
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AP Sports Writer Jay Cohen in Chicago contributed to this report.
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