Maple Leafs get No. 1 pick in NHL Draft Lottery surprise | Instant Reaction

The Toronto Maple Leafs entered Tuesday night’s NHL Draft Lottery with the No. 5 pick, and the possibility of losing their first round pick altogether, and ended up with the No. 1 pick and their choice of top-rated prospects Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Chase Reid. The guys discuss the Leafs’ options at first overall, what the San Jose Sharks could do after jumping up to No. 2, the Vancouver Canucks dropping to No. 3, and more.

This episode was recorded live at 7:30pm ET on May 5, 2026.

Hosts: Max Bultman, Corey Pronman, and Scott Wheeler
With: FloHockey’s Chris Peters
Executive Producer: Chris Flannery
Producer: Chris Flannery

Watch full episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@theathletichockeyshow

Join our Discord Server: discord.gg/VTm9VjkF

Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/hockeyshow
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.