Elite Prospects' post-lottery 2026 NHL mock draft

The NHL Draft Lottery has gone from a slow-moving, card-flipping snoozefest to a quick-paced and constantly updating spectacle. And the 2026 edition delivered plenty of chaos. Two teams made major jumps up the board, reshaping the top of the draft order in a matter of moments.

The Toronto Maple Leafs now sit at No. 1 overall and, while Gavin McKenna remains the favourite to hear his name called first, there’s still intrigue at the top of the class and plenty more throughout the lottery range.

What follows is the first mock draft of the 2026 cycle.

#1: Toronto Maple Leafs - Gavin McKenna, LW

Well, that was a fun twist. Staring down a 55 percent chance of falling from the top five and having to hand their pick over to the Boston Bruins, the Leafs did the unthinkable and won the whole damn thing.