MAPLE LEAFS NEXT MOVES AFTER WINNING 2026 NHL DRAFT LOTTERY

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The Toronto Maple Leafs’ stunning 2026 NHL Draft Lottery win will be cause for celebration among fans. The organization will take a step back and allow some time for the crucial victory to sink in.

But once the celebration is over and reality sinks in, the team will need to consider its next moves.

Viewing the situation with an objective mindset, two paths emerge. So, let’s analyze the bifurcation facing the Maple Leafs at this particular juncture.

Maple Leafs Could Just Keep the First-Overall Pick

The most evident path forward is for the Maple Leafs to keep the first-overall pick. While deciding who to select is another story for another day, the no-brainer decision will be to use the pick on a potentially transformational prospect.

The knee-jerk reaction would be to select Gavin McKenna. He would be an excellent running mate alongside Auston Matthews. McKenna would be another high-end goal scorer who could even supplant William Nylander atop the Maple Leafs’ lineup.

There are also two potential number-one centers in Ivar Stenberg and Caleb Malhotra. Either one could very well slide in behind Matthews, giving the organization the hope of finding a true top-six pivot who could take some of the pressure off Matthews.

Then, there’s the most interesting option of all. The Leafs could target Keaton Verhoeff, the 2026 NHL Draft’s top blueline prospect. Verhoeff has already pledged his desire to play in Toronto. So, he could be an interesting player the Maple Leafs could target.

As such, the easiest path is to keep the pick. Given the amount of elite talent in this year’s draft, it’s hard for Toronto to get it wrong.

Toronto Could Trade the Pick

Now comes the most contentious part. The Maple Leafs could explore trading the top-overall pick. Such a trade would involve two scenarios.

One would involve the Leafs trading down, potentially getting multiple first-rounders plus additional pieces in exchange for the top selection. A couple of teams fit that bill. For instance, the St. Louis Blues hold three first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. So, there might be something there for new GM John Chayka to consider.

The other scenario could involve the Maple Leafs trading out of the first round altogether, landing a haul from a team that lacks a first-round selection. For example, the Dallas Stars come to mind. Dallas could send RFA Jason Robertson, brother of Nick, to Toronto, plus a boatload of assets, in exchange for that one pick.

That deal would make sense, especially if the Stars felt that they could not keep Robertson. The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, could keep Robertson by signing him to a long-term deal. Toronto would get the high-end scorer it’s looking for, while maximizing the return on the deal.

This path, trading the first-overall selection, would seem highly controversial. Unless the pick went for a player like Connor McDavid, the fact is that the Maple Leafs would play it safe by keeping the pick. There’s very little room for Toronto to get the pick wrong. If anything, this remarkable windfall could be what keeps the Leafs from descending into utter failure.

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