Maple Leafs win lottery, Panthers have No. 9 pick in first round of 2026 NHL draft
The Florida Panthers, fresh off missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2019, had a slim chance to boost their standing in the first-round of the 2026 NHL Draft on Tuesday.
It didn’t happen.
The Toronto Maple Leafs won the NHL’s draft lottery and will draft No. 1 overall. The San Jose Sharks won the second drawing for the No. 2 overall pick.
Florida, as a result, will pick No. 9 overall in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, falling one spot from their No. 8 position they had entering the draft lottery.
The Panthers had a 6% chance to win the lottery.
Florida had won the lottery three times before in franchise history — 2002, 2003 and 2014. The Panthers traded the No. 1 overall pick away in 2002 to the Columbus Blue Jackets (who took forward Rick Nash) and 2003 to the Pittsburgh Penguins (who selected goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury).
Florida picked defenseman Aaron Ekblad No. 1 overall in 2014. Things have worked out pretty well with that selection. Ekblad is tied with captain Aleksander Barkov in career games played by a Panther (804) and holds the franchise record for goals (122), assists (284) and points (406) by a defenseman.
Forwards Gavin McKenna, who just finished his freshman season at Penn State, and Ivar Stenberg, a Swedish standout, are projected to be the top two selections in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The 2026 NHL Draft will be held in Buffalo, with the first round on June 26 and Rounds 2-7 on June 27.
In addition to the No. 9 overall pick, the Panthers have two picks in the second round (Nos. 40 and 48 overall) and one each in the fourth round (No. 98), fifth round (No. 136), sixth round (No. 168) and seventh round (No. 217).
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