Overview
- Todd Toronto won Tuesday’s lottery in Secaucus to secure the first pick, with San Jose jumping from ninth to No. 2 and Vancouver falling to No. 3.
- The pick stays in Toronto because it was top-five protected in the Brandon Carlo trade, denying Boston the chance to receive it this year.
- New general manager John Chayka and senior advisor Mats Sundin now eye consensus top prospects Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg for the June 26 draft in Buffalo.
- The NHL uses two televised drawings with four-number ping-pong combinations, and only teams in the bottom 11 can win No. 1 because clubs cannot move up more than 10 spots.
- Fans reacted loudly online, with some questioning the result despite the league showing the draw live for a second straight year to increase transparency.