The Maple Leafs “won the NHL draft lottery” on Tuesday night and “will pick first overall” for the third time in franchise history. The Leafs “had 85 of 1001 combinations in the lottery machine.” Winning the first overall pick “changes somewhat the narrative around the team” following the “underwhelming” hirings this week of hockey operations adviser Mats Sundin and GM John Chayka. It also “gives fans a reason to hope because a top prospect is going to land in their lap” (TORONTO STAR, 5/5). It is a “potential franchise-altering development for the Leafs,” fresh off missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 10 years. The Leafs using the top pick on anyone other than Penn State LW Gavin McKenna, “at this point, could be surprising.” The 18-year-old “has been the No. 1 pick in the mock drafts that have been done most recently” (TORONTO SUN, 5/5).
Maple Leafs land No. 1 pick after winning NHL draft lottery
