NHL Fans Call Draft Lottery Rigged, Maple Leafs' Head-Turning Trend
Boston Bruins fans aren't happy with the NHL Draft Lottery.
NHL Fans Call Draft Lottery Rigged, Maple Leafs' Head-Turning Trend originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Boston Bruins had a more than 58% chance of claiming the Toronto Maple Leafs' pick in the 2026 NHL Draft as the final piece of the 2025 deal that sent Brandon Carlo to Toronto in exchange for Fraser Minten.
However, the Maple Leafs' pick was top-five protected. So when they were lucky enough to see their 9. 1% chance of receiving the first overall selection cashed in on Tuesday night, the trade got pushed off until 2027 or 2028.
But Bruins fans were quick to point out that this isn't the first time that the NHL Draft Lottery has rewarded Toronto. Jesse Pollock of TSN Sports pointed out on X that the Maple Leafs have missed the playoffs only twice in the past 10 seasons. Both times, they won the lottery.
In 2016, it landed future NHL Hall of Famer Auston Matthews. This year, it will give them the best prospect in years, Gavin McKenna. Kevin Maggiore of 98.