Vancouver Canucks hold best odds in 2026 NHL draft lottery

The Chicago Blackhawks have the second-best odds (13.5 per cent) to win the first pick, followed by the New York Rangers (11.5 per cent).

The other Canadian clubs that could land the top pick are the Calgary Flames (9.5 per cent), Toronto Maple Leafs (8.5 per cent) and Winnipeg Jets (6.5 per cent).

The Canucks, Flames and Jets have never drafted first overall, while the Maple Leafs have had the top pick twice, selecting Auston Matthews in 2016 and Wendel Clark in 1985.

Forwards Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg are the projected top picks in this year’s draft class.

McKenna, from Whitehorse, Yukon, has 15 goals and 36 assists in 35 games with Penn State. The six-foot, 170-pound winger also had 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) for Canada’s bronze-medal team at the 2026 world junior championship.

Stenberg played last season for Frolunda HC in the Swedish Hockey League, where he amassed 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) across 43 games. He also helped Sweden claim gold at the world juniors, contributing 10 points (four goals, six assists).

The Montreal Canadiens were the last Canadian team to win the draft lottery, and picked Juraj Slafkovsky in front of home fans back in 2022.

Last year, the New York Islanders leapfrogged nine teams to win the draft lottery. They selected Matthew Schaefer first overall, and the 18-year-old from Hamilton, Ont., led rookie defencemen with 59 points (23 goals, 36 assists) in 82 games.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2026.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Vancouver Canucks hold best odds in 2026 NHL draft lottery

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