The Toronto Maple Leafs have the first overall draft selection, but they have yet to decide whether to cash it in later this month. The franchise won the NHL Draft Lottery in May to secure the No. 1 pick, with the first 16 selections determined.

According to NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun, the Maple Leafs and their new GM, John Chayka, will at least listen to offers ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft. However, despite a possible lucrative offer, a trade is unlikely to happen.

The Mug NHL took to their official X account to share the insider's stance regarding the Maple Leafs.

“According to Pierre LeBrun, the Toronto Maple Leafs will at least listen on the number one pick at the 2026 NHL Draft (if) a team steps up with the kind of package that helps them get back into contention. H/T @PuckReport NHL,” they wrote in their X post on Thursday, June 4.

While reporting for The Athletic, LeBrun elaborated on the situation. He stated that while Chayka is receptive, the franchise is unlikely to give up its pick.

Moreover, right after winning the No. 1 draft pick last month, the Maple Leafs GM was seemingly on the hype train of Penn State prospect and forward Gavin McKenna.

“He’s an exciting player that I’ve been tracking for a number of years now,” said Chayka for McKenna, as reported by TheLeafsNation.

This reflects their previous tryst with the first overall draft selection. In 2016, the Maple Leafs cashed in on their No. 1 pick to bring in Auston Matthews.

The American center subsequently established himself as one of the greatest scorers and players of his generation. Notably, his contract situation further solidifies the Maple Leafs' need to retain their lottery pick.

When and where is the 2026 NHL Draft going to happen?

The 2026 NHL Draft is set to happen at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, in the last week of June. At the home of the Buffalo Sabres, the first round of the 64th edition draft will take place on Friday, June 26, while rounds 2-7 will go down the very next day.

It will mark the fourth time Buffalo has hosted the draft, having done so in 1991, 1998, and 2016.

As mentioned earlier, the Toronto Maple Leafs got the No. 1 draft pick last month. At the same time, the Ottawa Senators received the No. 32 pick at the other end of the spectrum.

The decision regarding the Senators was made as part of the modified penalty imposed on them for trading forward Evgenii Dadanov in 2021 to the Vegas Golden Knights.

On the other hand, the Calgary Flames got the Golden Knights’ first-round selection after trading defenseman Noah Hanifin to them as part of a three-team deal in 2024.

While draft talks continue, Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg are two of the top prospects on the table. Both players are considered franchise-altering acquisitions.

Will the Toronto Maple Leafs keep their first overall draft selection or move it for a marquee signing? Give us your prediction in the comments.

Read more at NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Arjun Sharma

Edited by

Sijo Paul