- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,129,887
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
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 98.5 The Sports Hub called out the NHL live on the air as he reacted to Toronto's head-turning good fortune.
"That is a sham! Rigged, rigged, rigged..." Maggiore said. "They get a terrible GM hire, then their star player says, 'I kind of want to leave,' and now they get the first overall pick.
"You cannot convince me that draft lotteries are not rigged... The NHL Draft Lottery has always been rigged, don't let anyone tell you it's not rigged."
More NHL: Maple Leafs Win NHL Draft Lottery, Bruins Lose Top-Seven Pick
Continue reading...
