NHL Draft Lottery Is TOMORROW — Here's What's at Stake

The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery airs Tuesday at 4 PM ET on ESPN, and the prize is generational prospect Gavin McKenna — a 6-foot freshman out of Penn State who put up 51 points in 35 games after years of WHL domination. The Vancouver Canucks lead the odds at 25.5%, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks (13.5%), New York Rangers (11.5%), and Calgary Flames (9.5%). The Toronto Maple Leafs sit at 8.5%, though their pick is actually owed to Boston (top-5 protected). San Jose GM Mike Grier says he's open to trading his pick if the right deal comes along, but is equally comfortable staying put and adding to what's become a deep prospect pool. With the draft set for KeyBank Center in Buffalo on June 26, tomorrow's lottery draw sets the table for one of the most anticipated offseasons in recent NHL memory.

NIL Is Shrinking the Draft Pool — And Teams Are Scrambling

Something unusual happened this draft cycle: only 71 players declared as early entries for the 2026 NBA Draft which is the lowest number in years. The reason? NIL money. With college players earning up to $4 million per year at top programs, the calculus of risking a late first-round slot has completely changed. Teams are now scrambling to offer first-round promises earlier than ever to retain top talent in the class. The entire architecture of roster building through the draft is shifting in real time.

The National Football League has released new details about the NFL Draft coming to the city this April, including the first visual renderings of the event setup.

Officials expect the draft to become the largest sporting event ever hosted in the city, with projected attendance ranging from 500,000 to 700,000 fans over the three-day span. The draft is scheduled for April 23–25.

Draft Nation Looks At Pre-Combine Top 5 Running Backs for 2026 NFL Draft