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Not all draft classes are created equal, which is worth noting before discussing the 2026 NHL Draft choice that the Toronto Maple Leafs have after winning the No. 1 overall pick in the lottery.
But one example that could prove instructive is 2004.
That's the year the Washington Capitals took Alex Ovechkin with the No. 1 overall pick.
The Pittsburgh Penguins got Evgeni Malkin with the second pick.
And then the Chicago Blackhawks took Cam Barker, a defenseman who ended up being quite underwhelming.
Some Maple Leafs accounts on social media are pointing out that Toronto certainly needs defensive help, but that reaching on a defenseman could prove costly:
"But they need a dman, they should pass on the highly skilled franchise altering winger"
Imagine if the Caps did in 2004 what some of y'all want the Leafs to do in 2026 pic.twitter.com/G4ESA6Isdx
MORE: The Mitch Marner irony of Auston Matthews' future with the Maple Leafs
As that account's name suggest, most Maple Leafs fans want Gavin McKenna.
McKenna is the young Canadian winger who was a star in the WHL before spending the 2025-26 season in the NCAA ranks at Penn State.
The main reason to pass on McKenna would be to draft for need. And as that example above shows, passing up a potential star forward could certainly backfire.
Obviously, in 2004 the first two picks were the right call.
The Leafs will be hoping that in a couple decades, their first pick in this draft looks to have been the right choice, too.
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