Top 5 Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Lottery Selections of All-Time

BUFFALO, NY - JUNE 24: Auston Matthews poses for a portrait after being selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in round one during the 2016 NHL Draft on June 24, 2016 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Jeffrey T. Barnes/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY - JUNE 24: Auston Matthews poses for a portrait after being selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in round one during the 2016 NHL Draft on June 24, 2016 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Jeffrey T. Barnes/Getty Images)
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SUNRISE, FL – JUNE 26: Mitchell Marner poses after being selected fourth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FL – JUNE 26: Mitchell Marner poses after being selected fourth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

#3. Mitch Marner

2015 NHL Entry Draft: 4th Overall

With a 9.5 percent of winning the NHL Draft Lottery, Toronto Maple Leafs fans were desperate to win this one.

Conspiracy theorists hoped that Gary Bettman would rig this draft and award the number-one pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but that unfortunately didn’t happen.

The Edmonton Oilers would once again get the number-one overall pick, thus having the ability to select the greatest player of the past decade: Connor McDavid.

With the Draft Lottery finished, the Leafs were awarded the fourth overall pick and as the fourth worst team in the NHL, that was fair.

Instead of the great McDavid, the Leafs lucked out and selected Mitch Marner, who has been nothing short of extraordinary during his time in the NHL.

He’s essentially a point-per-game player with 291 points in 300 career NHL games, and had a career high 2018-19 season teamed up with John Tavares, when he scored 26 goals and had 94 points.

As a player that some thought would be too small to make the leap from junior to the NHL, he has exceeded all expectations and will most likely be an NHL All-Star every year for the next 10 years, especially if he’s playing alongside Auston Matthews every night.