Sometimes NHL superstars are just like us. And maybe that was more true than ever when the Toronto Maple Leafs won the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery and got the very top pick at next month's draft.
Earlier this month, during the Draft Lottery, Leafs star wingers William Nylander and Matthew Knies were seen hanging out at a Toronto Marlies playoff game. Nylander was surely supporting his brother and Marlies winger Alex, as one hockey team in the city got to enjoy the postseason, and Knies was along for the ride.
We got to see some blurry pictures of their reaction when the Leafs won the Draft Lottery but thanks to Nylander's own YouTube channel, we now have some high-end production surrounding both him and Knies reacting to Toronto getting the top pick.
Matthew Knies and William Nylander were at a loss for words after finding out the Leafs got the number 1 overall pick while at the Marlies game.
— BarDown (@BarDown) May 25, 2026
(via: YT/William Nylander) pic.twitter.com/j7FT8lr52h
It's just pure joy. At first they didn't even know if it was real or not -- as friends were surely texting both of them freaking out that the team they play for will be picking first at the Draft later that year. But eventually, thanks to Knies doing a quick search (or something), it was confirmed and that sent Nylander over the edge.
It's fairly rare that you get to see an NHL star just completely over the moon with something off the ice -- thank you Nylander for starting your YouTube channel -- so to see the Leafs winger almost giggling at the fact that Toronto is going to be getting the first crack at selecting a player at the 2026 NHL Draft, is just too perfect.
And then Knies pulling up the broadcast on his phone, and both of them loving that franchise icon (and now their boss) Mats Sundin got to sit there with a signature grin on his face as well. Just a moment where we can all point at and just feel so overwhelmed with hockey joy and some hope.
Knies and Nylander might not ultimately have big opinions on who the Leafs should take -- Knies might have caught some Penn State games and have seen Gavin McKenna tear up college hockey, and Nylander might be prone to think countryman Ivar Stenberg (who had a better season than him in the SHL as a draft-eligible player) is destined to be a star in the NHL and would love to have him as teammate.
Either way, there will be some immensely talented player injected into this team and both of these guys should be happy to play with some more offensively gifted forwards.
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