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You just knew that after the New Jersey Devils got their man and disposed of the Toronto Maple Leafs, causing chaos, the results of the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery would turn out exactly the way they did.

It is not decided! but man. This is incredible luck for John Chayka and Mats Sundin.

If you’re unfamiliar with what happened, New Jersey Hockey Now has a link below with the surprise results of last night’s draft lottery.

Also included are links to Toronto’s fortunes, what this means for them, the Blueshirts’ retreat and much more.

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

New Jersey Hockey Now: Back then, you just had to know that the top of the draft was going to be interesting. And it definitely happened. However, despite some surprising jumps, the Devils remain undrafted following the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery.

More details on what exactly they should do with that selection later today.

📺 devil’s rink report: Last night, we went live on the Devils Rink Report YouTube channel to quickly react to the draft lottery results, analyze what’s next, and break down who the Devils might select with the 12th overall pick.

Full episode here 👇🏼

Please like and subscribe our Youtube channel And turn on those notifications when we go live every Friday!

For podcast listeners, we have officially launched on multiple platforms. Listen to Devil’s Rink Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

Too! Devil’s Rink Report is now on TikTok – follow us here.

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NHL Trade Talk, News and National Hockey Now

Forever Blueshirts: Not only did the New York Rangers miss out on moving up in the draft by a slim margin, they actually fell backwards.

pittsburgh hockey now: Where were the successes and where were the shortcomings? Dan Kingerski provides the final Pittsburgh Penguins report card on what this season means in 2025-26.

Boston hockey now: Here’s how the Boston Bruins lost as a result of the draft lottery.

San Jose Hockey Now: Would Mike Grier trade the second overall pick? The San Jose Sharks GM discusses that and more. (+)

Philly hockey now: With Auston Matthews’ future uncertain, has the Philadelphia Flyers’ dream acquisition become a possible reality?

Montreal hockey now: Heading into Game 1 vs. the Buffalo Sabres, here’s how the Montreal Canadiens and the Swords stand head-to-head.

Athletic ($): Well yes, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the draft lottery and will pick first overall. However, here’s why they’re on time with Auston Matthews.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

The New Jersey Devils will have the 12th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Tuesday’s lottery showed no movement for New Jersey, which entered with the 12th-worst record among non-playoff teams.

His slim chances of climbing into the top ten never materialised.

Instead, chaos reigned at the top of the board. The Toronto Maple Leafs, with only 8.5% odds and the fifth-worst record, moved from outside the top tier to first overall.

The San Jose Sharks moved up to second place, about a 5% difference from mid-lottery position (ninth-worst). Both jumps were highly improbable and expectations for the 2026 NHL Draft class were reshuffled.

For the Devils, it’s another year of lottery neutrality. Like 2024, they’re stuck in a spot that reflects their season: competitive enough to miss the playoffs but not lottery-friendly. That year he landed a big shot at Russian defenceman, Anton Silayev.

The top-tier talent headlined by prospects like Gavin McKenna now looks to Toronto and San Jose as teams looking to capitalize on long-term fortunes.

Yet 12th overall remains valuable.

What the Devils do with their first round pick remains to be seen. New GM Sunny Mehta reported that he believes New Jersey is on the verge of becoming a perennial playoff performer.

Thus, it’s fair to wonder if Mehta will settle for his core needs and package a first-round pick for more immediate help.

Otherwise, the Devils lack chances going forward. The 2026 NHL Draft is loaded with forward talent, and New Jersey will certainly look to improve their crop of forwards in the pipeline.

The 2026 NHL Draft is just less than two months away. Thus, Mehta and his team will have ample time to assess the best course of action with the 12 overall selections on June 26.

However, if the new regime is truly something that is going to change the culture in New Jersey, their first round pick should – without question – be used as a trade chip to eventually make Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt a proper left winger.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

It’s Sunny Mehta day in New Jersey. The New Jersey Devils are set to introduce their new general manager today at the Prudential Center at 3 p.m.

This is the beginning of a new era for the red and black.

Mehta still has a lot of work to do. One of those tasks will be figuring out what to do with their first-round pick. He’ll likely make that decision after the Devils find out their luck in the draft lottery. So, what are the chances that they could move forward? More on that in the link.

Additionally, Mehta outlined other top priorities via the Devil’s Rink Report.

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

New Jersey Hockey Now: The NHL released its 2026 NHL Draft lottery odds over the weekend. Here are the Devils’ chances to win it, and how far they could realistically move up in the draft order.

📺 devil’s rink report: So, what priorities will Sunny Mehta face as she steps into her new role as general manager in New Jersey? We break it down in the latest Devils Rink report.

Full episode here 👇🏼

Please like and subscribe our Youtube channel And turn on those notifications when we go live every Friday!

For podcast listeners, we have officially launched on multiple platforms. Listen to Devil’s Rink Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

Too! Devil’s Rink Report is now on TikTok – follow us here.

sign up for new jersey hockey now Newsletter for daily Devils intel straight to your inbox.

NHL Trade Talk, News and National Hockey Now

Forever Blueshirts: Alex Tuch has been linked to the New York Rangers after trade rumors surfaced regarding the Buffalo Sabers forward. How realistic is his trade target for the Blueshirts this summer?

Athletic ($): Here’s where every player is in the playoffs without a Stanley Cup, and which player is most deserving of winning it.

Philly hockey now: The Philadelphia Flyers didn’t expect to be here. He also did not expect that some of his players would be further along in their development. That’s why Porter Marton was created for the moment it’s in now.

San Jose Hockey Now: Could Maclin Celebrini be the next captain of the San Jose Sharks? Here’s what the phenom forward said about potentially wearing the ‘C’.

Florida hockey now: We all know that the Florida Panthers do not belong in the category of teams that are out of playoff form. Still, they are. And they are in the running for the top draft pick in the upcoming draft.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on Sportsnaut and … More about James Nicholls

The punchless Memphis Grizzlies have gotten to the point in one losing season where NBA Draft prospects matter more than pride. With a 23-43 record and no realistic path to the postseason, the focus has shifted entirely to the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery. Fortunately for the front office, the remainder of the schedule assures about a dozen other odds-boosting losses, according to bookmakers. However, it is the battles against the Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, and Milwaukee Bucks that matter most.

Tuomas Isalo may be looking to pick up some positive culture-building wins over the next few weeks, but the stakes are huge in those games against other lottery-bound Even-Rans. Sitting eighth-worst in the league, Memphis currently has a 6% chance at the top spot and a 7.2% chance at a top-four spot. As things stand, falling to the 10th pick is a realistic possibility.

The Grizzlies have a path to reach the fifth-worst record, which would increase those odds significantly. EVP Zach Kleiman will go to the ping-pong party with a 10.5% shot at one of the top four spots. Finishing below the Jazz in the standings will ensure a top-8 selection. Sweeping the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans, two teams that are consistently trying to win games, gives Memphis a 9% chance of landing Cam Boozer, Darius Acuff, AJ DiBantsa, or Kingston Flemings.

Dealing for Caleb Wilson or Nate Ament is a far better outcome than giving up either Mikel Brown Jr. or Brayden Burries. Nothing against Brown Jr. or Burroughs, it’s just that the Grizzlies are hoping to acquire a franchise cornerstone in a one-year reset, not take a chance on another late-lottery role player.

Grizzlies are sour on jazz notes

Chicago is still looking for respect and has enough talent to consistently win competitive games. That trip to the Windy City on March 16 marks the beginning of the injury-plagued team’s last stretch. Isalo’s shorthanded team will take on the Bulls again on March 28 at FedEx Forum. This game will also be the sixth game in nine days for Memphis. Tired legs led to the defeat at the end of the season, so fans should not be too disappointed about the results.

Memphis will also have to spend Easter Sunday away from family. The Grizzlies will take on the Bucks on April 5 while everyone else will be talking about the Final Four. There will be some hiatus before flying back to Beale Street for one last home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers (April 6). Those last three games, starting on a high in Denver before facing the Jazz and Houston Rockets, will likely sap the last bit of energy from all the players still standing.

There is very little margin for error on the downs, and these four games will ultimately decide how high the Grizzlies can climb when lottery balls come out. In a season defined by heartbreaking defeats, the most important is still to come.

Throughout the college basketball season, the debate over who should be selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft between BYU’s AJ DiBuntsa and Kansas’ Darrin Peterson has occupied the minds of draft experts. But according to ESPN’s Jeremy Wu, the choice between the two new stars could depend on which team actually wins the 2026 NBA Draft lottery.

During Wu’s latest NBA mock draft and lottery simulation, he had the Sacramento Kings take the top pick and select Darrin Peterson. He has the Washington Wizards coming in at No. 2 and selecting Darin Peterson in the NBA Draft.

These selections make sense considering the current rosters of both teams. The Kings’ need for a long-term solution at point guard is no surprise, and Peterson would give them a potential franchise cornerstone. The Wizards made a blockbuster trade at the deadline for a star point guard in Trae Young, and a young wing like DiBantsa who can feed Young the ball is probably more of a necessity.

As Wu reports, “The battle for No. 1 is a close one between Peterson and AJ DiBuntsa, with league sources largely seeing it as a matter of which team will ultimately be picked. Cameron Boozer’s impressive season has also kept him in the debate.”

A few days ago, a scenario was revealed where the Thunder ended up with the No. 1 pick. This will ensure that Cameron Boozer will be in the game in place of both DiBantsa and Peterson.

In any case, this is shaping up to be a very deep and talented draft class, and a prime time to pick a lottery pick, even if the NBA is threatening to crack down on ‘tanking’ in the near future.

There is no way around it. This is the worst possible time for the Chicago Bulls. On Thursday, they finished February without a win, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers 121–112.

The Bulls’ losing streak stands at 11, and they are five games shy of the franchise record of 16 set in 2001.

On Friday, former Bulls player turned analyst Stacey King made a bold request to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on his Gimme the Hot Sauce podcast. He is asking the Bulls to acquire the No. 1 draft pick before the lottery.

“It’s time to make Chicago basketball relevant again,” he said.

Stacey urges Adam Silver to bless the Chicago Bulls with the #1 pick in the draft😉⬆️

“It’s time to make Chicago basketball relevant again”

🎙️:https://t.co/LPxfvRzPIG pic.twitter.com/0Oxik6VAi6

– Gimme the Hot Sauce Podcast (@gimmehotsauce21) 27 February 2026

Chicago is now 24-36 after the loss to the Trail Blazers. On Sunday, they’ll kick off March by taking on the Milwaukee Bucks at home. Then, next Tuesday they will play at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Recently, there has been speculation that Chicago is focusing on sports in order to be in a position to secure higher draft picks. However, Matas Buzelis completely rejected those claims and said that the Bulls are playing to win.

Recently, the NBA has been taking steps to combat tanking. Chicago is adjusting to a new roster dynamic after making seven trades that sent out Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Nikola Vucevic and Kevin Huerter.

King is best known for playing for Chicago during the teams first three-peat from 1991 to 1993. Overall, he played in Chicago from 1989 to 1994.

Since 2007, he has become a popular analyst for the franchise. He is currently working for Chicago Sports Network. Additionally, King is the co-host of the popular Gimme the Hot Sauce podcast.