About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of the Toronto Maple Leafs winning the NHL Draft Lottery and the ongoing playoff performances of various teams.

The Toronto Maple Leafs shocked the hockey world by winning the NHL Draft Lottery despite fairly long odds, leaving fans in Vancouver and Calgary frustrated as another Canadian team leapfrogged them to secure the top pick. This development may put added focus on Auston Matthews and his future as newly minted GM John Chayka now has even more to consider in an already busy offseason. In the playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens prepare for Game 2 against the Buffalo Sabres after a shaky opener where Lane Hutson struggled early, but Ivan Demidov impressed and Zach Benson continued to be a major agitator for Buffalo. Elsewhere, the Carolina Hurricanes moved within one win of eliminating the Philadelphia Flyers thanks to a dominant, aggressive PK and another strong outing from Frederik Andersen. Out West, the Anaheim Ducks earned a road split against the Vegas Golden Knights with their speed becoming a major factor heading home for Game 3, while the Colorado Avalanche stayed unbeaten with a 2-0 series lead over the Minnesota Wild as Nathan MacKinnon appears to be taking over the series after back-to-back three-point performances. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Topics covered

• NHL Draft Lottery
• Auston Matthews future
• Montreal Canadiens playoffs
• Carolina Hurricanes performance
• Anaheim Ducks series
• Colorado Avalanche dominance

Keywords

• NHL
• Draft Lottery
• Auston Matthews
• playoffs
• Montreal Canadiens
• Carolina Hurricanes
• Anaheim Ducks
• Colorado Avalanche

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Toronto Maple Leafs, NHL, John Chayka, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks, Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche

More episodes of The Ray & Dregs Hockey Podcast

• Leafs Face Big Questions, Oilers React, Round 2 Forecast · May 5, 2026 · 46 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Ray & Dregs Hockey Podcast podcast page.