Welcome to my first mock draft for the 2026 NHL Draft.
At the conclusion of Tuesday night’s lottery, I started sending out texts to agents, scouts and team staff around the top players in this year’s class to try to piece together my initial crack at predicting Round 1.
As I work toward finishing my final top 100 draft board, this is a step back from my own evaluations to consider potential targets and fits for each team. Call them my best guesses based on a combination of team need, my sense for team leanings and amateur scouting department preferences, the consensus and my info gathering.
Wherever I’ve felt comfortable enough to hypothesize, I’ve also mapped out potential contingencies and other likely considerations for certain picks.
This mock will be followed by two more before draft night: one around the combine and one the week of the draft itself.
1. Toronto Maple Leafs: Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State (NCAA)
Before the lottery, the expectation around the league was that McKenna was still going to be the No. 1 pick. He’s my No. 1 prospect, too. And now that we know it’s Toronto, I still think that’s the way this goes.
There’s value in the Maple Leafs taking one of the two top wingers because they’re both expected to sign and play in the NHL next season (there’s more of a waiting game for the D and Caleb Malhotra). I could see Chase Reid as a candidate here, knowing some of their scouts and the way incoming general manager John Chayka talked about building through the back end, but adding another premier winger and power-play playmaker to the mix makes too much sense.
I felt from the beginning that McKenna would be harder for a Canadian market to pass up on from an ownership/marketability/star power/fan expectation standpoint as well. Whether a team would ever be willing to admit that is one thing, but I think it’s a peripheral factor at play here. Adding McKenna as a potential winger for Auston Matthews doesn’t hurt the critical sales pitch there, either. And suddenly, the shape of the Leafs’ top six with McKenna, Matthews, William Nylander, Matthew Knies and John Tavares looks different again.
2. San Jose Sharks: Chase Reid, RHD, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
With Macklin Celebrini, Michael Misa and Will Smith as core pieces up front, and others like William Eklund and Yegor Chernyshov to complement them, the one thing the Sharks’ core felt like it was missing was that premium top-pairing D prospect. By moving up to No. 2, they get their pick of the litter if they want it. They’ll do their due diligence on Ivar Stenberg and Malhotra, I’m sure, but I’d bet they circle back to the D and Reid feels tailor-made to be their future RHD1 and PP1 QB, allowing Sam Dickinson to slot in where he belongs as more of a No. 2/3. I don’t think Carson Carels is out of the question here, either.
3. Vancouver Canucks: Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford (OHL)
Malhotra’s ascendence has positioned him not just as the clear No. 1 center in the draft but in the conversation for some teams alongside McKenna and Stenberg as the top forward in the draft period. He fits like a glove for a Canucks team that needs that franchise center to build around. Don’t get it twisted, either: This wouldn’t be a decision influenced by Caleb’s dad, Manny, being the Canucks’ AHL head coach. He belongs at the top of the draft and checks all of the boxes you look for in a winner center. I’m sure they’d consider Stenberg here, but they feel like Malhotra’s landing spot to me.
4. Chicago Blackhawks: Ivar Stenberg, LW, Frölunda (SHL)
I don’t think Stenberg gets past the Blackhawks. In fact, he might be the best prospect fit for them in this class, giving them Connor Bedard’s future running mate and reslotting everyone else more appropriately after a couple of years of asking some young players to play higher than they belong in the lineup. I know Blackhawks fans were frustrated with how easily their smaller forwards were pushed off pucks this year, too. McKenna would have represented more of that. Stenberg gives them a heavier stick over pucks without sacrificing much by way of playmaking/skill. This would be a huge win for the Blackhawks’ build.
5. New York Rangers: Keaton Verhoeff, RHD, North Dakota (NCAA)
I’m sure the Rangers would love to get their hands on one of the big three forwards. With them gone, I’d bet they’ll consider D like Verhoeff, Carels, Alberts Smits and Daxon Rudolph. Their pool could use that stud D prospect. Smits makes some sense for them because of his proximity to the NHL, and Carels is definitely their type (I almost mocked him here), but big right-shot D are still viewed as a premium, and Verhoeff would give them that. Their pool is also missing that play-driving center, but No. 5 feels a little high for Tynan Lawrence and Viggo Björck, who both fit the competitive, hardworking identity they’ve targeted in the past.
6. Calgary Flames: Carson Carels, LHD, Prince George (WHL)
My brain immediately goes to the centers (Lawrence and Björck) and the left-shot D (Carels and Smits) here. But finding a potential minute-eating, good-skating, competitive top-pairing D to complement and insulate the right-shot Zayne Parekh makes the most sense for the Flames. The western Canadian farm boy Carels gives them something their pool — which is filled with smart, offensively inclined D who don’t have his bite — could really use. He feels like a perfect match for them.
I do wonder about Verhoeff’s connection to Flames prospect Cole Reschny here as well, too. It’s hard not to.
7. Seattle Kraken: Daxon Rudolph, RHD, Prince Albert (WHL)
I feel like I say every year “this is the year the Kraken are going to use a high pick on a D” and every year they use it on a forward, but I’m going to say it again: This is the year. They’ve drafted Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, Berkly Catton and Jake O’Brien with their four top-10 picks, and this draft is uniquely positioned such that two or three high-end D prospects will still be available when they’re up at No. 7. All of Carels, Verhoeff, Rudolph and Smits are comparable for most scouts. Adding the big right-shot Verhoeff — a teammate of Kraken prospect Ollie Josephson’s at North Dakota — would fill an area of need if he’s here.
Rudolph is in the process of finishing on a real high as one of the top performers in this year’s WHL playoffs, and may get to play at the Memorial Cup if his Raiders manage to beat the favored Everett Silvertips. He’s a big righty with legit power-play skill and shot. He’d give them a future top-three D to build around and something their pool lacks.
8. Winnipeg Jets: Tynan Lawrence, C, Boston University (NCAA)
The Jets need to find that play-driving center of the future, and I’m sure they’ll strongly consider both Lawrence and Björck here as a result. That doesn’t rule out the D necessarily, nor does having taken Sascha Boumedienne last year (Boumedienne isn’t the caliber of prospect that Rudolph, Carels, Verhoeff and Smits represent), but the centers always go early, and I can’t imagine either Lawrence or Björck lingering past here.
9. Florida Panthers: Alberts Smits, LHD, Munich (DEL)
I’m not convinced Smits gets to the Panthers, especially if he finishes strong at men’s worlds (which I expect him to) and gets a bit of that Moritz Seider bump coming out of it. But if he does get here, he’d be the perfect fit for the Panthers and their timeline. He’s one of the only D in this class scouts believe might actually have a chance to come to camp and make his NHL team next year, and even if he doesn’t, he should be a very good AHL player right away who isn’t far off from making the jump. If the Panthers have their sights set on bouncing back healthy as contenders, Smits gives them a cost-effective player on his ELC in the short to medium term. That’s valuable for them.
10. Nashville Predators: Viggo Björck, C, Djurgården (SHL)
The Predators have an abundance of prospects, and I think they’re well-positioned to take a swing on a skilled forward. Björck is the most talented/highest IQ forward left, while checking the competitive box they’ve always prioritized. They need a top-six center more than a winger, too, and while I’m sure they’d consider wingers like Ethan Belchetz and Oscar Hemming to give their group more size, or Wyatt Cullen for his skill, Björck checks more boxes for them. He’d give them a good mix with Brady Martin, Matthew Wood, Ryker Lee and company up front.
11. St. Louis Blues: Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor (OHL)
In a best-case scenario, I’d imagine the Blues would like for one of the centers to be available here. With Lawrence and Björck both off the board, they pivot to Belchetz, who gives them a brawny left-shot winger to complement the scoring and skill of righties Jimmy Snuggerud and Justin Carbonneau. Hemming and Cullen are other left-shot wings who are relevant starting around here as well. Malte Gustafsson would add to their stable of D and Swedes as well. But Belchetz, though imperfect, is a bit of a unicorn that teams will have a tough time passing up on in this range.
I think the Blues are the floor for Lawrence, though, for sure.
12. New Jersey Devils: Wyatt Cullen, LW, U.S. NTDP (USHL)
Belchetz, Hemming and Cullen are going to be at play in this range, as well as Gustafsson. But the Devils have an abundance of young D, and their pool lacks a game-breaking potential top-six forward talent. Cullen represents that.
13. New York Islanders: Oscar Hemming, LW, Boston College (NCAA)
The Islanders could use a center prospect and I wonder if they’d consider Oliver Suvanto or Ilia Morozov here, but it still feels early for both, and Hemming gives their pool something that wingers Victor Eklund and Cole Eiserman don’t: a big, strong, powerful player to mold.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets: Malte Gustafsson, LHD, HV71 (SHL)
Gustafsson is widely regarded as the sixth- or seventh-best D in this class, and the expectation is that his combination of size and two-way value won’t last long on draft day once the big five names are gone.
15. St. Louis Blues: Oliver Suvanto, C, Tappara (Liiga)
This is the start of where I expect Ryan Lin will become a priority guy for multiple teams in the late teens, and the Blues, particularly if they take a forward with their first of two picks, could use a D with his makeup; he looks much different than guys like Adam Jiricek, Philip Broberg and Logan Mailloux, in a good way. They could really use a middle-six center, though, too, and Suvanto and Morozov check that box while adding to the size they’ve already targeted with Belchetz.
16. Washington Capitals: Ryan Lin, RHD, Vancouver (WHL)
The Capitals’ board and my own have aligned a lot over the years, and I could see their group being attracted to Lin for the same reasons I am. I don’t think the presence of the 5-foot-11 Cole Hutson necessarily deters that group from adding another similarly-sized player either, and they’re different in some key areas as well. Their pool really needs a center after years of taking wingers high, though, too, and I could see Morozov, Suvanto and Alexander Command being in play here. I’d take Lin first and then grab one of those guys with their next pick, though.
17. Los Angeles Kings: Ilia Morozov, C, Miami (NCAA)
The Kings’ pool desperately needs a skilled forward, and so I wonder about guys like Elton Hermansson, Nikita Klepov and JP Hurlbert here. But the second tier of centers is going to go quickly in this range, and Morozov would give them a future middle-six C they can be confident is going to help them.
I wonder about Lin here, too, if he’s still around. Their need for a forward doesn’t preclude them from taking a D, and their pool doesn’t have one anything like Lin. I could see the Kings liking Jack Hextall, too, and while this might be a little early for him, centers have a way of going fast.
18. Washington Capitals: Alexander Command, C, Örebro (U20 Nationell)
Centers always go early, the Capitals need one in their pool, and Command is the hot name right now. I think he’s very much in play this high and maybe even a couple of spots higher. Morozov would be another candidate here if the Capitals decide to prioritize a pivot as well. If they take another winger with one of their picks, I could see them being drawn to Klepov and Hurlbert, potentially as well.
19. Utah Mammoth: Adam Novotny, LW, Peterborough (OHL)
The Mammoth have prioritized length on the back end and have depth at center in their pool with Caleb Desnoyers, Tij Iginla and Cole Beaudoin. That positions them to be a team willing to take a winger, and Novotny checks the competitive boxes they’re attracted to while having strength and speed. He could be a nice complementary secondary-scoring winger in their middle six.
20. San Jose Sharks: Elton Hermansson, RW, MoDo (SHL)
If the Sharks take Reid at No. 2, I like them to take a swing on one of the skilled wingers that could be available here, whether that’s Hermansson, Klepov or Hurlbert. The 6-1 Hermansson gives them a little more size without sacrificing any talent, and that normally wins out on draft day (if they go the wing route). I think the late teens/early 20s is his range, and he’s one of the only players left who could, if developed properly, play in their top six someday. Their pool is deep, and their roster is young. Why not take a swing on his talent?
21. Philadelphia Flyers: Juho Piiparinen, RHD, Tappara (Liiga)
The Flyers have used five of their last six first-round picks on forwards, and Piiparinen is a vanilla but well-liked bet to become a solid NHL D who would give them something different from Cam York, Jamie Drysdale and Oliver Bonk and could be a future partner for one of them. If they’re looking for a little more size, Swedish D William Håkansson could be a consideration here as well. And while that second tier of centers is all gone here, I’m sure they’d strongly consider Command, Morozov or Suvanto here if they’re around.
22. Pittsburgh Penguins: JP Hurlbert, LW, Kamloops (WHL)
The Penguins feel like the floor for Lin to me (he’s their type). Down the middle, guys like Command and Hextall would fit their profile, too. But with Lin and Command both gone, I wonder about Hurlbert, the Kamloops Blazers’ 97-point man and a Michigan commit who will play with Will Horcoff next year. He’s got the smarts that group has prioritized as well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them take Klepov, either.
23. Boston Bruins: Jack Hextall, C, Youngstown (USHL)
Hextall isn’t a sexy, flashy, offensive first-rounder, but he’s well-liked and well-respected around the USHL and NHL, and widely viewed as a first-rounder for a lot of the same reasons Command is: a heavy stick, pro habits and details, position, etc. He’s got some big backers, and I could see the Bruins being interested in him as a potential future middle-six center behind James Hagens. I think he goes in the 20s or early 30s somewhere.
24. Vancouver Canucks: William Håkansson, LHD, Luleå (SHL)
This feels a little high for Håkansson to me after some warts in his game were revealed in the second half, but D with size and pro attributes are in high demand. I expect him to go in the first round as a result, and the Canucks could use a little size as a complement to Zeev Buium and company on their back end. If they take Malhotra at No. 3, Håkansson, Piiparinen or Jakub Vanecek could come into focus here.
I must admit that I did think about one of the Ruck twins here, though, and I think the Canucks, who also hold two picks in the front half of the second round, should at least consider targeting one here and one there. That wouldn’t just be a PR play for the local twins, either — that’s their range.
25. Montreal Canadiens: Simas Ignatavicius, C, Genève-Servette (NL)
I do wonder about Tommy Bleyl and the Canadiens. I could see them preferring Bleyl to Xavier Villeneuve and him being a guy they like, even with Lane Hutson and Bryce Pickford already within the organization. But I get the sense Ignatavicius goes in the late first round, and we know the Canadiens could use a big, strong forward within their group. Ryder Cali is another name in that mold that I could see here as well.
26. Seattle Kraken: Xavier Villeneuve, LHD, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
Take your stud D at No. 7, and why not double down on reshaping the look of your D pipeline late in the first with Villeneuve, a dynamic but imperfect player with high-end offensive upside? I could see a wing like Klepov or Hurlbert here as well for the Kraken, but the idea of them walking away with two D has to be appealing. Bleyl could be a candidate here for the same reason as well.
27. New York Rangers: Maddox Dagenais, C, Quebec (QMJHL)
The Rangers walking away from Day 1 with a D and a forward feels like the right approach for an organization that needs both. Dagenais, a No. 1 pick in the Q, has size, skill, physicality when he wants to and NHL lineage. He checks a lot of boxes and played his way into the first round in the second half of this season.
28. Calgary Flames: Nikita Klepov, LW, Saginaw (OHL)
If they go forward at No. 6, I could see the Flames taking a D like Piiparinen or Håkansson here to give their pool something a little different on the back end; they’ve already got the Villeneuve and Bleyl types, so I’m not sure they’ll double down on that. But if they go D with their first pick, I wonder about Hextall, Klepov, the Rucks and Mathis Preston with this one.
29. Buffalo Sabres: Ryan Roobroeck, LW, Niagara (OHL)
The Sabres have a strong core on their back end and have used high picks on two more big D in Radim Mrtka and Adam Kleber in consecutive drafts. They’ve also got a young core up front and 5-11 types in Noah Östlund and Konsta Helenius to add to that mix. That gives them some wiggle room to play a little bit, and what better organization to bet on a big, skilled forward than the Sabres, who successfully developed Tage Thompson? Roobroeck has some real flaws, but there will come a time in the draft, probably around here, where a skill gap develops, and he’s an interesting bet.
30. Carolina Hurricanes: Marcus Nordmark, LW, Djurgården (U20 Nationell)
The Hurricanes have never been shy to take a chance on a highly skilled player whom other teams are reluctant to take. The mercurial, frustrating Nordmark represents that. He’s a top talent in this class, but teams don’t like his attitude, habits, body language and inconsistency. The Hurricanes can afford to take a chance on his offensive skill level, which grades near the top of the draft. Niklas Aaram Olsen is a Norwegian winger with some real talent — and with warts that aren’t as pronounced as Nordmark’s — who I could see for them as well. Knowing the Hurricanes, they’ll trade back and won’t make this pick, though.
31. St. Louis Blues: Tommy Bleyl, RHD, Moncton (QMJHL)
I look at teams with multiple first-round picks for the smooth-skating, sub-6-foot Blyel and not only do the Blues have three, their other D prospects (Jiricek, Mailloux, Theo Lindstein, etc.) don’t look like him. He should be attractive to them, especially if they take two forwards with their early picks. He may well be a Day 2 pick but the late first is in play for him after his season.
32. Ottawa Senators: Ryder Cali, C, North Bay (OHL)
I’ve thought about all of Cali, Dagenais and Ignatavicius with the Senators: three big, athletic forwards who fit their mold. Dagenais has more skill than the other two but gives back a little in habits and consistency. Cali is a brawny, strong-skating, projectable third-line winger I’ve got a lot of time for, and everyone expects to play.
