The 2026 NHL Draft is less than two weeks away. Are the options for teams in each of their respective slots becoming at least a little clearer?
Immediately following the lottery in May, we convened our beat writers to make the first 16 picks of the draft. Now, we’re expanding the mock to the full first round.
Trades were permitted in this exercise, and while a few involving first-round picks got close, none ultimately came to fruition. However, in the spirit of deal-making, the San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers agreed to a trade involving two young NHL players and a third-round pick. Those details can be found within the draft analysis below.
1. Toronto Maple Leafs: Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State (NCAA)
If I’m the Maple Leafs management group, I think long and hard about trading this pick and listen to any offer I get. Any time there isn’t a slam dunk, generational Connor McDavid-type player available at No. 1, that’s what any GM should be doing.
Plus, the idea of trading down and still drafting Chase Reid, the possible future No. 1 defenseman the Leafs haven’t had for far too long, is very tempting.
But that can all get very complicated. Taking McKenna is a tap-in. Ultimately, turning away a gift of a No. 1 pick is one thing this new management group likely wouldn’t end up considering. Select the most likely superstar in the draft and do everything possible to ensure he flourishes in Toronto. McKenna has the tools to change games for the Leafs. And change for the better is what the Leafs need more than anything, right now. — Joshua Kloke
2. San Jose Sharks: Ivar Stenberg, LW, Frölunda (SHL)
Moving this pick for an instant upgrade in the defense corps was seriously explored. The aim was high in terms of proven blueliners with plenty of term left on their deals. The trade packages didn’t quite come together, so going with the super-skilled Stenberg allowed me to deal William Eklund to the Rangers for right-shooting Braden Schneider and the best of New York’s four third-round picks to replace one San Jose doesn’t have. Schneider, 24, is young enough to grow with the Sharks’ young core. Losing Eklund was tough, but the bet is that Stenberg is advanced enough to help immediately while having a bigger offensive upside when San Jose is ready to contend for the Stanley Cup. — Eric Stephens
3. Vancouver Canucks: Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford (OHL)
The Canucks are at the start of their rebuild, and need just about everything. In the middle of their lineup, however, this club is lacking significantly in high-caliber center prospects and seems intent on taking Malhotra, the consensus best center on the board, even if there are reasonable concerns about his scoring profile, given that he’s really only produced at the level of a top-five pick across about six months toward the end of his draft year. — Thomas Drance
4. Chicago Blackhawks: Chase Reid, RHD, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
The Blackhawks would ideally draft one of the top three forwards at No. 4, but with none of them available in this mock draft, they would likely select one of the top defensemen. Who the top defenseman is probably depends on who you ask. Reid has been the highest-ranked defenseman on our experts’ lists of late. There might be some overlap with the Blackhawks already having Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel as right-hand shots, but that won’t likely stop Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson from taking someone who might have the highest ceiling among the players left on the board. — Scott Powers
5. New York Rangers: Carson Carels, LHD, Prince George (WHL)
The Rangers would love the chance to snag Malhotra, but if the board falls the way many expect it to, my sense is their decision will come down to Carels and Latvian defenseman Alberts Šmits. The latter is considered the most pro-ready, which has appeal for a New York team that’s looking to turn things around quickly, but I’ll give a slight lean to Carels for his combination of skating, physicality and production. (While reserving the right to change my mind in a week!) — Vincent Z. Mercogliano
6. Calgary Flames: Viggo Björck, C, Djurgården (SHL)
The Flames are starved for talent in their prospect pool. They could make the safe pick and grab Keaton Verhoeff and get a two-way defenseman with size and call it a night while adding to their stocked defensive group. But Björck has turned heads in recent weeks and months, particularly at the World Championship, where he picked up points and held his own against NHL players.
Considering how small players such as Brayden Point, Logan Stankoven and now Zach Benson have found ways to energize teams in the playoffs while contributing at both ends of the ice, the Flames shouldn’t be afraid to add another talented center, despite his size. Especially if his motor is a driving force in his play, he’s unafraid to go into the dirty areas, has shown proficiency at both ends of the ice and has proven he can play well in games that matter. — Julian McKenzie
7. Seattle Kraken: Alberts Šmits, LHD, Munich (DEL)
The Kraken need stars above all else, but at this point in the draft, scooping the best value prospect still on the board seems like a sensible course of action. Šmits is the most NHL-ready of the defenders in this class. There’s a real chance that the Kraken will have added a top-four caliber contributor for the duration of his entry-level contract. That has to be an attractive proposition for a Kraken team that improved its defense significantly under Lane Lambert in his first season, and needs to find a way to show some expedited signs of progress in a competitive Seattle sports market. — Drance
8. Winnipeg Jets: Keaton Verhoeff, RHD, North Dakota (NCAA)
Winnipeg explored multiple trades but ultimately decided that a big, right-shot defenseman was too good to pass on with the No. 8 pick. Verhoeff projects as a tough-minutes, top-pair defenceman, according to Corey Pronman, and our scouts love his mobility, size, physicality and ability to add to the offense with a great point shot. — Murat Ates
9. Florida Panthers: Daxon Rudolph, RHD, Prince Albert (WHL)
The Panthers had a trade framework in place to deal this pick away for a big splash in goal, but it fell apart when Björck went off the board, so Florida instead pivots to snagging one of the top offensive blueliners in the class in Rudolph. He can both score and distribute, will run a power play, and at 6-foot-2, he does so with prototypical NHL size. — Max Bultman
10. Nashville Predators: Tynan Lawrence, C, Boston University (NCAA)
Lawrence checks the competitive, well-rounded box the Predators have prioritized while profiling as a surefire center (something not everyone is convinced Brady Martin will be). They need that more than another winger. — Scott Wheeler
11. St. Louis Blues: Malte Gustafsson, LHD, HV71 (SHL)
This was tough. With Björck and Lawrence off the board, wingers Wyatt Cullen and Ethan Belchetz were more than tempting. But for the Blues, a future top four of Philip Broberg, Adam Jiricek, Logan Mailloux and Gustafsson would be enticing. Plus, the club could still swing back at No. 15 and get a solid winger, or the next best center. — Jeremy Rutherford
12. New Jersey Devils: Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor (OHL)
Pronman picked Belchetz to go here in his recent mock draft, and it makes a lot of sense. His 6-foot-5 frame is compelling, and he had 34 goals and 59 points for Windsor this season. The Devils’ top three prospects are either defensemen or a goalie, per Scott Wheeler’s recent rankings, so this would throw a potential high-end forward into the mix for them. — Peter Baugh
13. New York Islanders: Wyatt Cullen, LW, U.S. NTDP (USHL)
This feels like it’s the right range for Cullen, son of three-time Cup champion Matt Cullen. The Islanders can keep stockpiling forwards with upside as Mathieu Darche continues to build his young, Matthew Schaefer-led core. — Baugh
14. Columbus Blue Jackets: Oscar Hemming, LW, Boston College (NCAA)
The Blue Jackets were hoping to get phone calls on this pick, but the middle of the first round might not move the needle. The Jackets would be delighted to add Hemming to the mix. He projects as a power forward with size and physicality, which is an element the Blue Jackets are always seeking, especially with smallish wingers Kent Johnson and Conor Garland in the top nine. — Aaron Portzline
15. St. Louis Blues: Oliver Suvanto, C, Tappara (Liiga)
With the Blues having two selections in a span of five picks, hopefully the strategy of going with Gustafsson at No. 11 and getting a quality forward at No. 15 paid off. It wasn’t a surprise that Belchetz and Cullen went back-to-back at 12 and 13, but center was a bigger need than winger in the pipeline and Suvanto suits that well. — Rutherford
16. Washington Capitals: Alexander Command, C, Örebro (SHL)
The Capitals select one of the best centers in the draft in Command, who instantly becomes the best center prospect in their system. He’s a physical pivot with decent size while also having the skill and speed to score at higher levels. — Corey Pronman
17. Los Angeles Kings: Ilia Morozov, C, Miami (NCAA)
This just feels like a Kings pick, and Morozov fills a serious need for a center with a first-round pedigree in their system. Until Hemming came along for BC, Morozov was the youngest player in the NCAA and handled himself well as a strong defensive pivot with more offensive upside to tap into. He had eight goals and 20 points as a freshman. At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, he’s got NHL size while already adapting to the game and lifestyle in North America. — Stephens
18. Washington Capitals: JP Hurlbert, RW, Kamloops (WHL)
Washington selects one of the more offensively dynamic players in the draft in Hurlbert. He’s an excellent playmaker and finisher with a high skill level. The Capitals have picked a lot of wingers in recent years, but he would arguably be the most purely skilled of the group. — Pronman
19. Utah Mammoth: Gleb Pugachyov, LW, Torpedo (KHL)
The Mammoth have a pretty strong system at every position, so they take the shot on the premium athlete in Pugachyov, a big-bodied forward who skates well, uses his physicality and has offensive touch as well. — Bultman
20. San Jose Sharks: Ryan Lin, RHD, Vancouver (WHL)
Passing on Reid, the draft’s top defense prospect, might come back to haunt San Jose if he becomes a high-level No. 1, so snapping up Lin here is a good fallback. With a sea of cap space, taking a free agency swing on cannon-shot Darren Raddysh is worth it after adding Schneider. On many projections, Lin was supposed to go in the middle of the round, so this could be a steal. Even if Raddysh can’t be landed, the Sharks can have the Denver-bound Lin or Hobey Baker Award finalist Eric Pohlkamp battle it out to run the power play with Macklin Celebrini. — Stephens
21. Philadelphia Flyers: Maddox Dagenais, C, Quebec (QMJHL)
Dagenais would have fit right in with the Flyers’ 2025 draft class as a player with good size (6-foot-4, 196 pounds) and who needs to continue to work on his skating. While the Flyers already have a few centers like that in their system (Jack Nesbitt, Jack Berglund), adding another wouldn’t necessarily be a deterrent — particularly for a team that’s probably going to have to trade at least one or two prospects in the future to procure more high-end NHL talent. — Kevin Kurz
22. Pittsburgh Penguins: Tommy Bleyl, RHD, Moncton (QMJHL)
This might seem like a slight reach, but then again, people said the same of Ben Kindel. This is an immensely talented though undersized defenseman. There are mixed feelings on him, but he’s a PP QB waiting to happen, and Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang are old. As good as Harrison Brunicke is going to be, he’s not a power-play guy. Bleyl is, and he strikes me as a player Kyle Dubas would love. — Josh Yohe
23. Boston Bruins: Casey Mutryn, RW, U.S. NTDP (USHL)
The Bruins keep the Boston College pipeline active. Mutryn, who will be a BC freshman, aims to become the next version of James Hagens. Mutryn is a different type of forward than the explosive Hagens, but he projects to be a dependable middle-of-the-lineup wing/center with a pro game. — Fluto Shinzawa
24. Vancouver Canucks: Mathis Preston, RW, Vancouver (WHL)
The Canucks have very rarely selected Vancouver Giants players, but the club has been around the Giants over the past year and has been linked to Preston, an athletic scoring forward hailing from Penticton, B.C. Preston dealt with some injury issues in his draft year, but he’s got the sort of smash-mouth, high-octane style of play that the Vancouver market adores, and that the Canucks desperately need to add to their prospect pool. — Drance
25. Seattle Kraken: Elton Hermansson, RW, MoDo (SHL)
This might be one of the best value picks of the first round. Hermansson is a high-end scoring winger — one of the five most productive 17-year-old players in Allsvenskan history — with NHL size and a solid right-handed shot. He’s also a solidly well-rounded player with a legitimately conscientious two-way game. Given Seattle’s desperate need for high-end skill, Hermansson provides a real shot at it, with a very high floor as well, in the late first round. — Drance
26. New York Rangers: Jack Hextall, C, Youngstown (USHL)
I debated between Hextall and winger Nikita Klepov, who led the OHL in scoring this season and would infuse much-needed skill into New York’s pipeline. But the Rangers haven’t used a first-round pick on a center since 2017, which is why I found it hard to pass on the top-ranked available pivot, according to both Pronman and Wheeler. (I think 6-foot-7 center Brooks Rogowski is another option the Blueshirts like and could consider here.)
The decision was solidified after negotiating for an offensive-minded winger in a draft-day trade with the Sharks. Adding Eklund, Carels and Hextall jolts the organization with young talent at multiple positions and puts the Rangers in a strong position with four picks remaining in the top 92. — Mercogliano
27. Buffalo Sabres: Adam Novotný, LW, Peterborough (OHL)
We came close to pulling off a trade that would have sent this pick, Jack Quinn and Vsevolod Komarov to the Rangers for Vincent Trocheck. The Rangers wanted Michael Kesselring, Adam Kleber or Maxim Strbak instead of Komarov, so we decided to make the pick. Novotný was the consensus best player on the board and gives the Sabres a bigger winger in their prospect pool, filling a need. — Matthew Fairburn
28. Montreal Canadiens: Nikita Klepov, LW, Saginaw (OHL)
The Canadiens will always swing on forwards with top-six upside, and while Klepov has some evident flaws — which is the reason why the OHL’s leading scorer is still available at this slot — he clearly has that upside. Last year, the Canadiens aggressively traded up to grab Alexander Zharovsky early in the second round despite concerns about his physical immaturity. This would feel like a similar swing, with the bonus that Klepov is heading to powerhouse Michigan State in the fall, giving him a long development runway, and he’s still very young, with his 18th birthday coming on Day 2 of the draft. — Arpon Basu
29. St. Louis Blues: Maksim Sokolovskii, LHD, London (OHL)
With the Blues already picking twice in the first round, they grabbed a puck-moving defenseman with top-four potential in Gustafsson at No. 11 and an ultra-competitive center in Suvanto at No. 15. That will allow them to take a bit of a swing here with Sokolovskii, a left-shot Russian defenseman. At 6-foot-7, 240 pounds, he can move, and many believe he’s moving up the draft boards of some teams after the NHL combine. — Rutherford
30. Calgary Flames: Marcus Nordmark, LW, Djurgården (SHL)
We’re going into best player available territory here with Nordmark, who’s seen as a high-skill winger with goal-scoring ability. The Flames could still use size on defense. But more important than ever, they need talented players who could elevate to game-breakers. Nordmark likely fell in our mock draft because of questions regarding his consistency. But when he’s on, he’s on. And the Flames need those players in their system. It’s a risk they can afford to take with multiple first-round picks at their disposal. — McKenzie
31. Carolina Hurricanes: Niklas Aaram-Olsen, LW, Örebro (SHL)
Both Aaram-Olsen and Xavier Villeneuve scream Hurricanes draft pick, but the Canes don’t tend to take D in the first round. Aaram-Olsen, a bubble first-/second-round guy who can skate, handle and shoot it like a first-rounder, has the skill they prioritize. If they were on the fence about taking him with this pick, I wonder if his impressive display in testing at the combine helps them feel that extra little bit more confident about it. — Wheeler
32. Ottawa Senators: Liam Ruck, LW, Medicine Hat (WHL)
We didn’t think the Senators would get a first-round pick until the NHL gave it back to them in March. With that pick, the Sens select one of the best shooters in the draft. His goal-scoring ability, motor and willingness to play in traffic and along the boards make him an enticing prospect for the Senators, who are short on NHL-bound prospects. And if GM Steve Staios is up for it, maybe he trades some of his three third-rounders for a second-round pick so he can obtain twin brother Markus. — McKenzie
