NHL
2026 NHL Draft
Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg and Chase Reid are top prospects for the 2026 NHL Draft. Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Joe Camporeale / Imagn Images, David Berding / Getty Images
This mock draft was updated following Tuesday’s trades that sent the No. 4 and No. 45 picks from Chicago to Buffalo, the No. 9 pick from Ottawa to San Jose, the No. 16 pick from Washington to St. Louis and the No. 35 pick from Calgary to New Jersey.
Pencils down.
After a season of travel, video and phone calls and texts speaking with agents, scouts, coaches, family members and those around these players, here is my final mock draft for the 2026 NHL Draft.
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Packed with intel, this two-round mock combines my sourcing over the last couple of weeks with my sense for team need, each amateur scouting department’s preferences and the consensus around the top prospects’ projected draft ranges. Throughout, I’ve also mapped out different scenarios, potential contingencies and likely considerations for certain teams.
You can put this one in permanent marker, and nothing I’ve heard in recent weeks has led me down any other path. As I’ve reported previously, I know the Maple Leafs’ group liked Chase Reid. But there have been murmurs that McKenna was told earlier this month that he was going to be the selection, and other teams have been operating as if it’s a done deal.
It felt like everyone in the public sphere just assumed it was going to be Reid because the Sharks have a clearer need on defense. But I mocked Stenberg to the Sharks after the combine, and I’m sticking with that hunch at the buzzer after further info gathering. I think they like Carson Carels and Reid (so don’t assume it’s Reid if they take a D), but Mike Grier has made it clear he’ll take the best player available with these high picks and figure the rest out later, and I never got the sense that any one of the D was ever actually ahead of the top forwards in this class in the consensus. If they stay put at No. 2, I’d bet they’re going to lean Stenberg.
I’ve reported pretty extensively on this connection for months, and if the Canucks take Malhotra — and I have been led to believe he’s atop their list at No. 3 — I’ll say this: Their interest in him has been a season-long one and precedes them zeroing in on his dad, Manny, as their head coach. I believe they also like Reid, and know they did their due diligence on Keaton Verhoeff and company, but I’ll be surprised if it’s not Malhotra.
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I’ve heard three names, to varying degrees, connected to the Rangers here: Šmits, Carels and Verhoeff. While their pool could use both a top center and D, I haven’t gotten any indication that they’re going to be the team to take Viggo Björck. I could see Šmits’ proximity to the NHL mattering to the Rangers’ brass, and I could see them being drawn to his swagger. I also wonder if Carels’ recent comments about big cities could at least be back-of-mind for a market like New York.
I’ve also heard talk of the Rangers moving back, for what it’s worth.
The sense I have with the Flames’ pick is that they’ve zeroed in on Carels and Verhoeff, in that order. I know others have mocked Björck, and he makes sense as the kind of player they need and have targeted recently, but my hunch is that they’re higher on the D. If the Rangers don’t pick Carels, he’d be a hand-to-glove fit for the Flames and potentially a future partner for Zayne Parekh. They’ve also done their due diligence with Verhoeff, who billeted with Jarome Iginla once upon a time as well. But I think Carels is the likely lean for them if he’s there.
The belief around the league is that this is finally going to be the year that the Kraken use a top pick on a defenseman, and I know they’ve done their due diligence on both Verhoeff and Daxon Rudolph. If the Rangers don’t take Verhoeff, I think he gets to the Kraken here. And if he does, he’s the slight consensus choice over Rudolph. Either would give the Kraken something they haven’t had since the inception of their organization: a top-end D prospect.
I think there’s a real chance Björck goes before this (particularly to Calgary), but if he doesn’t, I’d bet the Jets pounce and take the top center prospect their pool desperately needs. Björck’s stock is at its peak right now, too.
If Björck is gone, they probably pivot to one of the D (Rudolph and Šmits being the most likely).
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After a second changing of hands at No. 9, the Sharks get the best of both worlds and take Stenberg at No. 2 and their right-shot D of the future opposite lefty Sam Dickinson at No. 9 with Rudolph. A win-win for the Sharks, who position themselves with the league’s most enviable young core.
All of Belchetz, Gustafsson and even Lawrence fit as Predators types. Cullen would represent more of the skill they chased with Ryker Lee last year as well, and is a lefty to Lee’s right-handedness. But I think there’s a higher chance Rudolph gets here with the Sens picking at No. 9 now, and I just can’t see him lingering much longer. This is also a bit of a new chapter with a new general manager in Chris MacFarland, which makes them trickier to handicap than in the past (for a long time, they’ve had a clear type). Lawrence would give them another competitive center down the middle and make sense in particular if they think Brady Martin may be a winger (which is how many outside of the organization view him), but Gustafsson and Belchetz are ahead of him in the consensus these days. Gustafsson would give their smallish crop of D prospects (Cameron Reid, Tanner Molendyk) some needed size, but he’s also another lefty. Belchetz, who is going to MSU with Lee next season, was my pick for them in my previous mock because their pool has nothing like him, and I’ll stick with him here.
I think the Blues would strongly consider Belchetz, Gustafsson and Cullen, but their pool could use a center, and I’ve heard they like Lawrence. His stock has certainly softened within the league, and he’s a candidate to fall, but he would fill an area of need, and he’s the Blues’ type. The Blues have good depth on the wing and the back end within their pool, and I’ve come back to Lawrence repeatedly with their pick. They can also take a winger or a D with their next pick at No. 15. One calculation they may now consider: the odds that Lawrence gets to No. 15 are higher than you might think, which could potentially push them to Gustafsson, Belchetz or Cullen.
I expect the Devils to take a forward and could see them considering both Lawrence (who has some Nico Hischier to him) and Belchetz (for his uniqueness/rarity) here. But I’ve kept coming back to the very talented Cullen for new Devils general manager Sunny Mehta’s first selection. Their pool could use a high-skill forward, too. Multiple teams I’ve spoken with have had Cullen in their top 10, so he could be gone by this pick. But if he’s here, I’d wager the Devils take him.
If Belchetz doesn’t go 9, 10 or 11, I can’t see him getting past the Islanders or Blue Jackets (the Islanders have good wing prospects in Victor Eklund and Cole Eiserman, but none like Belchetz). The Isles’ pool could still use a center more than a winger, too, so I’d circle Lawrence for them if the Blues don’t take him as well. Both of them are gone here, though, and if Gustafsson is the one player from this group who now lingers in this new draft order (I think in multiple scenarios he goes in front of this and could even go top 10), I think they’d take him. I know both Matthew Schaefer and Kashawn Aitcheson are lefties, but I don’t think that precludes them from taking a nearly 6-foot-5 stopper who could slot in between those two on their second pair long-term.
The Blue Jackets could use another big body up front, and I’m sure they’d jump on Belchetz if he were to get here. This is also Hemming’s range, and I can understand why he has been the default mock to them. But I wonder about the Blue Jackets and Lin as well. League sources have indicated to me that more teams in the teens are high on Lin than people realize, and I could see the Blue Jackets liking him for the same reason they liked Denton Mateychuk when they took him 12th. They obviously have two good young D prospects in Mateychuk and Jackson Smith, but both are lefties, and they could use a good right-shot D in their system (which is arguably harder to find than a winger like Hemming).
If the Blues take Lawrence with their first pick, I think it frees them up to potentially select a left-shot winger (both Justin Carbonneau and Jimmy Snuggerud are righties) like Hemming or Adam Novotný here or a right-shot D like Lin (Philip Broberg and Theo Lindstein are both lefties, and they don’t have a D with Lin’s look). I’ve heard they like Novotný, but Hemming is the higher guy in the consensus.
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If the Blues take lefty forwards Belchetz or Cullen at No. 11, I’d bet they pivot to make sure they get a center here and take the one-the-rise Alexander Command (or, if Lawrence gets here, take him here instead). That’s the game they’re likely going to have to play.
The Blues double down on centers and take Command with their third first-rounder. The late teens is Maddox Dagenais’ range as well, but some also view him as a winger, and if Command gets to 16 (which I’m not convinced he will), he’d be a great target as a surefire center. In one fell swoop, Lawrence and Command would really strengthen the Blues down the middle.
The Kings are another team I could see targeting Lin, but I get the sense they go center here, and that puts Suvanto, Dagenais and maybe even Hextall in play. I leaned Suvanto only because he’s definitely a center, and that’s not a sure thing for Dagenais. The Kings don’t have anything down the middle in their pool.
I get the sense that the strong-skating, strong-bodied Novotný goes in the teens, and I’ve heard him connected to the Capitals. They have an abundance of wing prospects, but none that profile quite like him. I could see their group liking him as a projectable, pro-style secondary middle-six scorer with speed, which they could use more of.
I believe the Mammoth would be all over Lin if he were to get here. They feel like his floor to me. If Lin isn’t here, though, I’m not sure Tommy Bleyl (whom I’d bet they like) is quite in this range, though. The sense I get is that Bleyl goes in the 20s. So if it’s not Lin, forwards like Dagenais and Ilia Morozov fit with how they tend to draft. But this is Dagenais range as well, and he’d fit with how they’ve drafted in the past and what their pool, which is strong across the board, could use a little more of.
I’ve heard the Sabres are high on Morozov, and I also know a couple of other teams in front of them in the early 20s were too. I’d guess their effort to move up was made in part as a way to leapfrog those teams and make sure they get their guy. Morozov profiles as a strongly built, well-rounded future 3C. If he’s gone, others in that mold include Gleb Pugachyov, Casey Mutryn, Simas Ignatavicius and Ryder Cali. But this would also be a little early for a couple of them, and I wonder if they pivot back to a skill guy like Klepov, Hermansson or Hurlbert if the projectable and safe bet in Morozov isn’t here.
Sokolovskii’s name has been one of the most hotly discussed among NHL scouts over the past few months, and I expect he’ll be selected in the 20s now. He’s the biggest player in this class, he might be its most naturally aggressive and he can move. Those three things made him a source of intrigue for the scouts this year. But his steep development curve in the second half of this season sold the league on his prospects as the next Nikita Zadorov type, and the trust in the London Knights to get him there (coincidentally, they also developed Zadorov) is another confidence booster. I believe the Flyers are the start of his range. I think Bleyl is an option here, too, for very different reasons.
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I’ve said it before: If the Mammoth are the floor for Lin, I get the sense the Penguins are the basement (and could see them potentially try to move up to grab him). I believe they’re one of the teams that were high on Morozov as well, and could be part of the reason the Sabres leapfrogged. If Lin and Morozov are both gone, I’ve wondered about Hurlbert and Nikita Klepov, who fit their type and would add a playmaker to their mix. Hextall is their type, too, but this might be just a little early for the Youngstown center.
I’ve heard the Bruins like Hextall and have spent some extra time with him over the course of this season, but they also feel overdue to take a D in the first round, and I get the sense they’re kind of the real start of Bleyl’s range. This is also the start of William Håkansson’s range if they feel their pool needs the D more than the center.
The Canucks are a second team I believe would be keen on Morozov if he’s here. But I’ve also heard Preston’s name connected to them, and while this is a little early for some (he’s widely viewed as a bubble first-rounder), their pool could use an infusion of speed and skill, and he checks both of those boxes with more emphasis than maybe anyone else in this range. They haven’t really taken Giants in the past, but this could be the year that changes.
I do wonder about Liam Ruck, too. I don’t think the connections and vibes are nothing there.
There has been some speculative chatter about how the Sens are now another team that, if they’d like to, could now make the Ruck twins’ dream a reality at No. 25 and No. 32. The Rucks would be a bit of a departure from how the Sens have drafted in the past, though, and I expect questions about Markus’ back keep him out of the first round. I’m not saying they won’t do it. I’m sure they’ll discuss it. But a defender like Håkansson would fit their DNA more and will go somewhere in the late first/early second. He’d give them something different than Yakemchuk and Logan Hensler. I’d bet the Sens like Sokolovskii, too.
The Rangers will likely have two considerations with this pick: Take a projectable center like Brooks Rogowksi or Hextall (who I’ve heard they like and nearly mocked here) and fill a hole within their pool down the middle, or prioritize skill (which their pool also needs) with a winger like Klepov, Preston or Hermansson, or a D like Bleyl. I get the sense Rogowski goes late first as well, and the Rangers have targeted size up front consistently (Nathan Aspinall, Dylan Roobroeck, Matt Rempe, Jaroslav Chmelar). They should chase some skill, though, and while there’s a case that a D makes more sense than another wing, Hermansson might be the most purely talented player available and is a righty to their lefty-heavy lineup.
If the Sharks take Stenberg with their first pick, I expect they’ll zero in on a defenseman here (even if they take Rudolph at No. 9). And if Bleyl hasn’t been picked, Bleyl would both address a need as a righty and a potential power play quarterback of the future (especially if they aren’t convinced left Sam Dickinson will be that). They would have seen their fair share of Bleyl while keeping tabs on Sharks prospect Teddy Mutryn with Moncton last season as well.
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The Canadiens’ amateur staff probably quite likes players like Klepov and the Rucks, and I could absolutely still see them taking one of them here, but I wonder if they talk themselves into the greater need and prioritize size with this pick. If they do, Pugachyov, Rogowski, Cali, Mutryn and Ignatavicius are the names to know (more or less in that order in the consensus).
The Blues are probably Hextall’s floor, and I’d bet they take him if he’s here. If he’s not, Rogowski is another potential third-line center who would fill a need in their pool and give it something new and different to work with.
The Flames are one of the teams best-positioned to take both Ruck twins with their five picks in the 30-55 range. They’re a player type the Flames’ staff has never shied away from, too. That makes Liam an option here. I’ve also heard the Flames are another team that likes Hextall, but I don’t think he gets here. I’m not convinced Klepov does either, but if he does, he’s a player I’ve heard they’ve spent some extra time on, and they have a history with his agency.
The Hurricanes probably move back, but if they don’t, there are players who scream their name here: the skilled and speedy Preston, the ultra-talented Villeneuve and the athletic, natural scoring Niklas Aaram-Olsen. They may be able to get each a little lower, too.
There are a few players who fit as Senators types late in the first round. I’ve mocked Cali, the North Bay center and Providence commit, to them in the past. He’s a big, strong, committed, pro-style forward. Mutryn checks those same boxes and is going to go somewhere in this range as well. I’m partial to Cali, but some favor Mutryn. The Sens are another team that could consider Rogowksi and Håkansson as well. I think they could use an infusion of skill and should consider more of a high-risk swing on a Ruck or an even higher-risk swing on a Nordmark, but their group has typically avoided those guys in the past. I will say this, though: Steve Staios is the same GM who, in the OHL and NHL, has taken a chance on Arthur Kaliyev (who has some Nordmark in him), so maybe they will surprise me this year.
I think there’s a very good chance that Liam goes in the first round, but if he doesn’t, he’d make for a positive note to start Day 2 for both the draft and the Canucks. They played it safe with Braeden Cootes and Tom Willander, and new GM Ryan Johnson is going to need to find an impact guy outside of their top picks. Ruck’s size and skating come with some risk in him becoming that, but no more than the risk in every other profile in this range. Why not take the local(ish) player with a good story who was one of the CHL’s leading scorers last season at this point in the draft?
I get the sense that the 30s will be Vanecek’s landing spot. Some talked about him as a late-first guy in the fall and again in the spring coming out of U18 worlds, but the in between seemed to make him more likely an early Day 2 pick. He’s a good-sized, athletic D who fits the Blackhawks’ type and would add to the depth of their back end. I wonder if they’d take a swing on Villeneuve if he were to get here. They don’t have anything like Villeneuve in their pool and can afford to roll the dice with these second-rounders.
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The Devils add a lunch pail go-getter with size and strength with the pick they acquired from the Flames in the Šimon Nemec trade. That’s Cali, who belongs in this range, and would add to their depth down the middle (though some think he’ll be better suited for the wing).
League sources expect Trejbal to be the first goalie picked. I think it happens in the 30s here somewhere, and the Flames are one team I’ve heard connected. They can also afford to take a goalie with one of their three second-rounders, so why not chase your favorite in the class?
I have no idea where the talented but frustrating big man goes, but it’s going to be to a team that’s willing to bet on his size-skill-shot combination and work with him on his habits and inconsistencies and the Blackhawks, with the strength of their pool, are a team that can afford to take a swing like this. Their pool could also use a little more size, too, even if he doesn’t use his as much as people would like. Roobroeck was traded last week to the 2027 Memorial Cup host Guelph Storm, which should be good for him as well.
The Kraken are among the teams in the late first or early second that I could see taking a swing on the often-frustrating and always-mercurial Nordmark, who’s a first-round talent and would inject some skill into their pool.
The Penguins’ staff haven’t shied away from taking unique case studies and prospects over the years (dating back to their Maple Leafs days), and I could see them being drawn to the allure of Ignatavicius, a strong Lithuanian forward with some pro attributes for their development team to work with. I could see them being all over Trejbal if he’s here as well.
I’ve heard the Panthers tied to Klepov, but he won’t get here. Keep an eye on Runtso. There’s a lot of belief in him as a future depth defenseman out there, and I get the sense he has leapfrogged names like Ethan MacKenzie and Egor Barabanov as the potential first overager off the board. I could see the Panthers being attracted to his makeup and age/timeline.
Wouldn’t it be something to see the Canucks reunite the Ruck twins and Preston, their best friend and childhood linemate? A lot would have to fall just right, but I don’t think it’s an outcome that’s completely out of the question.
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The Predators have traditionally loved the thorny, annoying forwards (see: Zachary L’Heureux, Brady Martin), and there may not be a bigger one in this class than Harrington, who fits their DNA to a T. We’ll see if their DNA has changed, but he and Saskatoon’s Zach Olsen scream Predators picks of old in this range.
Aaram-Olsen has been one of the top scorers in Sweden’s junior level over the last couple of years, but has come with varied opinions as a bit of a top-six/PP-or-bust winger. I get the sense his U18s and combine helped solidify him as an early Day 2 pick, though, and could see the Blue Jackets as among the teams that could like him.
Lagerberg Hoen, like Cullen, is another highly talented forward I could see grabbing Mehta’s attention. He lost almost his entire draft year to ACL surgery, but is progressing nicely and will be back for next season. He can put the puck in the net with the best of them in this class, and projects as a 30s/40s pick despite the long layoff.
Goljer is an athletic, good-skating D who belongs in this range and would add to the Sabres’ depth on the right side.
There has been some late-first chatter about Cover at times this year, but I’ve had a harder time finding a team that will actually take him there on draft day. I think the middle of the second round is much more likely, and the Kings would be a good fit for both sides.
Olsen is one of the most competitive players in this class, and the Red Wings have normally ended up with those guys. It’s a clear priority for them, and while I’ve wondered annually if they would take some more swings on higher-risk skill types, they tend to double down on the guys with engines who are going to play. That’s Olsen in this range.
Some think (myself included) that Shcherbakov could go in the 30s or maybe even late 20s. But I get the sense that D like Vanecek and Goljer go in front of the rangy Russian, and I could see him lingering. The Panthers have a recent history of drafting Russians, too.
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I think there’s a decent chance Piiparinen goes earlier than this, but if he doesn’t, he’d check a lot of boxes for the Kings, adding a projectable right-shot NHL D to their pool.
The Ducks have gone to the Q often, and Morrison checks their athletic, hardworking profile with emphasis. He’s a little rough around the edges in some areas, but he’s going to be a second-round pick and has a clear path to becoming a depth NHL D.
The Flames need skill and center, and while Shilov’s slower-paced game isn’t for everyone, he’ll be one of the most talented players available when he gets picked, and he’s a natural center.
Di Iorio’s draft year didn’t go the way he or others expected, between injuries and struggles on a Sarnia team that had plenty of them, but he’s still well-liked as a well-rounded center prospect, and I’ve heard the Oilers connected to him.
Alalauri’s fitness and inconsistency have both been a bit of a talking point over the course of this draft cycle, but he has size, skill, and some tools, and the Flyers could use an offensively inclined right-shot D in their pool.
The Penguins’ group has always been attracted to smart, hardworking, versatile forwards, and that’s Vandenberg, a heady and diligent center.
Nemec is an average-sized, average-grades, well-rounded winger who was successful in Slovakia’s top pro league, the OHL and at the World Juniors. He doesn’t pull you out of your seat with pace or skill, but he’s a good, smart player who’s likely going to play in the NHL.
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Macbeath is among a large group of D who will go in the second round, and while I could see him getting picked earlier than this, his second-half rise was slowed by a just-OK U18 worlds; I wonder if that gives standouts there like Goljer and Vanecek the leg up on him to teams looking for a D earlier in the second round. His pro skating mechanics and rapid development would make him a great fit for a Bruins pool that needs to add D.
One of the most successful players in this age group in Europe’s pro ranks this season, Chrenko excelled for long stretches of the year in Slovakia’s top flight and has an impressive international track record. He’s on the smaller side for an NHL center, but he’s a willing worker and the Preds’ type, plus he would add some skill to their system.
There has been a lot of talk about Hamilton as a second-round pick and sleeper lately. He’s a skilled and committed player who screams Lightning to me. I could see him going earlier than this now, though, too.
The Stars didn’t use a single one of their six picks last year on a defenseman, and they take one here in Gudmundsson, a good-sized, physical, effective defenseman who projects as a depth D in the NHL. He has some positive momentum coming into the draft and could go higher than this, too.
Bilecki is a good-skating, talented D who just won an OHL title and Memorial Cup with the Rangers. He’s viewed as having plenty of runway, too, with a still-lean frame to fill out and an expanded role coming in the OHL after playing on a deep blue line this year.
The second overager picked, Lefebvre is a big forward (he’s viewed more as a winger than a center) with an NHL shot and a mean streak. Those guys don’t last long, and he specifically would fill a need for the Canadiens.
The Sharks would have also seen their fair share of Chudzinski while keeping an eye on Mutryn with the Wildcats. He’s a hardworking player with a pro shot who had some ups and downs this year, but finished strong on a deep QMJHL playoff run.
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The Rangers add a toolsy center in Berzkalns, who needs to show he can produce more, but has the look and game of an NHL player.
Some other potential second-rounders: Egor Barabanov, Adam Andersson, Matias Vanhanen, Patriks Plumins, Ethan MacKenzie.
The Athletic and FloHockey have partnered to bring fans a live 2026 NHL Draft show. Hosted by Max Bultman and featuring experts Corey Pronman, Scott Wheeler and Chris Peters, The Athletic x FloHockey NHL Draft Live will livestream during the entire first round. Tune in June 26 at 7 p.m. ET on The Athletic Hockey Show’s YouTube channel, across FloHockey’s platforms, and on Amazon Prime (U.S.) and Fubo (Canada).
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