The lottery is in. Here's how picks 1-10 of the 2026 NHL Draft shape up. Who picks what, and why each fit makes sense for the team taking the call.
Pick 1: Toronto Maple Leafs, Gavin McKenna
This is most likely going to be Gavin McKenna (LW, Penn State). Nothing is guaranteed in the NHL, but you should pick the best player available. It will make the Leafs instantly better but will not address the primary issue, the D-core. Gavin McKenna will be the left-hand man for Matthews and Cowan, providing a very elite first line in 2026-2027.
Pick 2: San Jose Sharks, Chase Reid
San Jose Sharks select Chase Reid (D, Sault Ste. Marie) to bring in talent to the D-core. Reid will make that backend much better, and they have a spot to put him in right away. This is interesting because San Jose has had great picks in the last couple of drafts. Getting Macklin, Misa and Smith have solidified their forward skill, which makes this such an interesting pick with Stenberg available. (Possibility to Trade down)
Pick 3: Vancouver Canucks, Ivar Stenberg
Once again the Canucks fail to move up the draft board and find themselves dropping two spots. Do not worry Canuck fans, things might work out for you. With San Jose having such elite talent at forwards, they select Carels, which leaves Stenberg. The Sedin twins get to draft a fellow countryman. Stenberg could be what Petey needs to gain his form and confidence back. This also keeps with the trend of drafting Swedish talent for Vancouver.
Pick 4: Chicago Blackhawks, Carson Carels
Connor Bedard needs some help upfront, but that is coming with Anton Frondell. The rise of Nazar has also been pretty good and shows some promise. Adding a player like Carson Carels (D, Prince George) would be perfect for the blueline and powerplay. This should be a no-brainer for the Hawks. Carson Carels will help push the play up the ice and be a reliable force for the Blackhawks for years.
Pick 5: New York Rangers, Keaton Verhoeff
The New York Rangers need some support upfront and on defense. The one position on lockdown is goalie. Keaton Verhoeff (D, North Dakota) should be the fit for the Rangers, supporting Igor Shesterkin. If teams help star forwards with snipers and playmakers, why not help your star goalie with one of the best defensemen in the draft. Keaton can come in and provide what K'Andre Miller provided, but with much more talent and upside.
Pick 6: Calgary Flames, Daxon Rudolph
Last year the Calgary Flames selected two forwards in the first round. They also selected Zayne Parekh in 2024, and that was their first defenseman taken in the first round since Juuso Valimaki back in 2017. Flames take Daxon Rudolph (D, Prince Albert Raiders). It is a perfect fit for the Flames and Daxon. Born and raised in Alberta, he understands what fans want out of a Canadian market and provides their blueline with another star talent.
Pick 7: Seattle Kraken, Caleb Malhotra
This one is hard to pick. Seattle needs to get something positive going. Their fans and front office do not seem happy after a couple hard years of missing playoffs and not developing prospects. Seattle needs to fix some holes upfront. Caleb Malhotra (C, Brantford) brings an NHL name to a franchise that needs something to cheer for. Caleb will be playing in the NCAA next year, but the Seattle Kraken are not in win-now mode. This choice reminds me of the Tij Iginla pick in 2024, perfect for the team and the front office.
Pick 8: Winnipeg Jets, Alberts Smits
The Winnipeg Jets have not had a lot of high picks (best in five years: Pick 10 in 2020). They traded away Logan Stanley and lost a lot of size on the back end. I think Alberts Smits (D, Jukurit) could come in and play a big role with the Jets. They have great scoring with Connor and Perfetti but lack some size on the backend. Smits does have some holes defensively, but when you have a Vezina goalie behind you, mistakes might be learning moments without a -1.
Pick 9: Florida Panthers, Ethan Belchetz
This one is interesting because Florida hasn't picked in the first round since 2021 (Mackie Samoskevich). Their prospect pool is not as bad as we think, but with Ethan Belchetz (LW, Windsor) available it's a slam dunk for the Cats. Florida plays a hard style of hockey and 6'5", 220 lbs seems to fit their mold. A big skilled winger is something that is missing on this top line. (Could also be traded)
Pick 10: Nashville Predators, Viggo Bjorck
The Predators had two picks last year in the first round, selecting Brady Martin and Cameron Reid. Viggo Bjorck (LW, Djurgardens) is a great flex pick for the Preds. Viggo can also play centre if needed, but for the Predators, developing him on the wing with Brady Martin might be the recipe they need to succeed. The Predators could find the steal of the draft with Viggo.