The 2026 NHL Draft is shaping up to be one of the most fascinating in recent memory. The top of the board is loaded with elite defensive talent, franchise-calibre forwards, and a first overall pick who may be the most hyped North American prospect since Connor McDavid. This is not a best-player-available exercise. This is a needs-based projection — asking not just who is the best player left on the board, but who is the right player for each team at this moment in their rebuild or retool.
Let’s get into it.
Pick #1 — Toronto Maple Leafs
Gavin McKenna | LW | Penn State University (NCAA)
There is nothing left to say about Gavin McKenna that has not been said. A 54-game CHL point streak. CHL and WHL Player of the Year. Nine program records at Penn State. Big Ten scoring champion. Hobey Baker Top-10 finalist. Fifty-one points in 35 NCAA games. He may be the most hyped North American prospect since Connor McDavid.
Gavin McKenna. First overall. Toronto Maple Leafs.
Pick #2 — San Jose Sharks
Chase Reid | RD | Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
San Jose is loaded with young forward talent built around Macklin Celebrini. What they are missing is a franchise defenceman to anchor the back end. Chase Reid is the answer. NHL Central Scouting describes him as a “take-charge defenceman who dictates the game” — a smooth skater with elite composure and the ability to handle heavy minutes in all situations. His statistical comparable is Evan Bouchard. His ceiling could be higher. Paired with Celebrini up front, Reid becomes the cornerstone of a San Jose blue line that could be elite within three years.
Pick #3 — Vancouver Canucks
Caleb Malhotra | C | Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
Vancouver fell from first to third in the lottery and the disappointment was real. But picking third in this class is not a catastrophe — not when Caleb Malhotra is still on the board. The best centre available in this draft, Malhotra is a powerful two-way pivot who has dominated the OHL and shot up every major ranking list this season. His father Manny coaches Vancouver’s AHL affiliate in Abbotsford, adding a compelling storyline to what is already a sound hockey decision. Vancouver did not get the pick they wanted. They may have gotten the player they needed.
Pick #4 — Chicago Blackhawks
Ivar Stenberg | LW/RW | Frölunda HC (SHL)
Getting Ivar Stenberg at fourth overall is the best-case scenario for Chicago, and the Blackhawks should not hesitate for a second. Stenberg has already played regular minutes in Sweden’s top professional league at an age when most North American players are still in juniors. His skating, hands, and compete level are all elite, and scouts believe he may be the first player from this class to become an NHL regular — possibly as early as next season. Connor Bedard now has a running mate. Chicago’s rebuild just shifted into another gear entirely.
Pick #5 — New York Rangers
Ethan Belchetz | LW | Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
The Rangers need to keep adding elite young talent as their current window around Panarin, Fox, and Shesterkin begins to narrow. Ethan Belchetz is a big, powerful left winger who plays a physical game without sacrificing offensive production. He is hard to move off the puck, has a lethal shot, and competes at a level that coaches love. He gives New York a long-term top-six answer on the left side and fits the kind of hard, skilled identity the Rangers want to build going forward.
Pick #6 — Calgary Flames
Carson Carels | LD | Prince George Cougars (WHL)
Calgary has young offensive talent but is missing a true offensive threat on the left side of the blue line — the kind of defenceman who changes how opposing penalty kills line up. Carson Carels is that player. The Prince George blueliner draws comparisons to Jake Sanderson for his ability to control the game in all situations, with the size, skating, and hockey sense to quarterback a power play from day one. He is a franchise-altering selection for a Flames team that needs exactly what he brings.
Pick #7 — Seattle Kraken
Alberts Smits | LD | Mikkelin Jukurit
Seattle’s rebuild is trending upward, but the glaring weakness since day one has never changed: the blue line lacks a true number-one option…sorry Vinny. That search ends here. Alberts Smits is a smooth, confident Latvian defenseman who already has Olympic experience and projects as a potential top-pair NHL blueliner. His vision, skating, and shot from the point are all elite-level tools. For a Kraken team desperate for defensive star power, this is the most exciting pick they could make at this spot.
Pick #8 — Winnipeg Jets
Daxon Rudolph | RD | Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
Winning the President’s Trophy one year and picking eighth overall the next is a jarring reversal, but here the Jets are. They need to add to the pipeline without disrupting a veteran core — Hellebuyck, Scheifele, and Kyle Connor — that is still good enough to win. Daxon Rudolph is a big, mobile right-shot defenceman who projects as a top-four NHL blueliner. He is not coming to win the Cup this year. He is coming to help Winnipeg sustain success for the next decade.
Pick #9 — Florida Panthers
Tynan Lawrence | C | Boston University (NCAA)
Nobody expected the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions to be picking ninth. But here the Panthers are, and they will not waste the moment. Tynan Lawrence is a big, responsible two-way centre from Boston University with the compete level and hockey sense to fit seamlessly into a championship culture. Florida builds around players who defend, win battles, and contribute offensively. Lawrence checks every box. He is not the flashiest pick in this draft — he is simply the right one for this franchise.
Pick #10 — Nashville Predators
Viggo Björck | C/RW | Djurgårdens IF (Sweden)
Nashville has the veteran talent but lacks the high-end young skill needed to sustain a competitive window long-term. Viggo Björck is a versatile Swedish forward who can play centre or right wing — exactly the kind of positional flexibility modern NHL teams covet. He is patient, intelligent, and processes the game quickly. His offensive instincts project as a legitimate top-six contributor, giving Nashville the high-end skill infusion their prospect pipeline has been missing.
Pick #11 — St. Louis Blues
Liam Ruck | F | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Double trouble.
In one of the most remarkable storylines of draft night, the St. Louis Blues use their own first-round pick to select Liam Ruck — the first of a historic double. Two brothers. One team. One draft. Liam is the older of the two and the higher-rated prospect, a complete two-way forward with elite hockey sense who plays in all situations and makes every line he is on more dangerous and more responsible. St. Louis adds the first of two of the most exciting young brothers in the game in the span of four picks. The city of St. Louis should be buzzing.
Pick #12 — New Jersey Devils
Oscar Hemming | F | Boston College Eagles (NCAA)
New Jersey finds itself in a complicated spot. Jack Hughes is the franchise cornerstone, but the roster around him took a significant step backwards this season. The Devils need skilled forwards who can contribute alongside Hughes and relieve some of the offensive burden he carries. Oscar Hemming is a highly skilled Swedish forward with the puck skills and hockey IQ to develop into a legitimate top-six NHL player. He gives New Jersey an exciting young piece to build around Hughes and addresses a forward depth issue that has held this team back.
Pick #13 — New York Islanders
Adam Novotný | LW/RW | Peterborough Petes (OHL)
The Islanders have quietly assembled a strong pipeline of young talent and do not need to swing for the fences here — they need to keep adding skill to a forward group that is trending in the right direction. Adam Novotný is a versatile winger who can play both flanks, possesses excellent hockey sense, and contributes in all situations. He is not a flashy pick, but he is the right pick — a player who slots naturally into what New York is building and makes the group better immediately.
Pick #14 — Columbus Blue Jackets
Ryan Lin | RD | Vancouver Giants (WHL)
Columbus missed the playoffs again in 2025-26 after a collapse down the stretch that had head coach Rick Bowness fuming publicly. The Blue Jackets need talent infusions across the roster, but their most glaring long-term need is a right-shot defenceman with star potential. Ryan Lin is that player. The Vancouver Giants blueliner is a fluid skater with excellent offensive instincts and a shot that makes power plays dangerous. He gives Columbus a cornerstone piece on the right side to build their back end around for the next decade.
Pick #15 — St. Louis Blues (via Detroit Red Wings)
Marcus Ruck | F | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
And then there were two.
The Blues hold two first-round picks in this draft, and at #15 they make a selection the hockey world will be buzzing about all night — Marcus Ruck, the younger of the two Ruck brothers. A natural scorer with excellent instincts around the net, Marcus is a mature, compete-level forward who finds the right spots in the offensive zone and is effective in all three zones. For a Blues team building around Dylan Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud, he is exactly the kind of long-term investment that pays dividends for years….and they have two of them.
Pick #16 — Washington Capitals
Nikita Klepov | LW | Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Washington sits at a genuine crossroads with Alex Ovechkin’s future uncertain and the franchise stuck between rebuilding and competing. What they need most is young offensive talent to carry the load when the next era begins. Klepov is a dynamic left winger who projects as a top-six forward — quick, skilled, and dangerous in tight spaces. He gives the Capitals a high-upside offensive piece to grow the next generation of the franchise around.
Full Mock Draft Summary
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Toronto Maple Leafs | Gavin McKenna | LW | Penn State (NCAA) |
| #2 | San Jose Sharks | Chase Reid | RD | Soo Greyhounds (OHL) |
| #3 | Vancouver Canucks | Caleb Malhotra | C | Brantford Bulldogs (OHL) |
| #4 | Chicago Blackhawks | Ivar Stenberg | LW/RW | Frölunda HC (SHL) |
| #5 | New York Rangers | Ethan Belchetz | LW | Windsor Spitfires (OHL) |
| #6 | Calgary Flames | Carson Carels | LD | Prince George Cougars (WHL) |
| #7 | Seattle Kraken | Alberts Smits | LD | Mikkelin Jukurit |
| #8 | Winnipeg Jets | Daxon Rudolph | RD | Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) |
| #9 | Florida Panthers | Tynan Lawrence | C | Boston University (NCAA) |
| #10 | Nashville Predators | Viggo Björck | C/RW | Djurgårdens IF |
| #11 | St. Louis Blues | Liam Ruck | F | Medicine Hat Tigers |
| #12 | New Jersey Devils | Oscar Hemming | F | Boston College Eagles |
| #13 | New York Islanders | Adam Novotný | LW/RW | Peterborough Petes (OHL) |
| #14 | Columbus Blue Jackets | Ryan Lin | RD | Vancouver Giants (WHL) |
| #15 | St. Louis Blues (via DET) | Marcus Ruck | F | Medicine Hat Tigers |
| #16 | Washington Capitals | Nikita Klepov | LW | Saginaw Spirit (OHL) |
This mock draft is based on each team’s organizational needs as of May 2026. Prospect rankings sourced from NHL Central Scouting, DobberProspects, Draft Prospects Hockey, and ESPN. The 2026 NHL Draft takes place June 26–27 in Buffalo, New York.
– Nathan Add – The Add List +