Sportsvival has been scouting the top draft prospects all season, and now that the Carolina Hurricanes have won the Stanley Cup and the NHL season is officially over, it is time to turn the page to the 2026 NHL Draft.
This draft starts with star power at the top, but what makes it interesting is the depth on defense, the number of skilled centers available, and the amount of big forwards who could sneak into the first round. Sportsvival mixed together the latest mock drafts, prospect rankings, team needs and our own scouting feel to put together our 2026 NHL Mock Draft.
1. Toronto Maple Leafs, Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State
Toronto starts a new era by taking the most dynamic offensive player in the draft, a winger with elite vision, hands and star-level upside.
2. San Jose Sharks, Chase Reid, D, Sault Ste. Marie
San Jose already has young forwards, so adding Reid gives the Sharks a future top-pair defenseman who can skate, move the puck and run a power play.
3. Vancouver Canucks, Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford
The Canucks need a franchise-type center, and Malhotra brings size, scoring touch, hockey IQ and a strong two-way game.
4. Chicago Blackhawks, Ivar Stenberg, LW/RW, Frölunda
Chicago adds another high-end offensive weapon to grow with Connor Bedard, giving the Blackhawks a skilled winger who can play fast and create.
5. New York Rangers, Carson Carels, D, Prince George
The Rangers go defense here with Carels, a strong two-way blueliner who has size, mobility and the ability to impact the game in all situations.
6. Calgary Flames, Viggo Björck, C/RW, Djurgårdens IF
Calgary takes a swing on one of the most skilled offensive players in the draft, a crafty forward who can make plays and bring energy every shift.
7. Seattle Kraken, Keaton Verhoeff, D, North Dakota
Seattle needs a true franchise defenseman in the system, and Verhoeff has the size, skating and maturity to become that long-term piece.
8. Winnipeg Jets, Daxon Rudolph, D, Prince Albert
Winnipeg adds a big right-shot defenseman with offensive production, size and the tools to become a future top-four NHL player.
9. Florida Panthers, Alberts Smits, D, Jukurit
Florida keeps building the blue line with Smits, a big, physical defender who plays with confidence and already has experience against older competition.
10. Nashville Predators, Wyatt Cullen, F, USNTDP
Nashville grabs a high-upside forward with speed, skill and compete, and Cullen’s growth over the last year makes him one of the more intriguing names in the class.
11. St. Louis Blues, Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor
The Blues add a big power forward who can score, play around the net and bring a heavy style that fits postseason hockey.
12. New Jersey Devils, Oliver Suvanto, C, Tappara
New Jersey gets a smart, mature two-way center who protects the puck, plays with strength and projects as a reliable middle-six NHL forward.
13. New York Islanders, Tynan Lawrence, C, Boston University
The Islanders need younger skill down the middle, and Lawrence gives them a fast, competitive center with offensive upside.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets, Oscar Hemming, F, Boston College
Columbus continues to add size and skill up front with Hemming, a big forward who can skate and should keep improving with more college development.
15. St. Louis Blues, Malte Gustafsson, D, HV71
St. Louis uses another first-rounder to add a big, mobile defenseman who can move pucks and develop into a strong two-way NHL blueliner.
16. Washington Capitals, Ilia Morozov, C, Miami-Ohio
Washington needs center depth for the future, and Morozov brings size, intelligence, compete and a 200-foot game.
17. Los Angeles Kings, Nikita Klepov, RW, Saginaw
The Kings add one of the most productive forwards in the draft, a smart offensive winger who knows how to find open ice and finish.
18. Washington Capitals, Ryan Lin, D, Vancouver
Washington adds more skill on the back end with Lin, an excellent skating defenseman who can move the puck and create offense in transition.
19. Utah Mammoth, Adam Novotny, LW/RW, Peterborough
Utah takes the best player available in Novotny, a strong power forward with a heavy shot and a game built for the hard areas.
20. San Jose Sharks, Xavier Villeneuve, D, Blainville-Boisbriand
After taking Reid at No. 2, San Jose doubles down on defense with Villeneuve, an electric puck mover who can run offense from the blue line.
21. Philadelphia Flyers, Alexander Command, C, Örebro HK
Philadelphia adds another competitive center with good vision, strong skating and the kind of edge that fits the Flyers’ identity.
22. Pittsburgh Penguins, Tommy Bleyl, D, Moncton
Pittsburgh adds one of the more exciting offensive defensemen in the draft, a smooth skater who can quarterback a power play and push the pace.
23. Boston Bruins, Elton Hermansson, RW/LW, MoDo
Boston gets a skilled Swedish forward with a quick release, strong skating and the type of offensive game the Bruins need in their pipeline.
24. Vancouver Canucks, Maddox Dagenais, C, Quebec
After taking Malhotra early, Vancouver keeps building down the middle with Dagenais, a big center with scoring ability and power-play value.
25. Seattle Kraken, JP Hurlbert, F, Kamloops
Seattle adds offensive upside with Hurlbert, a fast, skilled forward who produced big numbers and can play multiple spots up front.
26. New York Rangers, Mathis Preston, RW, Vancouver
The Rangers take a swing on Preston’s speed and game-breaking skill, betting on his upside once fully healthy.
27. Buffalo Sabres, Brooks Rogowski, C, Oshawa
Buffalo adds major size down the middle with Rogowski, a 6-foot-7 center who protects pucks, wins battles and has developing offensive upside.
28. Montreal Canadiens, William Hakansson, D, Luleå HF
Montreal adds a big Swedish defenseman who skates well, defends with reach and gives the Canadiens another long-term blue-line option.
29. St. Louis Blues, Yegor Shilov, C, Victoriaville
The Blues take a skilled, creative forward in Shilov, who brings strong puck skills and big offensive production from the QMJHL.
30. Calgary Flames, Liam Ruck, RW, Medicine Hat
Calgary adds a pure scorer in Ruck, a dangerous offensive winger who knows how to finish and create with the puck on his stick.
31. Carolina Hurricanes, Casey Mutryn, RW, USNTDP
Fresh off a Stanley Cup, Carolina adds a hard-working power forward who plays fast, forechecks hard and fits the Hurricanes’ identity.
32. Ottawa Senators, Juho Piiparinen, D, Tappara
Ottawa closes the first round with a steady right-shot defenseman who plays a mature defensive game and has the tools to become a dependable NHL blueliner.
Final Thoughts
This 2026 draft has a clear star at the top in Gavin McKenna, but the real story may be how many defensemen hear their names called early. Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff, Carson Carels, Daxon Rudolph, Alberts Smits and others give teams a chance to add true building blocks on the back end.
For Sportsvival, the most interesting part of this draft starts around pick five. That is where team needs, scouting preferences and risk tolerance will really shape the board. Some teams will chase upside, some will go for size, and others will grab the safest player available. That is what makes the NHL Draft great, everyone sees the board a little differently.