Sam Cosentino’s 2026 NHL Mock Draft

The form of this draft has significantly modified during the last week with the variety of trades. I might suspect the buying and selling will not be finished, and should nicely run proper by means of Saturday’s Day 2 of the 2026 NHL Draft. 

One factor that received’t change is the Toronto Maple Leafs choosing Gavin McKenna first total. The Maple Leafs visited Whitehorse and met with the household not lengthy after successful the primary total choose within the NHL Draft Lottery. 

Latest trades by San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier additionally strongly counsel Ivar Stenberg is subsequent off the board, and rightly so. 

The intrigue begins at choose quantity three, the place it’s broadly projected that the Vancouver Canucks will take head coach Manny Malhotra’s son, Caleb. No matter that occurring, the Buffalo Sabres are of nice curiosity as nicely. I do imagine the choose is in play, and there will probably be plenty of suitors. Jarmo Kekalainen has been recognized to assume exterior the field, and if he does certainly make this choose, he may have plenty of choices at his disposal. 

Viggo Bjorck offered himself fairly nicely on the NHL Mix, and his monitor document enjoying towards males this season ought to remove any dimension issues. As such, he does have the boys’s world recency bias working in his favour, and it isn’t a stretch to see him be picked inside the highest 5. 

Defensively, there’s additionally loads of top-ten choices, three of that are right-handed in Chase Reid, Daxon Rudlolph and Keaton Verhoeff. Don’t sleep on essentially the most NHL-ready prospect in Alberts Smits both. He might very simply be a top-five choice. 

From a staff perspective, St. Louis has 4 picks within the first spherical, which hasn’t been seen since 1999 when the Islanders picked 4 gamers in spherical one of many draft. Add in San Jose’s three first-rounders, and there’s nonetheless loads of potential for chaos throughout the subsequent couple of days. 

For now, although, that is how I see it enjoying out.

1. Toronto Maple Leafs: Gavin McKenna, LW, 5-foot-11, 170 kilos, Penn St. (NCAA)

There’s an excessive amount of upside to this participant. Helped himself immensely on the NHL Mix with how he offered each bodily and personally. 

2. San Jose Sharks: Ivar Stenberg, LW 5-foot-11, 183 kilos, Frolunda (SHL)

Two strikes sign this choose: the acquisition of Michael Kesselring (signifies a transfer off of Chase Reid) and the departure of William Eklund to Ottawa. Stenberg will fill the Eklund void instantly based mostly on his monitor document enjoying towards males all season lengthy, proper by means of the boys’s worlds. 

3. Vancouver Canucks: Caleb Malhotra, C, 6-foot-1.75, 182 kilos, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

It is a feel-good story in a market that might use it. It’s incumbent on the group to choose the most effective participant out there, no matter who the coach is. It wouldn’t shock me if Vancouver averted potential drama and went in a unique path.

4. Buffalo Sabres: Chase Reid, RD,  6-foot-2.5, 195 kilos, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)

Kekalainen is a little bit of a wildcard, so something can occur right here, however Reid has game-changing means. He has skilled adversity alongside the way in which, and there’s lots extra progress to be skilled earlier than he hits his ceiling.

5. New York Rangers: Alberts Smits, D, 6-foot-3, 205 kilos, Munchen (DEL)

He’s essentially the most NHL-ready participant within the draft class. Performed towards males all season lengthy in plenty of high-leverage occasions and was equally pretty much as good or higher in Buffalo. 

6. Calgary Flames: Viggo Bjorck, Djurgardens, RW, 5-foot-9, 177 kilos, Djurgarden (SHL)

Addresses a necessity and can be the most effective participant out there right here. His dimension is not going to be a difficulty, even on the NHL stage. He has a fantastic monitor document within the SHL, and he was implausible on the males’s worlds. He gained much more traction on the mix.

7. Seattle Kraken: Carson Carels, D, 6-foot-1.75, 198 kilos, Prince George Cougars (WHL)

Character, compete and work ethic by means of the roof on this pure born chief.  There’s some medical stuff to be involved about, but when that checks out, this can mark the primary time the Kraken have picked a defenceman with their first-round choose.

8. Winnipeg Jets: Daxon Rudolph, RD, 6-foot-2.5, 206 kilos, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

There will probably be heavy debate as to which defenceman the Jets will take right here, however they will’t go mistaken with both one. Rudolph by a nostril. 

9. San Jose Sharks: Keaton Verhoeff, RD, 6-foot-3.75, 212 kilos, North Dakota (NCAA)

Pre-draft, this looks as if a participant whose vary is greater, however the way in which the board has fallen, the Sharks add an elite right-shot defenceman after getting Stenberg at No. 2.

10. Nashville Predators: Wyatt Cullen, LW, 6-foot-1, 176 kilos, USNTDP (USHL)

After Gavin McKenna, Cullen is essentially the most dynamic participant this draft class has to supply.  He’s acquired nice wheels, sick palms and NHL bloodlines, what extra might you ask for?

11. St. Louis Blues: Nikita Klepov, RW, 5-foot-11, 178 kilos, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

A alternative for Jordan Kyrou is present in Klepov, who led the OHL with 97 factors this season. He additionally seemed good in a current viewing on the Milstein Florida camp.

12. New Jersey Devils: Ryan Lin, RD, 5-foot-11.25, 178 kilos, Vancouver Giants (WHL)

A distinct participant than Nemec, however will fill an analogous void two years down the street. Confirmed one other layer to his sport on the U18 worlds after getting back from harm on the finish of Vancouver’s season.

13. New York Islanders: Ethan Belchetz, LW, 6-foot-5, 228 kilos, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

Has a tremendous array of abilities for somebody his dimension. He’s an elite shooter who continues to work onerous on his skating. Belchetz will go the school route subsequent season, coming off a damaged collarbone suffered in early March.

14. Columbus Blue Jackets: Tynan Lawrence, C, 6-foot-0.5, 185 kilos, Boston College (NCAA)

Whereas he might have slipped from pre-season projections, the Blue Jackets get a hard-working participant who has had some manufacturing up to now. The next draft slot would’ve been probably had he stayed the complete 12 months in Muskegon

15. St. Louis Blues: Malte Gustafsson, LD, 6-foot-4.25, 201 kilos, HV71 (SHL)

A late riser together with his play on the U18 worlds, Gustafsson has dimension, can skate, defend nicely and assist transfer pucks rapidly and effectively.

16. St. Louis Blues: Alexander Command, C, 6-foot-.05, 186 kilos, Orebro (SWE-J20)

One other excessive riser from having been minimize from the Hlinka-Gretzky, he labored his manner again to being a key contributor on a gold medal-winning staff on the U18s.

17. Los Angeles Kings: Adam Novotny, LW, 6-foot-1, 204 kilos, Peterborough Petes (OHL):

A profitable quantity shooter, Novotny transitioned seamlessly to the North American sport.  He’s of excessive character who will endear teammates and coaches alike.  Novotny has proven that he can play the sport in several methods and doesn’t essentially have to attain to have an effect. 

18. Washington Capitals: Ilia Morozov, C, 6-foot-3, 200 kilos, Miami (NCAA):

The Capitals have proven a penchant for dimension. Morozov is larger than his body suggests and a participant who’s coachable with the work ethic to enhance. As one of many youngest gamers within the draft class, there’s further runway, which has additionally labored up to now for the Caps.

19. Utah Mammoth: Oscar Hemming, LW, 6-foot-3.5, 193 kilos, Boston School (NCAA)

Suits each the bodily and enjoying profile of GM Invoice Armstrong. Hemming solely acquired a half-season to strut his stuff, however he does play a typical energy ahead sport with some ability.

20. Buffalo Sabres: JP Hurlbert, LW, 5-foot-11.75, 183 kilos, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

A number of place versatility for this elite shooter. Hurlbert is at all times round it. He impressed on the Mix and confirmed up prefer it was his job. That mentality and method will serve him nicely down the street.

21. Philadelphia Flyers: Maksim Sokolovskii, LD, 6-foot-7, 238 kilos, London Knights (OHL)

Three years in the past, the Flyers tapped into the London Knights program to pick Oliver Bonk one spot later than this. They return to the nicely and add dimension, meanness and physicality to their defence prospect pool.  

22. Pittsburgh Penguins: Xavier Villeneuve, D, 5-foot-11, 162 kilos, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)

Kyle Dubas was by no means involved about dimension when drafting in Toronto. There was a slight flip in that philosophy final 12 months with Pittsburgh, however I don’t assume the Pens are against a smaller participant who has nice ability. 

23. Boston Bruins: Maddox Dagenais, C, 6-foot-4, 196 kilos, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)

Huge physique participant, who can actually zip the puck. It took him some time to determine that he needed to be extra than simply goal-scoring and ability. As soon as he got here to the belief that there was extra to the sport than goal-scoring and ability, he began to constantly affect the sport bodily, which he will probably be required to do on the subsequent stage. 

24. Vancouver Canucks: William Hakansson, D, 6-foot-4, 207 kilos, Lulea (SHL)

A gradual-eddie sort who identifies nicely with the job description and is completely happy enjoying that position. There’s some untapped offensive upside there.

25. Ottawa Senators: Elton Hermansson, RW, 6-foot-3.5, 181 kilos, Modo (Allsvenskan)

The Senators admire ability, particularly goal-scoring means. Hermansson is a little bit of an enigma who will want some publicity to participant growth to work to extract the most effective this participant has to supply. 

26.) New York Rangers: Jack Hextall, C, 6’0.5, 188 kilos, Youngstown (USHL)

Put up strong numbers in a troublesome league. A max effort man who’s sturdy on his skates and prepared to interact in all three zones. 

27.) San Jose Sharks: Tommy Bleyl, RD, 5-foot-11.5, 165 kilos, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)

Completely good rookie season, it didn’t take lengthy for him to transition from prep faculty to main junior. His toes are spectacular and he can run an influence play, which is one thing San Jose doesn’t have.

28. Montreal Canadiens: Oliver Suvanto, C, 6-foot-2.75, 207 kilos, Tappara (Liiga)

Dimension is at all times on the fore with Montreal, and whereas Suvanto doesn’t seem like he’s going to be a high-end producer, he’ll be capable to do plenty of issues to assist his staff. He has motor, can play centre or wing and he protects the puck nicely. 

29. St. Louis Blues: Tobias Trejbal, G, 6-foot-4.25, 190 kilos, Youngstown (USHL)

The Blues have loads of optionality in the event that they handle to maintain all of their picks, however on this spot, it’s time to go goalie-hunting, and I imagine Trejbal is the most effective of the lot.

30. Calgary Flames: Liam Ruck, RW, 5-foot-11,187 kilos, Drugs Hat Tigers (WHL)

The staff in the most effective place to make the dream come true for the mirrored twins is Calgary. If the assumption is that the twins are higher collectively, the Flames received’t have to attend lengthy on Day 2 to safe Markus. 

31. Carolina Hurricanes: Gleb Pugachyov, RW, 6-foot-3, 198 kilos, Torpedo-Nizhny (KHL)

The Stanley Cup champs are by no means afraid to draft Russian gamers. Pugachyov performs the sport in the identical trend because the Hurricanes. He will get after it, and whereas the ability is probably not elite, he can be becoming a member of a staff the place minutes and scoring are unfold out, and the place his tenacity will win out.

32. Ottawa Senators: Brooks Rogowski, C, 6-foot-7, 235 kilos

Huge right-shot centre who remains to be studying how his dimension can affect play. He skates nicely and has good ability for his dimension. If he’s ever ready so as to add the bodily aspect, look out.