All articles tagged with #2026 nhl draft
Gavin McKenna, the 2026 NHL Draft's No. 1 pick, made his professional debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. While his on-ice performance was modest, the event was defined by the emotional presence of his family, including his grandfather Joe Mason, who traveled from Whitehorse, Yukon, to witness the milestone.
The San Jose Sharks used this weekend’s NHL Draft to jump-start their rebuild, grabbing high-upside winger Ivar Stenberg at No. 2, trading William Eklund to the Senators, adding a solid blue-line piece in Keaton Verhoeff, and taking a 7-foot-1 project, Alexander Karmanov, with the 201st pick, all while Macklin Celebrini’s strong showing remains a beacon of hope for the franchise.
Gavin McKenna, 18, arrived in Toronto after being selected first overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2026 NHL Draft. He’s set to join development camp soon, aims to earn a spot with hard work, and has already connected with stars like Matthews and Tavares, plus a text from idol Patrick Kane. McKenna plans to explore the city’s fanbase and the Blue Jays game while staying focused on handling the pressures of playing in Toronto.
The New York Rangers used the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to select defenseman Alberts Smits, a tall, two-way left-shot prospect viewed as one of the most NHL-ready defensemen in the class. Smits has pro experience in Liiga and DEL and is expected to sign and report to training camp, while the team also via a draft-night trade acquired Pavel Dorofeyev to bolster the roster’s forward depth.
The Philadelphia Flyers traded down from 21 to 27 to draft London Knights defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii, a 6'7" blueliner whose size and skating draw praise despite modest offensive numbers (two goals, eight points in 44 regular-season games; zero in five playoff games). Scouts from Elite Prospects, Daily Faceoff, and McKeen’s Hockey see him as a high-ceiling shutdown defender with top-four potential, while noting gaps in offensive instincts, pace, and two-way consistency.
The Pittsburgh Penguins stayed at 22 and drafted Liam Ruck, a high-scoring right wing from the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers who posted 45 goals and 104 points in 68 regular-season games (plus eight goals in 14 playoff games). At 6'0
The San Jose Sharks used the No. 9 pick to take Keaton Verhoeff, a 6-foot-4 right-handed defenseman from the University of North Dakota who posted six goals and 20 points in 36 games this season; scouts see top-four potential though skating and power-play impact remain to be seen, and San Jose will have the No. 27 pick next, acquired from Buffalo last week.
Bowen Byram was traded from Buffalo to Chicago (along with Jordan Greenway) for the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, Louis Crevier, and a second-round pick. The 25-year-old defenseman, who had a career-high 42 points this season, is viewed by the Blackhawks as a top-pair, power-play capable blueliner who could become a long-term cornerstone. Chicago GM Kyle Davidson says he’ll be given opportunities to grow and contribute, and Byram is eager to prove he can blossom into the player he believes he can be, with contract talks likely a priority as he aims to stay long-term in Chicago.
San Jose dealt winger William Eklund along with prospects Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda to Ottawa for the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The move appears aimed at addressing the Sharks’ thin left/right-side defense, as they signed only two defensemen and have multiple RFAs, and it suggests GM Mike Grier isn’t done making moves—with talk of pursuing a top-pair defenseman (and potentially other D targets) to accelerate the rebuild.
The San Jose Sharks traded William Eklund to the Ottawa Senators for the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, plus forward Kasper Halttunen and the rights to Brandon Svoboda; Ottawa had acquired the No. 9 pick from the Florida Panthers in the Brady Tkachuk trade. Eklund, 23, posted 53 points (15 goals, 38 assists) in 78 games this season and is signed to a three-year, $16.8 million contract with the Sharks. San Jose also holds the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft.
Ottawa acquires William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen, and Brandon Svoboda’s rights from San Jose in exchange for the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, giving the Senators added forward depth while San Jose gains significant draft capital; analysts view Eklund as a promising top-six winger but not an immediate Brady Tkachuk replacement, signaling Ottawa’s quick retool and San Jose’s continued rebuild.
Lightning trade defenseman Darren Raddysh to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick; Raddysh had a breakout 2025-26 season with the Lightning, setting the franchise record for goals by a defenseman (22) and leading the blueline with 70 points (48 assists, 10 power-play goals) in 73 games, after going undrafted and signing with the Blackhawks in 2018.
Buffalo Sabres traded defenseman Michael Kesselring to the San Jose Sharks, swapping the No. 20 and No. 27 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. Kesselring, 26, had 2 assists in 34 regular-season games and can become a restricted free agent on July 1. Sharks GM Mike Grier praised his size and two-way game as an upgrade for the blue line; Kesselring was previously acquired by Buffalo from Utah for JJ Peterka in 2025 and has 55 career NHL points in 190 games.
Toronto defied 8.5% odds to win the top pick in the NHL Draft Lottery, landing Gavin McKenna and igniting a high-stakes, microscope-filled era for the Maple Leafs, while the Sharks grab second and Canucks vent.
New York enters the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery with an 11.5% chance to land the No. 1 pick, chasing Gavin McKenna as a potential franchise-changing addition after a tough season. The lottery could echo past luck that helped Lafrenière, with Ivar Stenberg likely going No. 2 and a pack of top prospects—Carels, Reid, Rudolph, Verhoeff, Malhotra, Belchetz, Klepov—considered for a top-five selection.