2026 NHL Draft Guide

Consider The Hockey Writers your go-to source for everything related to the NHL Draft and this page your live home for information on the upcoming 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Bookmark this page and check back often, as it will be constantly updated leading up to hockey’s version of Christmas. THW’s 2026 NHL Draft Guide is your quintessential draft resource featuring:

• Detailed unique prospect profiles on all the top prospects
• Mock drafts
• Exclusive rankings
• Team-specific needs and speculations
• Looking ahead to the 2026 NHL Draft and beyond

Recent Posts

• 9 2027 Draft-Eligible Players to Watch at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup
• 3 Early Targets for the Canadiens in the 2027 NHL Draft
• Redoing the 2005 NHL Draft
• J.P. Hurlbert Selection Shows Red Wings Finally Took a Swing in the Draft
• Biggest Steals From the 2011 NHL Draft

2026 NHL Draft Rankings

Final Consensus Picks
Reimer’s Final Ranking Top 96
Forbes’ Top 128 Final Rankings
Baracchini’s Top 128 Final Rankings
Orth’s Top 96 Final Rankings
Orth’s Top 64 April Rankings
Forbes’ Top 96 April Rankings
Reimer’s Top 64 March Rankings
Baracchini’s Top 96 March Rankings
Forbes’ Top 64 February Rankings
Orth’s Top 32 February Rankings
Baracchini’s Top 64 January Rankings
Baracchini’s Top 32 Preseason Rankings
Baracchini’s Way-Too-Early Top 32

Mock Drafts/ Scenarios

2026 NHL Draft Top-5 Scenarios: Sabres Draft Malhotra, Smits Lands With Rangers
THW 2026 Mock NHL Draft Round 1: Our Writers Make Their Picks
Top-16 Post- Draft Lottery Mock
2026 NHL Draft Top-5 Scenarios: Maple Leafs Grab McKenna, Blackhawks Draft Verhoeff
2026 NHL Draft Top-5 Scenarios: Maple Leafs Add Stenberg, Canucks Draft Reid
2026 NHL Draft Top-5 Scenarios: Maple Leafs Land McKenna, Reid With First Two Picks
2026 NHL Draft Top-5 Scenarios: Maple Leafs Get McKenna & Sharks on the Chase

2026 NHL Draft – Prospect Profiles

Top 5 Hopefuls

McKenna, Gavin
Reid, Chase
Stenberg, Ivar
Malhotra, Caleb
Verhoeff, Keaton

Top 16 Hopefuls

Belchetz, Ethan
Bjorck, Viggo
Carels, Carson
Hermansson, Elton
Hemming, Oscar
Lawrence, Tynan
Lin, Ryan
Malhotra, Caleb
McKenna, Gavin
Novotny, Adam
Reid, Chase
Rudolph, Daxon
Smits, Alberts
Stenberg, Ivar
Suvanto, Oliver
Verhoeff, Keaton

Forwards

Defensemen

Alalauri, Samu
Ambrosio, Lucas
Bilecki, Alexander
Bleyl, Tommy
Bogas, Nick
Brøngel-Larsson, Axel
Carels, Carson
Croskery, Callum
Dravecký, Vladimír
Elofsson, Axel
Eriksson, Samuel
Fedoseyev, Yaroslav
Galvas, Tomas
Goljer, Adam
Gudmundsson, Mans
Gustafsson, Malte
Karmanov, Alexander
Klimpke, Brayden
Knights, Theodor
Kuehne, Lincoln
Kurtz, Jayden
Lin, Ryan
Liske, Brek
MacBeath, Ben
MacKenzie, Ethan
Matveyev, Vsevolod
Morrison, Charlie
Palme, Ola
Pantelas, Giorgos
Piiparinen, Juho
Reid, Chase
Rhéaume-Mullen, Dakoda
Rieber, Jimmy
Rudolph, Daxon
Runtso, Timofei
Sapozhnikov, Alexander
Schairer, Luke
Shcherbakov, Nikita
Smits, Alberts
Sokolovskii, Maksim
Svensk, Vertti
Tukio, Ossi
Vaněček, Jakub
Verhoeff, Keaton
Villeneuve, Xavier
Håkansson, William

Goalies

Boettiger, Harrison
Borichev, Dmitri
Knowling, Brady
Larys, Jan
Nilsson, Douglas
Orsulak, Michal
Poletin, Frantisek
Ruzicka, Filip
Rybkin, Yegor
Sklenicka, Marek
Tamm, Viggo
Trejbal, Tobias
Tvrznik, Tobias

NHL Draft Combine

Emptying the 2026 NHL Combine Notebook
Initial Observations From 2026 NHL Draft Combine
2026 NHL Combine Heights & Weights
Get To Know Players From the 2026 NHL Combine
3 Quick Takeaways From the 2026 NHL Combine
2026 NHL Combine: Top Things to Watch, Key Prospects & Fitness Tests

Top 5/10 Lists

2026 NHL Draft – 7 Deep Sleepers
2026 NHL Draft – 5 Underrated OHL Prospects
2026 NHL Draft – Top 5 Czech Prospects
5 Underrated WHL Prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft
2026 NHL Draft – 5 Most NHL-Ready Players
2026 NHL Draft – Top 5 Snipers
2026 NHL Draft – Top 5 Playmakers
Superlatives for the 2026 NHL Draft Class
2026 NHL Draft – Fastest Risers
2026 NHL Draft: Top 10 American Prospects
2026 NHL Draft – Top 10 Russian Prospects
2026 NHL Draft – Top 10 Finnish Prospects
2026 NHL Draft – Top 10 Swedish Prospects
2026 NHL Draft – 5 Underrated Finnish Prospects
Top 5 CHL Defencemen in the 2026 NHL Draft
5 Underrated Prospects on NHL Central Scouting’s 2026 Preliminary Watch List

Positional Rankings

2026 NHL Entry Draft – Top 10 Centers
2026 NHL Entry Draft – Top 10 Goalies
2026 NHL Draft – Top 10 Right Wingers
2026 NHL Draft – Top 10 Left Wingers
2026 NHL Entry Draft – Top 10 Defensemen

League Rankings

2026 NHL Draft – Top 10 OHL Prospects
2026 NHL Draft – Top 10 QMJHL Prospects
2026 NHL Draft – Top 10 WHL Prospects
2026 NHL Draft: Preseason Top 10 WHL Players
5 2026 NHL Draft-Eligible OHL Players to Watch For
5 WHL Players to Watch After the Hlinka Gretzky Cup

Draft Coverage by NHL Team (Alphabetical)

Boston Bruins

• 3 Players the Bruins Need to Target in the 2026 NHL Draft

Buffalo Sabres

• Sabres Need A Good Strategy Going In To The 2026 Draft
• Sabres Draft Target: Adam Goljer
• Sabres 2026 Draft Target: Brooks Rogowski
• Sabres Should Trade Their First Round Pick for High-Level Talent

Calgary Flames

• Flames’ Targets With 3rd-Round Picks in 2026 NHL Draft
• Flames’ Targets With 2nd-Round Picks in 2026 NHL Draft
• Flames’ Targets With Late 1st-Round Pick in 2026 NHL Draft
• Calgary Flames’ Targets With No. 6 Pick in 2026 NHL Draft
• Calgary Flames’ Lottery Draft Scenarios & Prospects to Target

Carolina Hurricanes

• 3 Hurricanes’ Draft Targets With 31st Overall Pick

Chicago Blackhawks

• 3 Blackhawks Questions Before 2026 NHL Draft
• Blackhawks 2026 Draft Targets: Gleb Pugachyov
• Blackhawks Draft Scenarios: Staying Put, Trading Up, Trading Down in Big Splash Trade
• Breaking Down the Blackhawks’ Options After Drawing 4th Pick in 2026 Draft Lottery
• Blackhawks to Pick 4th in 2026 NHL Draft: Takeaways From Davidson’s Post-Lottery Presser
• What the Blackhawks Should Do if They Draw the Third Pick

Columbus Blue Jackets

• 3 NHL Draft Takeaways From Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell’s Press Conference
• 2026 Columbus Blue Jackets Draft Guide
• Blue Jackets’ GM Don Waddell Talks 2026 NHL Draft, Offseason Progress & More
• Blue Jackets Have History on Their Side With 14th Pick in 2026 NHL Draft
• Blue Jackets to Pick 14th Overall at 2026 NHL Entry Draft

Detroit Red Wings

• Red Wings 2026 Draft Guide: Top 50 Targets, Larkin Impact & More
• 3 Players the Red Wings Should Target in Second Round of 2026 NHL Draft
• Red Wings Must Adjust Draft Strategy With No First-Round Pick

Edmonton Oilers

• 3 Prospects the Oilers Should Target With 52nd Pick in 2026 NHL Draft

Florida Panthers

• 5 Florida Panthers’ Targets With 9th Overall Pick in 2026 NHL Draft
• Florida Panthers’ 2026 NHL Draft Preview

Montreal Canadiens

• Canadiens’ 2026 Draft Storylines to Follow
• 3 Late-Round Draft Targets the Canadiens Should Consider
• 3 Forwards the Canadiens Could Target in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft
• 3 Defencemen the Canadiens Could Target in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft
• 3 Goaltenders the Canadiens Could Target in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft
• 3 Paths the Canadiens Could Take with the 28th Overall Pick
• Canadiens Trading Their 1st Round Pick Would Alter Championship Timeline

Nashville Predators

• 3 Players the Predators Should Target With the 10th Pick in the 2026 NHL Draft

New Jersey Devils

• 6 Draft Targets for Devils’ 2026 First & Second-Round Picks
• 4 Players the Devils Should Target With the 12th Pick in the 2026 NHL Draft

New York Islanders

• Islanders Can’t Afford to Miss With 13th Pick in 2026 Draft

New York Rangers

• Rangers Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Trade 26th Overall Pick
• 3 Scenarios Where the Rangers Should Consider Trading 5th-Overall Pick
• Rangers’ Lottery Results Aren’t Worst-Case Scenario Like It Seems
• Rangers Shouldn’t Rely on Winning Draft Lottery

Ottawa Senators

• Ottawa Senators’ Targets for 25th Overall in the 2026 NHL Draft
• Ottawa Senators’ Targets With the 32nd Pick in the 2026 NHL Draft

Pittsburgh Penguins

• Penguins Have Options With Their 1st Round Pick
• Pittsburgh Penguins 3-Round 2026 NHL Mock Draft
• 3 Players the Penguins Should Target With the 22nd Pick in the 2026 NHL Draft

Philadelphia Flyers

• Flyers 2026 NHL Mock Draft 4.0: Round 2 Trade-Up
• Philadelphia Flyers’ 2026 Draft Expectations
• Flyers 2026 NHL Mock Draft 3.0: Staying the Course
• Flyers 2026 NHL Mock Draft 2.0: A Flashy Trade-Up
• Flyers 2026 NHL Mock Draft 1.0: First 3 Rounds
• Flyers’ 2026 NHL Draft Target: Tommy Bleyl
• Flyers Should Set Sights on Viggo Björck, Not Gavin McKenna for 2026 NHL Draft

San Jose Sharks

• San Jose Sharks at the NHL Combine – So, Who’s Coming to Dinner?
• Sharks Should Pass on Stenberg and Use Their Draft Pick to Get Chase Reid
• Sharks Have Several Good Choices With 2nd Pick at 2026 NHL Draft

St. Louis Blues

• 3 Players the Blues Should Target With the 16th Pick in the 2026 NHL Draft
• How the Blues Can Trade up in the 2026 NHL Draft
• 3 Players the Blues Should Target With the 15th Pick in the 2026 NHL Draft
• 3 Players the Blues Should Consider Taking With the 11th Pick
• The Blues Can Benefit From Going for Gavin McKenna in the 2026 NHL Draft

Toronto Maple Leafs

• 5 Options for Maple Leafs With 85th Pick in 2026 NHL Draft
• 5 Forward Options for the Maple Leafs with 69th Pick in 2026 NHL Draft
• 6 Defencemen the Maple Leafs Should Target With 2nd & 3rd Round Picks in 2026 NHL Draft
• McKenna Would Be Honoured to Be Maple Leafs’ First Overall Selection
• 5 Options for the Maple Leafs’ 2nd-Round Pick in 2026 NHL Draft
• Maple Leafs Selecting McKenna First Overall Is Obvious Choice, But Don’t Count Out Stenberg
• Maple Leafs Win the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery
• Maple Leafs’ Chances of Keeping the 5th Overall Pick in the 2026 Draft
• Maple Leafs Can’t Let History Repeat with First-Round Pick
• Maple Leafs Can Look to Draft Lottery if the Season Continues to Go South

Vancouver Canucks

• Canucks 2026 NHL Draft Guide & Predictions For First 2 Rounds
• Canucks Have 2 Trade Partners to Acquire Another 1st Round Pick in 2026
• Canucks History of Selecting 33rd Overall in the NHL Draft
• Canucks 2026 NHL Draft Target: Nikita Klepov
• Vancouver Canucks’ Targets With No. 41 Pick in 2026 NHL Draft
• Vancouver Canucks’ Targets With No. 33 Pick in 2026 NHL Draft
• Canucks 2026 NHL Draft Target: Viggo Bjorck
• Canucks 2026 NHL Draft Target: Mathis Preston
• Canucks 2026 NHL Draft Target: J.P. Hurlbert
• Canucks 2026 NHL Draft Target: Alexander Command
• Canucks May Benefit From Falling to 3rd Overall in the 2026 NHL Draft
• Canucks 2026 NHL Draft Target: Caleb Malhotra
• Canucks 2026 NHL Draft Target: Chase Reid
• Canucks May Benefit From Falling to 3rd Overall in the 2026 NHL Draft
• Canucks 2026 NHL Draft Target: Ivar Stenberg
• Canucks Drop to 3rd Overall After 2026 NHL Draft Lottery
• Canucks Should Only Consider Drafting Malhotra If McKenna & Stenberg Are Off the Board
• Canucks 2026 NHL Draft Lottery Preview
• Are Liam and Markus Ruck Destined to Become Canucks?
• Canucks Clearly Prioritizing 2026 NHL Draft
• Juho Piiparinen Should Be on the Canucks Radar at the 2026 NHL Draft

Washington Capitals

• 2026 Capitals Draft Target: Juho Piiparinen
• Capitals 2026 Draft Target: Oliver Suvanto
• Capitals 2026 Draft Target: Alexander Command
• Capitals 2026 Draft Targets: Markus & Liam Ruck
• Capitals 2026 Draft Target: Albert Smits
• Who Could the Capitals Select in the First Round of the 2026 NHL Draft?

Winnipeg Jets

• 6 Jets Targets With 8th-Overall Pick in 2026 NHL Entry Draft
• Jets to Pick 8th Overall in 2026 NHL Entry Draft

Player Features

10 Best Names in the 2026 NHL Draft
3 Takeaways From the 2026 NHL Draft Top Prospects Availability
2026 NHL Draft Early Trends: High Trades Prices, Prospect on Rise & Potential Draft Chaos
Meet the Steal of the 2026 NHL Draft
Bold Predictions for the 2026 NHL Draft
The 2026 NHL “Do Not Draft” List
2026 NHL Draft: Interview with Saskatoon Blades Defenceman Brayden Klimpke
2026 NHL Draft-Eligible Standouts at World U18 Championship
Ranking the Best Landing Spots for Keaton Verhoeff
2026 NHL Draft: Interview with Saskatoon Blades Forward Zach Olsen
Ranking the Best Landing Spots for Gavin McKenna in the 2026 NHL Draft
Breaking Down Viggo Björck’s Historic SHL Playoff Debut
Top NCAA Prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft
Saskatoon Blades Impress at 2026 WHL Top Prospects Game
7 Standouts from the 2026 WHL Top Prospects Game
Caleb Malhotra Proving Why He Should Be First OHLer Selected in 2026 NHL Draft
Top 3 Finnish Skaters on the NHL Central Scouting 2026 Draft Board
Top Performers From the 2026 Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game
2026 NHL Draft: Sorting Out the Goalie Class
Who Has the Edge to Go First Overall in the 2026 NHL Draft After the World Junior Championship?
Gavin McKenna Put Doubts to Rest at the World Junior Championship
Ivar Stenberg Has Surpassed Gavin McKenna in the 2026 NHL Draft
Top Performers From the 2025 CHL/ USA Prospects Challenge
Nikita Klepov Should Be a 1st-Round Pick in the 2026 NHL Draft
J.P. Hurlbert Should Be in Top 10 Conversation for 2026 NHL Draft
2026 NHL Draft Watch List: Scouting 3 Saskatoon Blades’ Draft-Eligible Players
7 Spitfires Named to Preliminary 2026 NHL Draft Watch List
Ethan Belchetz Might Be a Top-3 Prospect in Stacked 2026 NHL Draft
Chase Reid Poised to Climb 2026 NHL Draft Boards
Ryan Lin: The Most Polished Player in the 2026 NHL Draft
Keaton Verhoeff Finds a Home at North Dakota While Chasing NHL Dreams
2026 Draft-Eligible Keaton Verhoeff Is a Generational Defensive Prospect
2026 Draft-Eligible Standouts at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup
2026 Draft-Eligible Players to Watch at Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Success of CHL-to-NCAA Pipeline Hinges on Gavin McKenna

World Junior Championship Coverage

World Junior Championship All Time Leading Scorers
Guide to the 2026 World Junior Championship
10 Things to Watch for at the 2026 World Junior Championship
2026 NHL Draft-Eligible Players to Watch at the WJC
2026 World Juniors Rosters by NHL Team

Looking Back At Older NHL Drafts

10 Best 7th Round Picks Since 2005

1999: The Worst NHL Draft Class Ever?

1st Overall NHL Draft Picks: Regrets From the Last Decade

2007 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks

2010 NHL Entry Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks

2012 Redraft: What if the Edmonton Oilers Didn’t Take Nail Yakupov?

2013 NHL Entry Draft: Where Are They Now?

2016 NHL Entry Draft Top 10: Where Are They Now?

2017 NHL Entry Draft Top 10: Where Are They Now?

4 Oilers’ Early Draft Steals of the Past 5 Years

All-Decade NHL Draft – 2010 to 2019

Boston Bruins’ Top 5 Draft Picks of the Don Sweeney Era

Canucks’ 2011 Draft Remains Worst in Franchise History

Classic Draft Day Quotes

Did The 2005 NHL Lockout Help Make The 2003 Draft Class Great?

Edmonton Oilers’ Top 5 Draft Picks of Ken Holland Era

Grading Buffalo Sabres’ First-Round Picks in the Pegula Era

Grading the Red Wings’ First Round Picks of the Last Decade

Islanders Draft History: Missing Out on First-Round Selections

Kings’ Top 5 All-Time Draft Steals

Oilers’ 10 Best First Round Picks All-Time

Rangers Paying Price for Failed Top-10 Picks in 2017 & 2018

Re-Drafting the 2012 NHL Entry Draft

Revisiting Minnesota Wild Drafts – 2010

Revisiting Preseason Rankings for 2018 NHL Draft

Revisiting the Edmonton Oilers’ Disastrous 1990 Draft

Revisiting the Edmonton Oilers’ Dubious 2012 Draft After 10 Years

The Best Late-Round Picks Ever

The Sedin Twins and the 1999 NHL Entry Draft

The Worst 1st Overall Draft Pick…Ever

The Worst 1st Overall Draft Pick…Ever

The Worst First Overall Draft Picks in NHL History

Who’s Never Picked #1 in the Draft?

2025 NHL Draft Review

Grading Each Team’s 2025 Draft Class
Meet the Flames’ 2025 First-Round Draft Picks
Grading the Rangers’ 2025 NHL Draft Class
Top 10 2025 Undrafted Prospects at NHL Development Camps
Get to Know the Anaheim Ducks’ 2025 Draft Class
Reviewing the Dallas Stars’ 2025 Draft Class
Grading the Montreal Canadiens’ 2025 Draft Class
Rangers Deployed Unorthodox but Fascinating Strategy in 2025 Draft
Meet the Minnesota Wild’s 2025 Draft Class
Maple Leafs Address Being ‘Mean’ and Competitive at 2025 NHL Draft
Meet the Seattle Kraken’s 2025 Draft Class
Ottawa Senators’ 2025 Draft Class: Reaction & Analysis
Meet the Canucks’ 2025 Draft Class: Reaction & Analysis
Carolina Hurricanes’ 2025 NHL Draft Recap
Grading the Sabres’ 2025 Draft Picks
Meet the Blackhawks 2025 Draft Class: Reaction & Analysis
Meet the Jets’ 2025 NHL Entry Draft Class
Meet the Bruins’ 2025 NHL Draft Class

Previous Draft Guides

• 2025 NHL Draft Guide
• 2024 NHL Draft Guide
• 2023 NHL Draft Guide
• 2022 NHL Draft Guide
• 2021 NHL Draft Guide
• 2020 NHL Draft Guide
• 2019 NHL Draft Guide
• 2018 NHL Draft Guide
• 2017 NHL Draft Guide

Forgotten Draft Picks

• 2014 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
• 2013 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
• 2012 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
• 2011 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
• 2010 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
• 2009 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
• 2008 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
• 2007 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
• 2006 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
• 2005 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
• 2004 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks

Where Are They Now?

• 2018 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
• 2017 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
• 2016 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
• 2015 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
• 2014 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
• 2013 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
• 2012 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
• 2011 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
• 2010 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
• 2009 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?