2026 NHL Draft Top-5 Scenarios: Maple Leafs Land McKenna, Reid With First Two Picks

It’s time for another top-five scenario when it comes to the 2026 NHL Draft. Rumours have been swirling around the future of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ captain, Auston Matthews, and his future with the franchise. Because of that, we’re going to discuss the possibility of a trade that would see Matthews on the move and what the Maple Leafs could acquire if it were to happen pre-draft.

While it’s still not an ideal situation for the Maple Leafs, to move on from on the game’s most elite goal scorers over the past decade, this is just a hypothetical scenario based on what teams’ needs are heading into June’s draft in Buffalo.

In the first scenario, we saw each team in the top five make their respective selection, however that won’t necessarily be the case when the draft rolls around. So, with that in mind, here’s a look at our second possibility for picks one to five.

Maple Leafs Make McKenna First Overall Pick

Let’s face it, the conversation still seems to be centring around Gavin McKenna as the first overall selection. Add to that the possibility of a Matthews move and the team will need a top-end talent to build around for the next generation of the team.

His willingness to go off the rails sometimes and be at the centre of defending himself does make McKenna an interesting option. After all, the Maple Leafs have lacked that terrorizing grit over the past number of seasons and it would be a welcomed addition to the franchise – especially from their new star player.

If this is the way things go and Matthews is moved, there will be a lot of hype and focus placed on McKenna out of the gate. How he performs will be important. But how he handles the torrid Toronto media will be just as, if not more, important for the young star.

Maple Leafs Move Matthews, Take Reid Second Overall

Strictly hypothetically speaking, the Maple Leafs could move Matthews to the San Jose Sharks. It’s a move that would make sense for both teams and with all the speculation about Matthews wanted to wait until July to make a decision on staying in Toronto, it’s a lot of smoke without there being some fire.

The Sharks have staffers that include former Maple Leafs and Matthews mentors in Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. Add to that the established young core and what better place exists for the goal scoring machine, Matthews?

If the two teams were to make this move, the trade would have to centre around the Maple Leafs getting back the second overall pick in 2026, the Sharks’ first-round pick in 2027 and defenceman Sam Dickinson. With us making the hypothetical trade, the Maple Leafs would also select second overall in 2026 and with it would take defenceman Chase Reid.

Reid adds the puck-moving defenceman who has a ton of offensive upside to a defence corps that needs youthfulness and speed. He plays physically and can quarterback their power play in the years to come. Getting the top-two picks in 2026 and using them for McKenna and Reid would also give the Maple Leafs a strong start to a full rebuild if that’s the route John Chayka and Mats Sundin choose to go.

Canucks Land Stenberg Third Overall

There is some speculation that the Vancouver Canucks are interested in Caleb Malhotra with the third overall pick. Assuming it gets to this point, they will be required to choose between Malhotra and Ivar Stenberg. While Malhotra brings family history and a hope that his offensive game will transition to the NHL level, Stenberg is a player that many suggest can’t be passed on.

Stenberg would finally give the Canucks a young stud winger to build around – assuming the acquisitions of Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren can trend in the right direction. Adding Stenberg to the mix solidifies a top line for the upcoming season, albeit still another write off for the Canucks at this point.

That said, with the Canucks needing to do a full rebuild at this point, it has to be done properly. That includes taking the best player available at third overall – which many will argue is the young Swedish prospect, Stenberg.

Blackhawks Pick Verhoeff at Fourth Overall

The Chicago Blackhawks aren’t in market for another first-round forward – at least not with the fourth overall selection. With Chase Reid off the board, focus for the Blackhawks will turn to two more defenders to add to their young core – either Carson Carels or Keaton Verhoeff.

Carels might be the obvious answer of the two, but there was a time earlier in the season when Verhoeff was amongst the conversation around being a top-five pick. Verhoeff, however, has had glimpses of the puck-mover many consider him to be.

He’s dropped off a bit in where many expect him to go in the draft, mostly due to minor areas of his game that still require some development. However, if he can get in the right situation with a chance to grow his skill set, Verhoeff could be a strong defenceman in the very near future – something the Blackhawks could use with the Connor Bedard core.

Rangers Go Off the Board With Björck

Finally, with two defensemen off the board and Malhotra still waiting to hear his name, the New York Rangers go off the board in this scenario by taking Viggo Björck with the fifth overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Björck has received high-praise from a number of his teammates from the past season regarding his poise and overall maturity, something that would be so important playing in a market like New York. Considering what he was able to do for Djurgardens at both the U20 and SHL level, he may be deserving of a higher pick than a late first-round selection.

Given that the Rangers need some strong forward prospects in the mix in New York, Björck seems like a strong candidate to push his way into a top-five pick. If not, he won’t be on the board for much longer, so expect the Rangers to take a long, hard look at Björck.

Stay tuned for another top-five mock draft in the coming days as we continue to break down further scenarios of how picks one to five could turn out given all the speculation around the teams and their needs ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft.