2026 NHL Draft order and predictions: Where the biggest prospects could land

The 2026 NHL Draft is just hours away from getting underway, and boy, does it look like it'll be a doozy. Not only is the draft loaded with talent, but a slew of trades, particularly in the days leading up to the draft, have shaken up the order a ton. As of now, 12 of the 32 first-round picks have already been traded, and there's a good chance more deals are on the horizon.

With so much still up in the air, here's what the order looks like and some picks that might go down on Friday night.

2026 NHL Draft order

The Toronto Maple Leafs won the lottery, and are on the clock. The San Jose Sharks went from narrowly missing the playoffs to earning the No. 2 overall pick, gaining the possibility of adding a cornerstone piece to an up-and-coming group. The Buffalo Sabres traded into the top five of the draft.

While there's a decent chance that some of these picks are moved before and during Friday's festivities, here are some predictions worth watching for.

Maple Leafs will select Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 overall pick

John Chayka and the Toronto Maple Leafs' new management group won the jackpot with the ability to select Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 overall pick. While I don't think he has the franchise-changing upside that guys like Connor Bedard and even Auston Matthews had when they went No. 1 overall, McKenna entered the year as the projected No. 1 overall pick and has done nothing to change that.

He finished with 15 goals and 51 points in 35 games this past season at Penn State, and was even better at World Juniors, scoring 11 goals and putting up 33 points in 19 games with Team Canada. McKenna has the potential to wreak havoc alongside Auston Matthews for years to come.

Sharks will select Ivar Stenberg No. 2 overall, defenseman No. 9 overall

One of the big storylines NHL fans were watching ahead of the draft involved the San Jose Sharks and their plans for the No. 2 overall pick. On one hand, Ivar Stenberg is almost universally considered the second-best player in this year's class. On the other hand, the Sharks have a clear need for a defenseman. Would they draft the better player or draft to fill their need?

Well, the William Eklund trade almost guarantees that the Sharks will prioritize the former. The Sharks will select Stenberg No. 2 overall, forming what could be a very dangerous dynamic duo featuring the Swedish winger and Macklin Celebrini. This shouldn't be a big concern, though, because whether it's Daxon Rudolph, Alberts Smits, Keaton Verhoeff, or even potentially Carson Carels, the Sharks will be able to land an elite defensive prospect with the No. 9 overall pick, which they got in exchange for Eklund.

Canucks will pass on defensemen, select Caleb Malhotra

The Vancouver Canucks are probably hoping the Sharks select a defenseman over Stenberg, but assuming Stenberg is the pick, they have a tough choice to make. They could take whoever they deem to. be the best defenseman in the class, or they can take Caleb Malhotra. Both paths make sense, but Malhotra feels like the pick.

I can understand the Canucks passing on Malhotra if they don't think pairing him with his father, Manny Malhotra, who was just named Vancouver's head coach, is a good idea, but other than that, how do you not take him? Malhotra is the best center in the draft, coming off a dominant season in the OHL (29 goals, 55 assists in 67 games with strong defense as well). The Canucks could use a center. This is an ideal match.

Sabres will select Chase Reid to replace Bowen Byram

I'm not fully convinced the Buffalo Sabres will keep the No. 4 overall pick after trading Bowen Byran to acquire it, but if they do, and if Chase Reid is available, it's hard to see the Sabres pass on him. And as good a player as Byram is, Reid, an 18-year-old who just had 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists) in 45 games in the OHL this past season, has the potential to be much better.

Adding Reid to this Sabres' defense would be pretty scary. The Sabres already have Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power locked in on the left side, and while Reid is going to play at Michigan State this upcoming season, they could have him and fellow top prospect Radim Mrtka on the right side. That is as good as it gets, and could lead to great things in Buffalo for a Sabres team built to contend for a while.

Devils will add a much-needed winger

The New Jersey Devils are pretty set down the middle with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier leading the way, and they have a ton of defensive depth as well, but what they really lack is help on the wing, beyond Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier and Dawson Mercer. They could use a scoring winger, and fortunately, this draft has several.

I don't know who the Devils will prioritize between Wyatt Cullen, Ethan Belchetz, Oscar Hemming and Nikita Klepov, but there's a good chance that at least one and likely multiple of them will be available at No. 12 overall, and I'd be surprised if the New Jersey didn't take one of them. Well, that's if they don't trade the pick for a proven winger (hello, Jason Robertson).

Senators reunite the Ruck twins

Even after trading the No. 9 overall pick, the Ottawa Senators still have a pair of first-rounders to use in this year's draft. While there are many directions the Senators can go, why not reunite the Ruck twins on the same team?

It's far-fetched, sure, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. Liam is a projected late-first-round pick, and while Markus is probably more of an early second-rounder, teams reach a couple of spots for a player they like all the time. The Ruck twins each racked up over 100 points in the OHL this past season, with Liam scoring 45 goals and Markus racking up 87 assists. They fit well together, and man, would this be a fun story or what?

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