2026 NHL Mock Draft after Maple Leafs win the draft lottery

The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery delivered shock on Tuesday night. The Toronto Maple Leafs — not the bottom-dwelling Vancouver Canucks — landed the No. 1 pick, one day after a new GM and senior executive advisor of hockey operations were announced. Now, the new regime has the chance to draft Penn State's Gavin McKenna, who has long been touted as the No. 1 prospect in the draft.

As shocking as it was for the Leafs to get the first pick, it was even more surprising to see the San Jose Sharks, who just missed out on the playoffs, win the second overall pick. Now, they have a chance to add another young star alongside Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and Michael Misa. Now that the top of the draft order is officially set, let's see how the top 10 could unfold.

1. Toronto Maple Leafs: Gavin McKenna

Position: LW
Team/League: Penn State (NCAA)
Need: Franchise offensive talent
Why it’s a fit: Clear No. 1 prospect, elite production and playmaking

What a win for the new Toronto front office. With a weak free agent class and not many premier options on the trade block, they land the first overall pick. Barring anything unforeseen, it should be McKenna, who shined in at Penn State, recording 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 35 games.

With star Auston Matthews not committing to the Maple Leafs just yet after a down 2025-26 season, adding McKenna should help keep their captain happy.

2. San Jose Sharks: Chase Reid

Position: RHD
Team/League: Soo (OHL)
Need: Top-pair defenseman
Why it’s a fit: Best blueliner in class, fills a major roster gap

The Sharks improved this season from years past, and are getting rewarded with the chance to draft another young, difference making player. While adding Ivar Stenberg, who many view as the 1-B prospect to McKenna's 1-A. would be tempting, the Sharks need defensive help. So, they could get the top defenseman available in this year's class in Chase Reid, who had 18 goals and 30 assists in 45 games with the Soo Greyhounds.

The Sharks could be a trade-down partner for a team looking to draft Stenberg. Either way, the Sharks' best chance to address their need on defense is using their first round pick on one.

3. Vancouver Canucks: Ivar Stenberg

Position: RW
Team/League: Frolunda (SHL)
Need: High-end scoring winger
Why it’s a fit: Elite production for his age, top-tier upside

The Canucks had the best odds of winning the lottery, by way of having a 25-49-8 record. Yet, they didn't even land one of the top two selections. Even with the third overall pick, they land one of the top prospects in this mock draft in Ivar Stenberg.

Stenberg put up 33 points with Frolunda, which is the most an 18-year-old player has produced in the SHL since Henrik Sedin (42) and Daniel Sedin (34). It's only fitting that Stenberg ends up in the same organization as the Sedin twins. While Caleb Malhotra's upside could be tempting for the Canucks, especially since his father Manny is the coach of Vancouver's AHL affiliate in Abbotsford, Stenberg should be the selection.

4. Chicago Blackhawks: Caleb Malhotra

Position: C
Team/League: Brantford (OHL)
Need: Top-line center
Why it’s a fit: Best center in class, pairs with Bedard long-term

Speaking of Malhotra, it's difficult to envision him dropping past the Chicago Blackhawks if he were to still be on the board. Malhotra does possess incredible upside and is easily the top center of the entire class. There is even buzz he could go as high as second overall.

This past season with Brantford, Malhotra scored 29 goals and recorded 55 assists in 67 regular season games, while putting up 13 goals and 13 assists in 15 playoff games. The Blackhawks still need star power to pair with Connor Bedard. Landing Malhotra could help Chicago finally get back into playoff contention in the near future.

5. New York Rangers: Carson Carels

Position: LHD
Team/League: Prince George (WHL)
Need: Two-way defenseman
Why it’s a fit: Produces offense while stabilizing the blue line

The New York Rangers had the third-best odds to win the lottery, and instead, they end up falling to the No. 5 spot in the first round. Due to this, they are likely to miss out on the elite forward prospects. But this does give the Rangers a chance to land a top defenseman of their choosing. It would be hard to pass up Carson Carels.

Carels, a left-handed shot, can defend, put points on the board, and move the puck up ice. That is something the Rangers could desperately use, especially if they want to contend in the Metropolitan Division again. In 58 regular season games with the Prince George Cougars, Carels recorded 20 goals and 53 assists. In the OHL playoffs, Carels scored one goal and recorded nine assists in 10 games.

6. Calgary Flames: Keaton Verhoeff

Position: RHD
Team/League: North Dakota (NCAA)
Need: Defensive cornerstone
Why it’s a fit: Size and shot make him Andersson’s replacement

The Calgary Flames found themselves near the bottom of the Western Conference standings early. That caused them to make the decision to trade away their top defenseman, Rasmus Andersson, who was set to hit free agency this upcoming summer. The Flames have the chance to find his successor in Keaton Verhoeff.

Verhoeff is a huge defender at 6-foot-4, and he boasts a incredible shot power. Through 36 games at North Dakota, Verhoeff put up six goals and 14 assists. He could potentially fill the void left by Andersson in Calgary.

7. Seattle Kraken: Viggo Bjorck

Position: C
Team/League: Djurgardens IF (SHL)
Need: Forward upside
Why it’s a fit: Two-way center with long-term potential

The Seattle Kraken tried their best to land a top-scoring forward by the trade deadline, notably being in the running for Artemi Panarin, only to lose out to the Los Angeles Kings. Looking at the landscape of free agency and the trade block, there is no difference-maker available. They could land a top forward in this class in Viggo Bjorck.

Bjorck stands at 5-foot-10 and weighs 177 pounds. He may not have put up a crazy amount of points, but he can get possession of the puck in the face-off circle and play defense. With Djurgardens IF, Bjorck recorded six goals and nine assists in 42 regular season games, and three points in three playoff games (one goal, two assists).

Landing a forward with upside who can get after the puck would be a big get for the Kraken.

8. Winnipeg Jets: Tynan Lawrence

Position: C
Team/League: Boston (NCAA)
Need: Center depth
Why it’s a fit: Two-way profile fits an aging core

The Winnipeg Jets could use some more forward depth, especially after they sold at the trade deadline. With the way the board has fallen, they go with Boston University's Tynan Lawrence.

Landing a two-way center would be ideal for the Jets, especially with Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry both 33 years old and Jonathan Toews being 38. Lawrence recorded 17 points in 13 games with Muskegon of the USHL and seven points in 18 games with Boston. But one season ago at Muskegon, Lawrence showed his potential with 25 goals and 29 assists in 56 games.

9. Florida Panthers: Alberts Smits

Position: LHD
Team/League: Munich (DEL)
Need: Blue-line depth
Why it’s a fit: Proven against pros, adds physicality

The worst thing that can happen for the NHL is for the Florida Panthers to be more of a pain to play against, especially at full health. In this scenario, the Panthers witness one of the top left handed defenseman fall right into their laps in Alberts Smits.

Smits is 6-foot-3 and weighs 205 pounds. Fans got a good look at what he could do when he played for Latvia in the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he played top line minutes and, for the most part, held his own when facing powerhouse teams like Team USA, Germany, Sweden and Denmark.

The Panthers bringing aboard Smits to add to their already stacked defensive core would just be unfair. He's shown he can play against the pros, and joining the Panthers would make them that much better.

10. Nashville Predators: Daxon Rudolph

Position: RHD
Team/League: Prince Albert (WHL)
Need: Defensive help
Why it’s a fit: Size and production on the back end

The Nashville Predators went from potential sellers at the trade deadline to narrowly missing out on the playoffs. They opted to keep the likes of Steven Stamkos, Ryan O'Reilly and Jonathan Marchessault. Looking at their roster, they could use some more help on defense. So, how about Daxon Rudolph?

Rudolph is 6-foot-2, and put up some good numbers this past seaon with the Prince Albert Cougars, posting 28 goals and 50 assists in 68 regular season games and 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 15 playoff games. He would be a good get for Nashville, but that is all dependent on who they will hire as general manager, which is still an open position as of this writing.

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