The Toronto Maple Leafs won the draft lottery and are projected to select forward Gavin McKenna first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. The San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks follow with the second and third picks, respectively.
Key points
Toronto Maple Leafs won the draft lottery
Gavin McKenna is the projected first overall pick
San Jose Sharks have the second pick
Vancouver Canucks hold the third pick
Exciting prospects expected to join the NHL
Gavin McKennaToronto Maple LeafsSan Jose SharksVancouver Canucks
The 2026 NHL Draft order is set for the top rounds, as the TK will now get the chance to draft coveted forward Gavin McKenna.
The Toronto Maple Leafs surprised everyone and won the draft lottery to get the top pick and presumably take the Penn State standout McKenna, who is the latest phenom who should hit the NHL right away for his first season.
The San Jose Sharks won the second pick in the lottery, while the Vancouver Canucks won the third pick. The Chicago Blackhawks and the New York Rangers will round out the top five, respectively. This latest NHL Draft should send some exciting prospects to the NHL, either in the fall or when their name is called up to the big leagues.
We've gone through the first 10 picks and mocked who we think could go where once the 2026 NHL Draft commences on Friday, June 26, in Buffalo.
The Predators need more young defensemen in their prospect pipeline, so the team takes Smits to develop for a future role in front of the goal. Nashville has needed a highly-ranked defenseman in the draft for a while now.
9. Florida Panthers: C Tynan Lawrence, Boston University
Q&A
Who is projected to be the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft?
Gavin McKenna is projected to be the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Which team won the 2026 NHL Draft lottery?
The Toronto Maple Leafs won the 2026 NHL Draft lottery.
What is the draft order for the top five picks in the 2026 NHL Draft?
The top five picks are the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, and New York Rangers.
When is the 2026 NHL Draft expected to take place?
The 2026 NHL Draft is expected to take place in the fall of 2026.
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The Panthers add Lawrence to its prospect pool as a possible top-six center. He will probably stay in college for another year before heading up to the NHL, but it's possible he could come to Florida sooner.
The Jets could use more offensive pop on the outside, so Belchetz joins Winnipeg's prospect pipeline as one of its prized young developmental talents. Another Canadian stays home and plays for one of the country's NHL teams.
The Kraken get a possible top-six center for the future in Malhotra, who could help Seattle stabilize its future in the middle of one of its top lines. The Kraken might not pass up the chance to take arguably the best center available.
The Flames take advantage of a strong pool of defensive prospects in Rudolph, the Canadian national who stays in his home country to play for Calgary. He could develop into a sharp starting defenseman for the Flames one day.
5. New York Rangers: D Keaton Verhoff, North Dakota
The Rangers take Verhoff to shore up its defense with a young prospect who has recent NCAA experience at North Dakota. If Verhoff chooses to hit the NHL right away, it's possible he contends for a roster spot in the Big Apple.
4. Chicago Blackhawks: D Chase Reid, Sault Ste. Marie
The Blackhawks take one of the best defensemen in this draft with Reid, as Chicago prioritizes strengthening its back end with a young prospect who could provide a bit of offensive upside to go along with the lockdown defense.
3. Vancouver Canucks: LW/RW Ivar Stenberg, Frolunda HC
The Canucks take the second-best offensive player available in this mock draft with Stenberg, who could grow into a top-six role with Vancouver early in his career. We're not sure when he'd join Vancouver, but he could be a pillar.
2. San Jose Sharks: D Carson Carels, Prince George
The Sharks add to their explosive young core with Carels, a defenseman with elite potential who can balance the youth movement on the back end with guys like Macklin Celebrini, Michael Misa, Will Smith and Collin Graf up front.
1. Toronto Maple Leafs: LW Gavin McKenna, Penn State
A forgettable season in Toronto leads the franchise to its potential future franchise face in McKenna. He should slot in as a top-six forward early in his career with the Maple Leafs. His 15 goals and 36 assists from his 2025-26 season with the Nittany Lions should translate to some early production with Toronto, who needs a young star to emerge if Auston Matthews winds up on the trade block this summer. If Matthews stays, McKenna is a heck of a sidekick.