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The 2026 NHL draft is taking place on Friday (Round 1) and Saturday (Rounds 2-7) at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.
This page will be your home for the entire event as each pick is added below, including scouting notes and team fit analysis for the first-rounders.
More: Prospect rankings
Needs for all 32 teams
Team: Penn State (BIG10)
DOB: 12/20/2007 | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 170 | Shot: L
2025-26 stats: GP: 35 | G: 15 | A: 36 | P: 51
Scouting notes: The most talented prospect in the draft treats hockey like a chess match. After posting the best points-per-game pace (2.30) in his draft-minus-one year in CHL history, McKenna’s NCAA season got off to a turbulent start. But after returning from the world junior championships, he exploded with 33 points in 19 games, matching Jack Eichel’s and Macklin Celebrini’s NCAA production rates.
His deception and ability to manipulate defenders is elite. He changes pace, catches defenders leaning and executes elite passes. After a brilliant performance at the scouting combine, McKenna quelled concerns about his physical strength. However, concerns with his defensive disengagement, physical engagement in general and desire to play at a more calculated pace remain. If given the opportunity to flourish, McKenna is a potential 100-point scorer and elite power-play asset.
How he fits: Hockey’s worst-kept secret got an exclamation point. After picking “Yukon” by Justin Bieber as his walk-up song, McKenna was drafted by Bieber himself on behalf of the Maple Leafs.
McKenna is going to be an immediately impactful player, something the Leafs desperately need. He will be a significant help to their power play with his playmaking ability. With a new coach in Jim Hiller, who was offensively minded in Toronto as an assistant coach, McKenna will be given the opportunity to flourish alongside Auston Matthews and help the Leafs’ captain regain a 50-plus-goal pace. There is a very real possibility the Leafs have added a premier playmaker, who can be a star in the NHL.
Team: Frolunda (SWEDEN)
DOB: 09/30/2007 | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 183 | Shot: L
2025-26 stats: GP: 43 | G: 11 | A: 22 | P: 33
Scouting notes: Thanks to his combination of elite hockey sense and skill, Stenberg posted the second-most-productive draft-eligible SHL season ever while leading Sweden to world junior gold. His elite processing ability allows him to manipulate defensive coverage and find passing lanes that simply don’t exist for other players. He attacks tight seams, finds backdoor plays and gets the puck to the middle of the ice with excellent success.
Despite his 5-11 frame raising some questions, Stenberg can contribute in the top six immediately. His two-way commitment sets him apart from other offensive-first wingers, and he’s the type of player who will win heavy matchup minutes while providing offense, like Sam Reinhart in Florida.
How he fits: After trading William Eklund, the Sharks made room for another Swedish winger, and Stenberg is going to be a brilliant piece for them.
An NHL-ready winger, Stenberg’s two-way game is excellent. The Sharks don’t have a ton of players in the top six who can play a power game up front. Stenberg will get pucks for Macklin Celebrini, create chances and impact the game in his rookie season. He will step into the lineup, be a reliable two-way player who is tough to play against and can put up 60 points as a rookie. Another key piece to the foundation in San Jose.
Team: Brantford (OHL)
DOB: 06/02/2008 | Ht: 6-1.75 | Wt: 182 | Shot: L
2025-26 stats: GP: 67 | G: 29 | A: 55 | P: 84
Scouting notes: Malhotra had a meteoric rise up the draft boards, buoyed by absurd production in the second half. He is a details-oriented center who combines two-way reliability with high-end playmaking.
Editor’s Picks
The industry strongly believes that he will be a future captain and is the “type of player you win with.” His hockey sense and ability to make plays under pressure is high-caliber. His development trajectory improved dramatically throughout the season, but a lack of production prior to the final half of his draft season is a cautionary tale.
The model projects a top-line ceiling, valuing his well-rounded game and offensive instincts. His path to becoming an impactful two-way center hinges on continued skating development and adding strength to his frame. As of now, Malhotra comfortably projects to become a top-six center with the potential to become what Jonathan Toews was at the peak of his career.
How he fits: The Canucks were going back and forth between Chase Reid and Malhotra. The Canucks have favored drafting for need over the last few years, and Malhotra fills such a need at the center position. Malhotra’s production exploded in the second half of the season and he’s got the potential to be an impactful two-way center for the Canucks. He’s at least a year if not two away from the Canucks’ lineup, which is fine given they are in the infancy of their rebuild.
There was some thought that Reid would be the pick given the need for overall talent and to avoid what could be an awkward situation with Malhotra’s father Manny coaching the Canucks. Ultimately, need trumped all and the Canucks hope Malhotra is the foundational center of their organization for a very long time.
Team: Prince Albert (WHL)
DOB: 03/06/2008 | Ht: 6-2.5 | Wt: 206 | Shot: R
2025-26 stats: GP: 68 | G: 28 | A: 50 | P: 78
Scouting notes: Rudolph is a true dual-threat scorer who makes the game look easy on a consistent basis. His offensive instincts are elite. He reads developing plays, positions himself perfectly and capitalizes by shooting or making a pass to a teammate after drawing coverage.
The concerns keeping his model probability low (41%) are defensive consistency and whether he can handle NHL pace without significant insulation. His production is impossible to ignore, and the offensive upside is legitimate star-tier potential. In one-on-one situations, Rudolph is stick on puck and rarely gets beat. His play with defensive coverage, identifying passing lanes and threats, needs to develop for him to reach his ceiling.
He’s a higher-risk selection with elite offensive traits and the hockey sense to develop his defensive game, which would make him a reliable top-pair defender.
How he fits: The first shock of the draft. Buffalo is known to swing on high-end skill, and Rudolph has that in spades. The Sabres acquired the fourth overall pick earlier this week in the Bowen Byram trade, and use it on one of the smartest offensive defenders in the draft.
Given Buffalo’s blue line depth, Rudolph has time to develop and refine his game at Denver. There is no rush to get him into the lineup. When he gets to Buffalo, he’s going to drive offense from the back end and run a power-play unit. While this may have been a surprise with Chase Reid and Carson Carels still on the board, Rudolph has high-end offensive potential, which the Sabres love to bet on.
Team: Munchen (GERMANY)
DOB: 12/02/2007 | Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 205 | Shot: L
2025-26 stats: GP: 5 | G: 0 | A: 1 | P: 1
Scouting notes: The Latvian defenseman is the textbook “higher on the team lists than the rankings” because he’s a big defender who many feel is guaranteed to step into a top-four role as soon as next season. Teams are more risk-averse and would rather have what they believe is a sure bet with the lower ceiling than take a chance on a player who might win a Norris Trophy down the line … or might never be more than a power-play specialist and No. 5 defenseman.
Smits is a towering physical presence whose development curve was exponential. The combination of a 6-3 frame with above-average skating, an engine that never stops and the desire to physically dominate opponents is attractive for a team looking for a stabilizing force on the back end. He’s likely to be a defensive defenseman who plays tough minutes, kills penalties and is relied upon when holding the lead. He’s not going to move the needle offensively but should be a reliable insulator for a high-octane defenseman who drives play.
A few factors driving Smits’ ranking include the lack of a high-end ceiling, as it is rare that a player with his profile becomes an elite NHL defender. There is some concern about knee stability, given how important skating is to his effectiveness, but Smits should continue to strengthen his lower body to lower his injury risk. He is likely to step into the NHL next season and have an impact because he is as close to a finished product as there is in this draft class.
If he can refine his passing and decision-making, he has the chance to be a solid No.2, but he’s more likely a Rasmus Ristolainen or Mike Matheson type from day one, which is enticing for a team looking to contend for the playoffs next season.
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