2026 NHL Draft: Each Team's Picks And Prospect Pool Needs
With the 2026 NHL draft happening on June 26 and 27, each team's picks and needs are coming into place.
The Brady Tkachuk, Jordan Kyrou and Bowen Byram trades certainly threw things for a loop.
The Ottawa Senators acquired four draft picks, including two first-round picks this year. They then flipped one of them to the San Jose Sharks for William Eklund.
The St. Louis Blues, meanwhile, now have four first-round picks this year after trading Kyrou to the St. Louis Blues.
And the Chicago Blackhawks now have no first-rounders after trading the fourth overall pick to the Buffalo Sabres for Byram.
2026 NHL Draft Rankings: Ferrari's Final Cut Has A New No. 1
NHL draft expert Tony Ferrari shares his top 85 prospects with in-depth analysis of the top 32. Although Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg are in a dead heat, there's a new No. 1.
Detroit Red Wings
Round 1: no picks
Round 2: 47th overall
Round 3: 79th overall
Round 4: no picks
Round 5: 143rd overall
Round 6: 175th overall
Round 7: 196th and 207th overall
Weak Point: Center and star power
The Red Wings need star power because they've consistently drafted the safe, steady prospect. That's left them with a bunch of really solid third-line projectable prospects and not many for the top six. They don't have a first-rounder, but they should take some chances and swing on upside with the picks they do have.
Edmonton Oilers
Round 1: no picks
Round 2: 52nd overall
Round 3: 84th overall
Round 4: no picks
Round 5: no picks
Round 6: 180th overall
Round 7: 212th overall
Weak Point: Whoever will get Connor McDavid to stay
In all honesty, the Oilers don't have many picks. Despite needing help all over their prospect pool, they won't have much luck outside of maybe their second-rounder. The Oilers are trying to get McDavid, the best player in hockey, to stay, so worrying about the draft isn't helping that.
Florida Panthers
Round 1: no picks
Round 2: 40th and 48th overall
Round 3: no picks
Round 4: 98th overall
Round 5: 136th overall
Round 6: 168th overall
Round 7: 217th overall
Weak Point: Defense
The Panthers just made potentially the splash of the off-season by acquiring Tkachuk, and we haven't even gotten to the draft. The trade will dwarf anything they do this off-season, but with two picks in the second round, they should prioritize adding a couple of young defensemen.
Los Angeles Kings
Round 1: 17th overall
Round 2: 46th and 49th overall
Round 3: 80th overall
Round 4: 113th overall
Round 5: 145 overall
Round 6: 177th and 190th overall
Round 7: 209th overall
Weak Point: Everything
The Kings' once promising prospect pool looks nothing like it did a few years ago, and they didn't get nearly as much quality talent out of it as many had thought. They will need to add quality and effective prospects with three picks inside the top 50.
Welcome to the Gavin McKenna show!
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) May 25, 2026
The Hockey News' 2026 Draft Preview
• Top 100 prospects
• In-depth scouting reports
• Feature stories on McKenna, Stenberg, Verhoeff, Carels and more!
Available now at https://t.co/smKk3NQdgQpic.twitter.com/qlKSMsnKKc
Minnesota Wild
Round 1: no picks
Round 2: no picks
Round 3: 89th overall
Round 4: 121st overall
Round 5: 137th and 153rd overall
Round 6: 185th overall
Round 7: no picks
Weak Point: Good prospects, not just interesting ones
The Wild have a prospect pool full of players who have been interesting for years, and they carry quite a bit of name value, but how good they are is the real question. After sending out three high-end prospects in the Quinn Hughes deal, they need to replenish the top end of their pipeline. Unfortunately, they won't be picking until the late third round, so it likely isn't happening.
Montreal Canadiens
Round 1: 28th overall
Round 2: 61st overall
Round 3: 93rd overall
Round 4: 103rd and 125th overall
Round 5: no picks
Round 6: 189th overall
Round 7: 221st and 224th overall
Weak Point: N/A
It sounds silly to say, but the team that just went to the Eastern Conference final doesn't really have a major hole in its prospect pool. They have players all over the map, with varying upside and intriguing skill sets. The Canadiens could look to target a center, but they might be drafting too late to add a significant piece down the middle. Instead, they should just continue building out the depth.
Nashville Predators
Round 1: 10th overall
Round 2: 42nd and 57th overall
Round 3: 70th overall
Round 4: 106th and 118th overall
Round 5: 138th, 148th and 160th overall
Round 6: 179th overall
Round 7: 202nd overall
Weak Point: Right-shot defenders
The Predators may not have lived up to the potential they thought they had after the summer of 2024, but they have done quality work at the draft, adding some really talented players. They haven't always gone for the highest upside, but they are solid all over. Right-shot defensemen are the one area they really seem to be lacking, though.
New Jersey Devils
Round 1: 12th overall
Round 2: 35th and 44th overall
Round 3: no picks
Round 4: 108th overall
Round 5: 140th overall
Round 6: 172nd overall
Round 7: no picks
Weak Point: Forward
The Devils' prospect pool has taken a few hits as some of their best players have graduated to the NHL. They have very few players up front with the potential to be impact players. They have a number of interesting swings, but they lack NHL projection with higher-end potential.
New York Islanders
Round 1: 13th overall
Round 2: no picks
Round 3: no picks
Round 4: 109th overall
Round 5: 141st overall
Round 6: 173rd overall
Round 7: 205th overall
Weak Point: Defense
Obviously, defense as a weak point sounds a little silly after Matthew Schaefer took the world by storm, but outside of Kashawn Aitcheson, the Islanders don't have much in terms of defense prospects. With just pick No. 13 inside the top 100, they should aim to add a blueliner.
New York Rangers
Round 1: 5th and 26th overall
Round 2: 64th overall
Round 3: 67th, 77th, 81st and 92nd overall
Round 4: no picks
Round 5: 131st overall
Round 6: 162nd and 163rd overall
Round 7: 193rd overall
Weak Point: Center
The Rangers need young players at every position, but they have a player or two with NHL upside at most positions. They lack that down the middle, so finding a center at fifth overall might be the way to go. At 26th overall, they could target another center or a defenseman to add to their pipeline.
Ottawa Senators
Round 1: 25th and 32nd overall
Round 2: no picks
Round 3: 72nd, 87th and 91st overall
Round 4: 110th overall
Round 5: 151st overall
Round 6: 183rd overall
Round 7: no picks
Weak Point: Everything
The Senators don't have a very good prospect pool despite nearly a decade of underwhelming results. They have made the playoffs the last two years, but with the departure of their captain, they were able to add two first-rounders this year, among other future picks. While they traded the No. 4 selection and could shop the 25th pick, they need to go for skill and upside with whatever selections they keep. They've drafted with too much of a focus on physicality and high-floor players after 2020.
Philadelphia Flyers
Round 1: 21st overall
Round 2: 53rd overall
Round 3: no picks
Round 4: no picks
Round 5: no picks
Round 6: 181st overall
Round 7: 213th overall
Weak Point: Defense
The Flyers have a solid prospect pool, and they've begun to build around some really promising young players. They do still have a need on the back end, though. Outside of Oliver Bonk and reclamation project David Jiricek, they are a bit thin on the young and up-and-coming defensemen.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Round 1: 22nd overall
Round 2: 39th and 54th overall
Round 3: 86th overall
Round 4: no picks
Round 5: no picks
Round 6: 170th overall
Round 7: no picks
Weak Point: Depth
The Penguins have been on a mission to rebuild their prospect pool since Kyle Dubas was hired as president and GM, and they've done a good job. They have prospects in just about every position who are at least promising. Now they need to fill out that depth. Don't be surprised if we see Dubas and the Pens trade down to collect more picks and increase their chance of hitting in the early rounds.
San Jose Sharks
Round 1: 2nd, 9th and 27th overall
Round 2: 62nd overall
Round 3: no picks
Round 4: 120th and 127th overall
Round 5: no picks
Round 6: 174th overall
Round 7: 201st overall
Weak Point: Right-shot defenders
With a young core and pipeline as loaded as anyone's in the NHL, the Sharks have so many prospects who could be really solid NHLers and even a few who could be high-impact players. What they need are right-handed defenders. They have a couple of intriguing long shots, such as Mattias Havelid, but they desperately need more.
Seattle Kraken
Round 1: 7th overall
Round 2: 38th overall
Round 3: no picks
Round 4: 99th and 102nd overall
Round 5: no picks
Round 6: 166th overall
Round 7: 198th and 204th overall
Weak Point: Defense
The Kraken have sputtered a bit since joining the NHL, never really finding a way to become a really solid contender. Their draft history is full of really interesting swings on talent, particularly up front. On the back end, particularly on the left side, they need to invest some draft capital and bolster their pipeline.
St. Louis Blues
Round 1: 11th, 15th, 16th and 29th overall
Round 2: no picks
Round 3: 73rd, 75th and 76th overall
Round 4: 107th and 123rd overall
Round 5: 139th and 150th overall
Round 6: 171st overall
Round 7: 203rd overall
Weak Point: Depth and best players available
The Blues are entering a new era of sorts as Alexander Steen is taking over as GM, but before that happens, Doug Armstrong has the chance to make a big impact at the draft. With a league-leading 13 picks and a whopping four in the first round, the Blues could add some really high-end depth to their pipeline or move a pick or two to acquire a young NHL-ready talent.
Blues Own Four First-Round Picks Following Jordan Kyrou Trade; Is A Bigger Move Next?
The St. Louis Blues own an embarrassment of riches, holding four first-round picks in the 2026 NHL draft. Is a bigger move on the way, or could the Blues package their picks to move up in the draft?
Tampa Bay Lightning
Round 1: no picks
Round 2: 58th overall
Round 3: 90th overall
Round 4: no picks
Round 5: 133rd, 134th and 154th overall
Round 6: 186th overall
Round 7: 218th overall
Weak Point: Everything
Tampa Bay has been much more focused on winning Stanley Cups and going on playoff runs for nearly the last decade, which often meant selling the future. They have more picks than they are used to this year, but five of the seven are outside of the top 125, so they will have limited ammo at the draft to fill their prospect pool with impact players.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Round 1: 1st overall
Round 2: 60th overall
Round 3: 69th and 85th overall
Round 4: 114th overall
Round 5: 158th overall
Round 6: 169th overall
Round 7: no picks
Weak Point: Forward
The Leafs were extremely lucky to keep their first-round draft pick when they won the lottery. They got the first overall pick and will likely draft Gavin McKenna. Adding McKenna (or Ivar Stenberg if he is their pick) would go a long way toward helping boost the youth on their roster, but with three other picks inside the top 85, they'll have a chance to add some solid prospects.
2026 NHL Draft Rankings: Ryan Kennedy's Final Top 120
Editor in chief Ryan Kennedy shares the top 100 NHL draft prospects from The Hockey News' Draft Preview issue and a bonus 20. There's a different No. 1 than in his mid-season ranking.
Utah Mammoth
Round 1: 19th overall
Round 2: no picks
Round 3: 83rd and 96th overall
Round 4: 115th overall
Round 5: 130th and 147th overall
Round 6: no picks
Round 7: 211th overall
Weak Point: Right wing
The Mammoth are on the rise, and their young talent has been the reason. They have a very strong prospect pool, but they do have a lack of talent on the right wing in particular. Some of their centers may end up on the wing, so it's not that big of a deal considering the talent they have elsewhere. They need to ultimately continue drafting the best players available.
Vancouver Canucks
Round 1: 3rd and 24th overall
Round 2: 33rd and 41st overall
Round 3: 78th overall
Round 4: 97th overall
Round 5: 129th overall
Round 6: 161st, 176th and 184th overall
Round 7: no picks
Weak Point: Best players available
Simply put, the Canucks are closer to the beginning of their rebuild than the end of it. That means prioritizing the best players at the draft. Although they have some really solid prospects sprinkled throughout their prospect pool, they need to keep pushing to add more across the board.
Vegas Golden Knights
Round 1: no picks
Round 2: no picks
Round 3: 95th overall
Round 4: no picks
Round 5: 159th overall
Round 6: 191st overall
Round 7: 223rd overall
Weak Point: They don't care, so why should we?
The Golden Knights haven't cared much about their prospect pool since their inception. They've traded nearly every first-round pick they have had, and they don't have a pick until 95th overall. They need players at every position, and with four late-round picks, they won't have the ammo to find much.
Washington Capitals
Round 1: 18th overall
Round 2: no picks
Round 3: no picks
Round 4: 112th overall
Round 5: 144th overall
Round 6: no picks
Round 7: 208th overall
Weak Point: Center and defense
Washington has done a good job of finding value at the draft, but with they could do themselves a big favor by selecting a center or defenseman 18th overall. If a center like Tynan Lawrence falls, it could be the kind of massive win they need to really get their pipeline looking solid.
Winnipeg Jets
Round 1: 8th overall
Round 2: no picks
Round 3: 71st overall
Round 4: 116th overall
Round 5: 135th overall
Round 6: 167th overall
Round 7: 199th and 220th overall
Weak Point: Depth
The Jets are in the midst of a potentially massive off-season with trade speculation regarding all-world goalie Connor Hellebuyck. If the goalie gets moved, they have bigger problems than a middling prospect pool. With that said, the Jets need to add some talent all over. They have some good prospects across the board, but adding a puck-mover on the back end or a high-skill forward would help a lot.
See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Copyright The Hockey News, Roustan Media Ltd.
This story was originally published June 24, 2026 at 2:49 PM.