The San Jose Sharks were one of the teams to watch heading into the 2026 NHL Draft, and they certainly didn't disappoint.

In the first round, they selected Ivar Stenberg second overall to kick off their weekend. The Swedish winger is projected to make an immediate impact, and could fill a top-six role for the Sharks as soon as this season, especially with William Eklund's departure leaving a hole that Stenberg could easily fill. Stenberg had one of the top performances by an 18 year old in the history of the Swedish Hockey League, a league often known for low offensive production.

BREAKING: Sharks Select Ivar Stenberg With Second Overall Pick in 2026 NHL DraftAfter weeks of speculation regarding who Mike Grier and the San Jose Sharks would select with the second overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, we've finally got our answer.

Then, after some tense moments, the Sharks were lucky enough to have one of the top defensemen in the draft drop to them with the ninth overall pick. Keaton Verhoeff, who was at one point ranked as the best defenseman in this draft class, and even potentially a rival for Gavin McKenna to go first overall, was still on the board when Mike Grier's management team sent in their pick. 

Verhoeff had some struggles adapting to the collegiate game, but a large portion of that can be contributed to his age. He played his freshman year at the University of North Dakota as a 17 year old, an impressive feat in its own right. Had Verhoeff stayed in the Western Hockey League, he probably would've been a top-five pick, but instead, the Sharks were able to get an elite prospect with the ninth overall pick.

BREAKING: Sharks Select Keaton Verhoeff With the Ninth Overall Pick in the 2026 NHL DraftThe San Jose Sharks had no time to rest, as shortly after they selected Ivar Stenberg with the second overall pick, they were back on the clock with the ninth overall selection.

After selecting Verhoeff, Grier started working the phones to move up from the 27th overall pick. Eventually, he struck a deal with the Philadelphia Flyers for the 21st overall pick, just one spot behind the pick they gave to the Buffalo Sabres earlier this month in exchange for Michael Kesselring and the 27th overall selection. 

With their third pick in the first round, the Sharks added their second right-handed defenseman of the night, selecting Ryan Lin from the Vancouver Giants of the WHL. Lin, like Verhoeff, is making the move to the NCAA though, as he'll join the University of Denver this season. Lin likely dropped due to the fact that he's 5-foot-11, as many have said that he has the potential to be the steal of the draft.

LINSANITY: San Jose Sharks Trade Up to the 21st Overall Pick, Select Ryan LinThe San Jose Sharks have acquired the 21st overall pick from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for picks 27, 62, and 120 in the 2026 NHL Draft.

The Sharks then had a bit of time to relax, as they didn't have another pick until the fourth round. That didn't stop Mike Grier from getting some work done in the meantime though, as he signed forward Zack Ostapchuk to a four-year contract extension while they awaited their first pick on the second day of the 2026 NHL Draft.

Sharks Sign Zack Ostapchuk to Four-Year Contract ExtensionWhile the San Jose Sharks were awaiting their first pick on day two of the 2026 NHL Draft, Mike Grier got some other business taken care of. On Saturday, the Sharks announced that they had signed forward Zack Ostapchuk to a four-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.35 million.

The time finally came for the Sharks to make their first pick on Saturday, and they opted to select a goaltender. With the 127th overall pick, the Sharks added Brady Knowling from the United States National Team Development Program. Knowling will be moving around quite a bit in the near future, as he's currently expected to head to the Ontario Hockey League's Saginaw Spirit for the 2026-27 season before moving to the collegiate ranks, as he's committed to Boston University for the 2027-28 season. 

Sharks Select Brady Knowling With 127th Overall PickAfter a busy day on Friday during the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, the San Jose Sharks had a long wait before they made their first pick on Saturday. When they finally were put on the clock with the 127th overall pick, they selected goaltender Brady Knowling out of the United States National Team Development Program.

When the Sharks were on the clock again for the 174th overall pick, they didn't have to look far outside of their own organization. They selected San Jose native, and San Jose Junior Sharks alumnus, Jake Gustafson from the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. Gustafson's father is a high-ranking executive in the Sharks organization, mainly in regards to the San Jose Barracuda, the SAP Center, and Sharks Ice. 

Gustafson, like a few of the previously mentioned prospects, is going to be making the jump to collegiate hockey this season. He's currently committed to join Colorado College for the 2026-27 season after a single campaign in Portland.

Sharks Select Jr. Sharks Alum Jake Gustafson 174th Overall in 2026 NHL DraftWith their second pick on Saturday, the San Jose Sharks selected San Jose native, and San Jose Jr. Sharks alumnus, center Jake Gustafson in the sixth round, 174th overall, in the 2026 NHL Draft.

The Sharks then made history, in multiple ways, with their final pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. With the 201st overall pick, the Sharks added 7-foot-1 defenseman Alexander Karmanov to their prospect pool. Karmanov is not only the tallest player to be drafted to the NHL, but he's also the first player from Moldova to be selected in the NHL Draft as well. He's seen as a massive longshot to ever make it to the NHL, but if it somehow does work out, it's hard to imagine a team finding a player with a more impressive frame than Karmanov.

Sharks Select Alexander Karmanov 201st Overall in 2026 NHL DraftWith their final pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, 201st overall, the San Jose Sharks selected 7-foot-1, 280-pound left-handed Moldovan defenseman Alexander Karmanov. 

It was certainly an interesting draft class for the Sharks. They added some high-end talent on Friday, then added a couple of players with interesting backstories and profiles on Saturday. One thing is certain though, the Sharks entered the weekend with defense, especially right-handed defensemen, being a major weakness in their prospect pool, now it's more of a strength.

The Florida Panthers have announced the details for the team’s annual development camp.

Generally, the camp takes place in the days following the NHL Draft, and this year will be no different.

Florida’s 2026 Development Camp will begin on Monday at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale and run through Thursday.

This year, the Panthers have invited 24 prospects to participate in D-camp, a group that includes 11 forwards, eight defensemen and five goalies.

Among them are all six of the players Florida selected at this weekend’s NHL Draft in Buffalo: Simas Ignatavicius, Ryder Cali, Jonas Kemps, Vilho Vanhatalo, Cole Zurawski and Louis-Antoine Denault.

You can check out the full roster in the image below: 

All on-ice sessions are open to the public and free to attend, with the ample seating inside the IcePlex coming on a first come, first served basis.

Development camp will consist of four days of ice time. The schedule is as follows:

Monday, June 29: One full group on-ice session from 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

Tuesday, June 30: One full group on-ice session from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, July 1: One full group on-ice session from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, July 2: One full group on-ice scrimmage from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Are there any players you are excited to see at Florida’s development camp? Let us know in the comments below.

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Over the weekend at the NHL Draft, the Montreal Canadiens put emphasis on drafting players of a certain type, big bodies who like to play with grit and physicality. While that’s a big need for the organization, not everyone appreciated what the Habs tried to do. In his latest article analyzing the draft, Scott Wheeler from The Athletic identifies the Tricolore as one of the three teams he dubbed losers of the event.

The journalist notes that he understands the Habs’ desire to add more size and athleticism, but he feels they might have put too much emphasis on it and “chased it a little”. In other words, he feels the players the team selected were taken too high. He labels Gleb Pugachyov as a third-line winger, Cooper Cleaves as an AHLer, Tim Runtso as a potential third-pairing blueliner, Parker Trottier as a fourth-line AHLer, and Brayden Klimpke as organizational depth. It certainly sounds like a harsh prognosis.

Canadiens Fans Shower Gallagher With Gifts
Canadiens Go For Size On Day Two
Update On Gleb Pugachyov And His Potential Impact On The Prospect Pool

If Wheeler didn’t appreciate the latest influx of Canadiens’ prospects, codirectors of scouting Nick Bobrov and Martin Lapointe were certainly pleased with their harvest when they spoke to the media after the draft was finally over on Saturday afternoon.

“With his size, he already played in the KHL, he’s already played against men, so I think he’ll be ready faster than others for sure, said Lapointe of first-round pick Pugachyov. This guy is a unicorn we love the way he plays, shift in, shift out. The details in his game, at his age is rare. So, to be playing in the KHL and blocking shots and diving to block shots, backchecking hard, finishing his checks on the forecheck, bringing pucks to the net. I mean, that’s what you wish for in a player. We feel, this guy was the guy that we needed, and he was there and I feel lucky to have him.

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The way Lapointe describes Pugachyov, he sounds like the kind of player who can do what Juraj Slafkovsky does, but with more aggression and enthusiasm. He has accepted his role and knows that’s what’s expected of him while it took Martin St-Louis years to make Slafkovsky understand that the Canadiens needed him to get involved physically in puck battles and retrieval on the forecheck.

When the first-round pick spoke to the media, he said through his translator, Sam Shore, that he had known both Ivan Demidov and Alexander Zharovsky for years, adding he was excited to form the “Russian Three” with them, so to speak. It’s true that they could form quite an impressive line with a gritty winger in Pugachyov, a more skillful one in Zharovsky and a star in the making in Demidov, but someone would have to play center. Even if they weren’t forming a line, though, it would certainly feel good for them to have so many Russians on the team. Right-shot defenseman Bogdan Konyushkov could also join the fold eventually.

Bobrov and Lapointe also seemed rather hopeful that their first-round pick could potentially arrive early on this side of the pond:

“Yes, there are two years left, but you know, his agent [Dan Milstein] is very good at negotiating, said Bobrov. So we’ll leave it to Dan to do it. It’s flexible enough so that a lot of different situations can unfold. He knows what he is doing, and it’s all about making sure the kid is ready to come over at the right time. It’s a big change, so we have to be mindful of timing on a number of different fronts.”

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As for the fact that the team made a conscious effort to get bigger and they're picking a lot of blueliners, Bobrov explained:

Well, the defensemen are always in demand, and we always talk about different buckets and which ones are full and which ones are becoming empty. So we know where the best fishing holes are, as we say, and it’s different draft to draft […] in this case, it just so happened that the defenders were the best players, you know, at particular spots, and obviously, you want to create more organizational depth in each position. Every organization needs that depth, and we happen to have pretty good depth right now; it never hurts to have a deeper pool. We felt that with each individual we addressed something. Timmy Runtso is more offensive, more flashy, I guess. Cooper Cleaves is more stay-at-home, mature, big, and defends, and Brayden Klimpke is a puck mover, an elite skater. So we felt those three at the right spots were the way to go, and you can never have enough ds.

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Fans will have an opportunity to see what this latest crop of prospects brings in the coming days, as the Canadiens’ development camp kicks off on June 30th with physical testing, followed by two days of on-ice sessions, including scrimmages on Thursday. As always, it will take place at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, and those who wish to watch are welcome to do so. Bobrov and Lapointe appeared optimistic that their picks over the weekend would be able to attend. Was Wheeler right in calling the Canadiens draft losers? Fans will have an opportunity to make up their own minds in the coming days and years…

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It ended up being a mostly uneventful draft weekend for the Pittsburgh Penguins as far as major short-term changes went. They acquired Hendrix Lapierre for draft picks, used some of their stockpile future of picks to get extra 2026 mid-round selections and went about their business of drafting players without many fireworks going down with massive moves.

The big landmark for the NHL offseason is coming up on Wednesday for the July 1st free agency market that officially opens up at noon. Heading into that event, here’s where the Pens stand.

First line forwards: Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust

There’s always at least moderate smoke in the national media picture regarding the potential availability of Rakell and Rust to be traded, yet no trade has happened or seemingly been close. If you look at the ice time splits under Dan Muse last season, there’s these three forwards (who all averaged between 18-20 minutes per game) and then everyone else. The team could always opt tactically to nudge Egor Chinakhov to play with Crosby-Rust again and place Rakell on the second line, but these three right now are the central figures on the team as far as forwards go.

Other key NHL forwards: Evgeni Malkin, Egor Chinakhov, Ben Kindel, Tommy Novak

As of now, these four forwards look to be the base of the ‘second’ and ‘third’ lines, though nomenclature is about the only differential given how Muse has split ice time and assignments. Malkin averaged 14:26 of ES ice time last year, compared to Kindel’s 12:36 – based on the ages of both those numbers will likely be evening out a bit next season. These names can bounce around the lineup, including between center and wing in some cases, but all are in place to take important roles for the team for the players that will probably be in the 13-14 minute of ES ice time per game next year. As mentioned above, there’s the possibility that Chinakhov will grow further into the higher classification of player as the year goes along, but starting him out in this pile feels right for this moment.

‘Fourth’ liners: Connor Dewar, Blake Lizotte

Most fourth liners across the league aren’t pushing 14 minutes per game like these two who tend to take regular shifts throughout the game and are relied on for a ton of defensive zone starts while matching up against scoring line opponents. Dewar and Lizotte will be the backbone of an important line next season that will be listed as a ‘fourth’ line it will still carry a very important part of the action.

Fill out forwards (3 lineup spots): Elmer Soderblom, Justin Brazeau, Hendrix Lapierre, Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes, Ville Koivunen, Filip Hallander, Tristan Broz

This group of players will likely float between different roles as the season goes along. Brazeau has played a limited amount but in key places in the lineup, he could yet reprise his role with Kindel and still end up seeing 11-12 ES minutes per game. Soderblom performed well down the stretch. Wingers like Brazeau and Soderblom could see time on lines with good players and yet still end up as the third and seldom-used part of the puzzle.

Lapierre was acquired for two draft picks, including a third rounder, so one would presume he will factor into the lineup at the start of the season in some form. What line that would be, and even whether that is at center or on the wing still could be considered up in the air right now.

Younger forwards who finished the season in the AHL will be knocking on the door but will need strong preseasons to find a role and/or trades sending out vets who currently occupy spots above them. Lapierre’s acquisition without any forwards under contract departing serve to make the math that much worse for players in the grouping of forwards attempting to graduate into the NHL full-time, at this moment anyways.

Left Defense: Parker Wotherspoon, Sam Girard

There’s not a lot currently in the rumor mill tying the Pens to Darnell Nurse, despite Pittsburgh being on a list of three places Nurse would accept a trade. If that avenue isn’t one Pittsburgh is interested in travelling, left defense could be an area to watch for offseason moves since it’s arguably the weakest spot on the roster. Ryan Shea’s camp has to be encouraged that Brett Kulak signed a $4.5 million contract for five years as an indicator the free agent market will be very rewarding for Shea. The Pens will have to find a Shea replacement or risk going into camp depending on a young player like Owen Pickering or Jake Livanavage to step into the playing lineup or have Ilya Solovyov go from a depth option to regular. What the Pens would truly need and want is to find the 2026 version of Wotherspoon as a free agent that wouldn’t cost an arm and leg on his contract and still be able to fill an important role. Finding and securing such a target is usually a very tall task.

Right Defense: Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang

It might already be time to put Harrison Brunicke’s name in pencil (or a sharper writing implement) to round out the lineup after a strong showing in the AHL playoffs. Regardless, at the very least the need is obvious that Pens could use more depth, a swing player like Connor Clifton would be a small but important piece of insurance. That might not be Clifton himself as he heads to free agency but given the ages of Karlsson and Letang plus the inexperience of Brunicke, another NHL caliber right shot defender wouldn’t be an unnecessary add even with the suspected elevation of Brunicke.

Goaltender: Arturs Silovs, Sergei Murashov/Joel Blomqvist

All indications are that the Pens are comfortable with going very young in net next year by having one of Murashov or Blomqvist in their goalie tandem. Murashov has clearly edged ahead of Blomqvist on the organizational depth chart, though Blomqvist being an older and more experienced player makes it easy to project NHL action next season at some point. Neither goalie will require waivers in 2026-27, so the possibility is open to rotate these goalies on/off the NHL roster depending on how circumstances dictate. That wouldn’t happen as a yo-yo after one bad performance, it’s just good news for the Pens that they don’t have to place all their hopes in one singular AHL goalie moving up next year when they have two decent options. That depth makes the situation encouraging after Murashov’s great year in Wilkes, if he stumbles or shows a need for more development time the team looks fairly content with having Blomqvist there to pick up any slack or in the event of an injury.

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Overall, the Penguins don’t look like they have a splashy move up their sleeves for this summer. The thought of giving 30-year old players like Alex Tuch or Darren Raddysh eight years on a contract likely never entered their minds, just as they have shown no signs of wanting to keep Anthony Mantha. The free agent class isn’t terribly impressive and in a climate where players have more say in trades than ever, Pittsburgh doesn’t look like it’s the destination of preference for players like Dylan Larkin – and there’d be no reason to suspect Zach Werenski or any other high-profile players that get to pick their spots either. The draft going by without dealing a veteran like Rakell or Rust might be an indicator that both players will return for another season with the Pens now that the event is over and 2026 picks have been made.

After the draft in 2025, the Pens made three summer trades. Most were fairly minor in the big scheme of things that saw backup goalie Alex Nedeljkovic and Vlad Kolaychonok traded out with the Silovs and Matt Dumba as a cap casualty joining the team. Summer 2024 was similar, there was a prospect swap (McGroarty for Brayden Yage), a couple of cap-related moves that saw Cody Glass and Kevin Hayes added while the ill-fit of Reilly Smith was sent away but little else in terms of truly impactful movement.

This summer could still see a name from the NHL roster above traded out before the league settles into ‘cottage season’ and activity dies down later in the summer, but at this point of the calendar in the usual flow of player movement most of the activity could be limited to whatever free agency deals end up getting struck. An outlook on the Pens shows they have some veteran players that could still be trade targets and a need to address defensive depth either in a trade or by signing a free agent or two.

The Sebastian Cossa era in Detroit is over, and some Edmonton Oilers fans might be wondering whether Stan Bowman missed a golden opportunity. There was chatter that Cossa was a goaltender the Oilers had on a short list of goalies they'd targeted.

Ultimately, the netminder was traded in a different deal, and it's probably for the best. That might sound odd to say, but if you're in the camp that Edmonton missed out, here's why you shouldn't lose any sleep over it.

ANOTHER TRADE‼️

The @utahmammoth acquire Sebastian Cossa from the @DetroitRedWings for the 23rd pick in the 2026 #NHLDraft!

Powered by @SAPpic.twitter.com/yXiUZLw1pV

— NHL (@NHL) June 27, 2026

Utah acquired the 23-year-old goaltender from the Red Wings on Friday, with a 2026 first-round pick as the centerpiece of the deal. It was a fairly high price to pay, and an asset the Oilers didn't have to match.

Ultimately, this wasn't a decision Bowman passed on — it was never really on the table. The Oilers lacked draft capital to make the deal. Frankly, the lack of a stocked cupboard of picks to make any number of trades is a problem. 

But even if the price had been different, the fit was questionable. Cossa has been excellent in the AHL, posting a 26-8-4 record with a 2.33 GAA, a .915 save percentage and five shutouts this past season. He's a legitimate prospect with a big future. What he isn't, yet, is a proven NHL starter — and that distinction matters enormously for a team trying to win a Stanley Cup around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl right now.

What's key to remember here is, this is a goalie with a grand total of one NHL game on his resume. 

Going into 2026-27 with a Tristan Jarry-Cossa tandem would have been a bet on potential over production at the worst possible time. Edmonton needs a goaltender who has been there, handled pressure, and won meaningful games — not one still working his way up. Utah, a younger team with more runway, is the right landing spot for Cossa at this stage of his development.

They can afford to be patient. 

The Oilers need to solve their crease situation this summer, and Cossa was never going to be that solution. The fact that Utah made that decision easier by outbidding everyone with assets Edmonton didn't have is, frankly, a lucky break. It allowed Bowman to get out of his own way and focus on adding a proven veteran. Time will tell if he can do so. 

Yes, a potential option is off the board. And yes, the Mammoth might have acquired a terrific goaltender. Then again, there's a chance it takes Cossa a couple of years to get close to realizing his potential. It could be years before he hits his ceiling, whatever that might be. 

The Oilers don't have time to wait, and it would have been a high price to pay, especially if the risk didn't pay off. 

On to the next option, Stan.

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Predators Take Shape —July 1, 1998 - VOL. 59, Issue. 39 - Jeff Legwold

Nashville Predators’ GM David Poile has the requisite combination of realism and optimism for a man at the helm of an expansion team in today’s NHL.

“Obviously we’re not going to compete for the Stanley Cup right away,” Poile said following the June 26 expansion draft and June 27 entry draft in Buffalo. “But our thinking is we want to be better in the second year than the first, better in the third than we were in the second. We’re trying to build this up.”

The biggest building block so far came in the entry draft when the Predators moved up from No. 3 to No. 2-by surrendering their second round selection-to secure Plymouth Whalers’ center David Legwand. The 17-year-old from suburban Detroit-he turns 18 in August-has already been called the possible cornerstone of the franchise. (See pg. 31 for more on Legwand).

Poile also obtained nine players through trades just hours after the expansion draft and signed another in free agency (left winger Patrie Kjellberg) the same night. He subsequently traded center Mike Sullivan, who the team selected from the Boston Bruins in the expansion draft, to the Phoenix Coyotes for a seventh round pick in the 1999 entry draft.

“I think people now see David will make the deals he thinks will help us,” Trotz said. “He’s not afraid.”

But he is a realist. Poile drafted three unrestricted free agents in the expansion draft with the knowledge he wouldn’t even open negotiations with two of them (defenseman Al lafrate being the exception). Instead, the Predators will gladly take the compensatory draft picks they’ll be awarded when defenseman Uwe Krupp and goalie Mike Richter sign elsewhere later this summer.

Armed with the knowledge he wasn t going to lure big-name players to Nashville right away, Poile had to decide what kind of team to mold. With the recent push to find ways to open up the game, the GM figured it would be prudent to acquire speed, both up front and on the defense corps.

So the Predators selected players such as center Greg Johnson from the Chicago Blackhawks and defenseman Joel Bouchard from the Calgary Flames. They also went for guys who had put up decent scoring numbers in the minors, but who hadn’t yet done it consistently at the NHL level. Included in that group are forwards Craig Darby from the Philadelphia Flyers, Andrew Brunette from the Washington Capitals and Paul Brousseau from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“Maybe a player blossoms because he gets more of a chance with us,” Poile said. “That’s how we are selling it, that they can come in and have a chance to contribute if they want to make the commitment.”

“And we wanted some character guys, guys who were going to show up every night,” Trotz said. “I’ve said we’re going to play in-your-face hockey and we’re going to.”

Trotz has called Doug Brown, selected from the Detroit Red Wings, the “poster child” for the Predators. “Here’s a guy who plays every game as hard as he can play it, is a great person on and off the ice and has terrific leadership skills.”

The Predators also have grit in the form of defenseman Jayson More (a free agent signee), and center Scott Walker, taken from the Vancouver Canucks in the expansion draft.

Since Brown’s 19 NHL goals for the Stanley Cup champions in 1997-98 is the most by any player on the current Predators’ roster, grind-it-out hockey will be the team’s trademark.

“We all need goals,” Poile said. “But 50-goal scorers are not available in the expansion draft. We took players who we think are hard-working, character guys who will not be afraid of challenges. We want people who persevere.”

New goalie Mike Dunham meets that criteria. The 26-year-old has played well during his pro career, but not often. That’s because with the New Jersey Devils he was cemented behind star Martin Brodeur. “At every level of his career he has had success,” Poile said of Dunham. “Now we have lifted away that obstacle (Brodeur).”

“This is a great opportunity,” Dunham said. “I’m going to approach it one save at a time. You can’t overwhelm yourself.”

In the end, the Predators likely came away with more speed and fewer goals than they anticipated. Now Nashville will wait for the likes of Legwand to grow up, for those such as Brunette to help it along, for those such as Brown to show it the way.

And they’ll look for those such as tough left winger Denny Lambert and rugged defenseman Bob Boughner to make sure they have enough room.

“We challenged (management) to come up with the best players for our franchise,” said owner Craig Leipold. “And we feel absolutely great about this team.”

Good afternoon, Devils fans. Today, we’re doing a short rundown of the Devils’ picks and draft-related moves from the past few days. Below, you can find links to each of the relevant picks and trades.

• 12th overall: Alexander Command
• 37th overall: Matias Vanhanen
• 44th overall: Nikita Shcherbakov
• Trade: 108th overall pick for Amadeus Lombardi
• 119th overall: Lavr Gashilov*
• 149th overall: Daniil Rusakovich
• 172nd overall: Luke Wilfley
• 222nd overall: Quinn McKenzie**

* Acquired when trading down from 35th to 37th
** Acquired when trading down from 140th to 149th

The New Jersey Devils truly did not have a ton of draft capital leading up to this year’s event. Prior to the Simon Nemec trade, they lacked third and seventh-round selections. By acquiring the 35th overall pick (along with two future firsts) for Simon Nemec and making two trade down moves, Sunny Mehta was able to spin a few extra picks over what the Devils were supposed to be selecting. This is quite good, as it seemed the Devils were targeting Vanhanen in the early second round along with a goalie in Rusakovich when they traded down in the fifth round.

In all, I think the Devils largely did a good job of getting value equal to or above their draft slots throughout the draft, with few exceptions. As I mentioned in the Alexander Command post, our 12th overall selection had an identical NHLe projection to third overall pick Caleb Malhotra (32 draft year NHLe/32% star probability and 67% NHLer probability per Hockey Prospecting). Vanhanen, meanwhile, was much lower on the NHLe boards (8% star probability and 29% NHLer probability) while being very well regarded by microstat trackers. I would give the Command pick an A (especially when considering his super-high compete level and intensity) and the Vanhanen pick a B+.

The Devils’ third pick, Nikita Shcherbakov, is not someone who is going to be well-liked by NHLe-focused draft projectors. Shcherbakov is a large Russian mobile defenseman. On tape, his skating looks awesome, but he has not been an eye-popping point producer in Russian juniors. However, with a decent 10 points in 35 VHL (second-tier to the KHL) games, Shcherbakov may be able to get into a full-time role with Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the KHL next season. To be honest, I am not sure they had to grab Shcherbakov this early in the draft, but maybe a suitable trade down was not available. I would give this pick a C+.

The trade of the Devils’ 108th pick for Amadeus Lombardi, while going down prior to the draft, is important to note. Lombardi, a center, has had 35 goals and 82 points over his last 91 AHL games across the last two seasons, which is far more than the Devils have had from any AHL center over the last couple of years. Per AHLTracker, Lombardi has been very good at five-on-five, with his team having a 58.7 goals for percentage with him on the ice this season. Considering that fourth round picks are usually a few years away from the NHL, I thought it was a solid, B-grade move to acquire someone who is ready for that chance to see if he’s capable of a fourth or third-line role in the NHL.

My favorite Day Two pick came in the pick they gained when trading down from 35th to 37th. That 119th pick was used to select Lavr Gashilov out of the Russian junior MHL, and he may have been the highest-NHLe value forward pick they could have made in this slot. Gashilov is a super-skilled center whose rankings are all over the place, but his raw point production could have been that of a player justifiably selectable in the mid-first round. His tape may be more limited, and he does have to work on his skating and defense, but players who go the farthest in the NHL are generally those who are dominant scorers in their teenaged years. With Gashilov only under contract through the upcoming season, it may be less difficult to get him over to North American hockey as well. Since skating is one thing I have little problem letting a young prospect work on (it’s not like he has to learn how to score), I give this one an A+. He had one of the best seasons ever for a draft eligible player coming out of the MHL.

After trading down from 140 to 149, the Devils selected their annual goalie in Daniil Rusakovich, and he had some pretty good numbers in Russian juniors. Rusakovich had a ,913 save percentage in 20 MHL games this season after having a .909 save percentage in 31 Belarusian U17 games the year prior. HockeyProspecting gives him a 35% NHLer probability based on his draft year performance and league, which is in line with many future NHL goaltenders with a wide range of abilities, from Nico Daws to Joel Hofer to Igor Shesterkin. Goalies are hard to predict, so this gets a flat B.

The Devils’ pick at 172 was probably the “weakest” of the draft, but it was the sixth round. Luke Wilfley did not have the kind of profile I would consider selecting, but he grades high as a physical rush shooter with average transition skills who has not turned the puck over much at all in juniors. If Wilfley was not so young, I would probably give this pick a D, but the fact that he is still 17 at the time of this article means I will bump him up to a C-. Adding in that he has learned over the years from David Clarkson tells me he has a good idea of what his path to the higher levels is. I am not super high on the pick, but he could surprise.

With the third-to-last pick of the draft, it’s almost impossible to project a future NHLer. But we will be hoping that Quinn McKenzie, who honestly had a decent draft season with 51 points in 65 OHL games, has something in store for us. Selected 222nd overall, McKenzie grades rather well as a defensive forward with some offensive and transitional drive in microstat evaluations, though he does have a bit of a turnover problem. Scouts regard McKenzie as a super high motor player, with Brock Otten from OHL Prospects saying, “he reminds me a bit of when you hit the Go-Kart track.” McKenzie will need that motor to make his game work at his smaller stature, but I would give this pick a A, all things considered. Even though McKenzie is not in the HockeyProspecting database, Thomas Vandenberg, who went in the fourth round to Los Angeles, had 50 points in 59 OHL games and had a 14% star probability with a 59% NHLer probability. With a few fewer goals and one more point in six extra games, I would estimate that McKenzie would come in around 6-8%/25-40% if he were available.

And, I mean, fun fact: if you look at the “Devils in the System” page on Elite Prospects, these are the top ten players ranked by their most recent raw production outside of NHL games:

• Matias Vanhanen, 87 points in the WHL
• Lavr Gashilov, 69 points in the MHL
• Quinn McKenzie, 51 points in the OHL
• Jeremy Hanzel, 49 points in the ECHL
• Alexander Command, 45 points between the U20 Nationell (44) and U18 Region (1)
• Amadeus Lombardi, 42 points in the AHL
• Xavier Parent, 39 points in the AHL
• David Rozsival, 37 points in the USHL
• Angus Crookshank, 36 points in the AHL
• Brian Halonen, 34 points in the AHL

What Sunny Mehta understood here is that not only does the prospect pipeline desperately need forwards, it needs scoring forwards. When Tom Fitzgerald made his first pick of the 2025 Draft at 50th overall, he selected Conrad Fondrk, who only had 39 points in 55 games between the U.S. National U18 Team and the USNTDP Juniors. He proceeded to have eight points in 25 NCAA games this season, the lowest of their three 2025 draftees to play NCAA games this year. North American reputations for defense don’t mean much when your players can’t put the puck in the net. Also adding a player with more AHL points than any of their potentially returning AHLers with a fourth round pick is a solid immediate depth move.

Adding a goalie, a large shutdown defenseman, and a gritty shooting forward on top of that tells me that overall, I would give Sunny Mehta about a B+ on his first NHL Draft with the Devils. Retrospectives will be telling here, but if I had to predict where I think each of these guys will end up right now, it would be this:

• Alexander Command: middle six two-way all-around pest center (ideal NHL ETA: 2027-28)
• Matias Vanhanen: plug-anywhere top nine playmaking wing, to be paired with shooting centers (ideal NHL ETA: 2028-29)
• Nikita Shcherbakov: sixth or seventh defenseman with penalty killing use (ideal NHL ETA: 2029-30)
• *Amadeus Lombardi – fourth-line center for the New Jersey Devils in 2026-27 for at least 40 games*
• Lavr Gashilov: NHL power play monster and sheltered scoring line center or wing (ideal NHL ETA: 2028-29)
• Daniil Rusakovich: Second or third rotational goaltender (ideal NHL ETA: 20230-31)
• Luke Wilfley: AHL grit forward, probably some super-high scoring ECHL seasons or a trip overseas at some point (ideal NHL ETA: 2030-31)
• Quinn McKenzie: AHL scorer or NHL high-intensity fourth-line plug-in forward who can spark teams; possibly someone who spends his 30s overseas after a few partial or full NHL seasons (ideal NHL ETA: 2030-31)

In all, I am pretty good with that draft. I don’t think it will be too long before all of Command, Vanhanen, and Gashilov are in the NHL and able to contribute, as they are the players I am definitely most hopeful for out of this year’s Devils draft pool. I think I would have preferred to see a trade with one of their second-round picks for someone who can help in 2026-27, but the Devils do have a lot of first-round draft capital to work with in their next two drafts that could be leveraged in the days after July 1, when some no-trade clauses weaken. We will see: this B+ grade is on the value and fit of the picks taken and not representative of the whole offseason, which may not even be at its peak. I am particularly excited about the fit that Command will have on the Devils, lining up behind Hischier and Hughes and possibly being the guy who successfully takes pressure off of them. Beyond Command, I think Gashilov is a steal in the making.

But what do you think of the draft as a whole? If you have not yet done so, check The Feed for any polls that are still open on the draftees, and I will update this post here with the full results when all of them close later tonight. For now, thanks for reading.

The 2026 NHL Draft has come and gone, and the Anaheim Ducks, a team who took a massive step forward in their build in 2025-26 by making the playoffs and advancing to the second round, are even younger and have even more cap space than they did on Friday morning. 

Friday’s Day 1 of the draft is one of the bigger organizational shifts in the history of the Ducks franchise, as they parted with two pieces that had become NHL regulars in Mason McTavish (3rd overall in 2021) and Olen Zellweger (33rd in ’21) in exchange for two first-round picks (15th overall and 29th overall) in the 2026 draft, a second-round pick (45th overall) in the 2026 draft, and forward prospect Anton Wahlberg (39th in ’23).

2026 Anaheim Ducks Draft Grades, Analysis

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek on McTavish/Zellweger Trades, 2026 Draft & More

As it stands, the Ducks have nine NHL forwards, four defensemen, and two goaltenders under contract for the 2026-27 season, with four RFAs in need of new deals. One of their NHL forwards is Troy Terry, who will miss approximately 25-35 games to start the season as he recovers from hip surgery. 

A glance at the depth chart will reveal the Ducks have holes up and down their lineup with NHL Free Agency set to begin in just three days, on July 1 at 9 AM PT. With two of their most valuable roster trade chips already moved, the Ducks may have to find a trade partner who covets futures if they intend to improve their roster via the trade market. 

That brings us to Free Agency. 

The Ducks currently have a projected $44.6 million in cap space, and the biggest items presumably on their shopping list are one or two top-four defensemen to play alongside Jackson LaCombe and Pavel Mintyukov, a middle-six center upgrade, and one or two complementary wingers to balance out the depth chart.

The 2026 Free Agency class is notoriously barren, especially at Anaheim’s two biggest areas of need: right-shot defense and center. 

Defense

Two of the top three UFA right-shot defensemen are former Ducks Jacob Trouba and John Carlson (though the Carolina Hurricanes traded for his signing rights), who are both reported to be heading to market and unlikely to return to Anaheim. Another player seemingly heading to market is Radko Gudas, which leaves Rasmus Andersson, Andrew Peeke, Troy Stecher, and Vincent Desharnais as the only available RHDs who played top-four minutes a year ago and who aren’t former Ducks.

An unorthodox, but perhaps necessary, approach if the Ducks intend to improve their blueline this offseason would be to target players who shoot left and deploy a lineup with one or two left shots on the right side. Doing so would open up countless options on the trade and free agency markets, as left shots are in far less demand league-wide. It’s a proven viable strategy, as each of the last four Stanley Cup-winning teams (2023 Vegas Golden Knights, 2024 Florida Panthers, 2025 Florida Panthers, 2026 Carolina Hurricanes) iced a lineup that featured four left shots and two right shots on their blueline, which should increase confidence in the strategy for teams.

In terms of the free-agent class, opting to target left-shot defensemen would allow the Ducks to pursue a higher number of players who fit their depth chart, such as Mario Ferraro, Ryan Shea, Jeremy Lauzon, Jamie Oleksiak, and Logan Stanley. 

Forwards

If they can’t improve through trade, the Ducks may be forced to enter the season with what they currently have in the organization down the middle. The only projected UFA forwards capable of playing middle-six center minutes are Boone Jenner and Erik Haula. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek stated after the first round of the NHL draft that the Ducks have organizational options at the position, and mentioned specifically Mikael Granlund, along with the potential of prospect Roger McQueen or Cutter Gauthier filling in down the middle in the upcoming season. 

If improving down the middle is too tall an order, there are several useful wingers available on the market. As mentioned, Terry will miss the opening stretch of the upcoming season, and veterans like Alex Killorn and Chris Kreider aren’t getting younger and will be lucky to maintain their output from the 2025-26 season. 

Sophomore Beckett Sennecke may be rendered as the only bona fide top-six winger on the Ducks’ current roster. The hope of a bounce-back season from Frank Vatrano or breakouts from younger players like Nikita Nesterenko, Sam Colangelo, or another from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL are possible, but less likely outcomes. 

The trade market will likely feature several quality available wingers, but in the UFA market, wingers like Mats Zuccarello, Ilya Mikheyev, Mason Marchment, Jaden Schwartz, Eeli Tolvanen, Kasperi Kapanen, Anthony Mantha, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Anders Lee each offer differing, yet intriguing potential for the Ducks. Perhaps even a reunion between former Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane and former Hawks head coach Joel Quenneville could offer an interesting storyline.

Moving Forward

Though the Ducks may not be able to directly fill needs in the next week or even between now and training camp, there are options available for them to improve the roster as a whole. There’s a real possibility that adding along the wing and bringing in a left-shot or two to solidify their blueline could keep the Ducks afloat in the 2026-27 standings long enough for Terry to return to the lineup and/or allow a potential breakout campaign from a younger player who could become a big piece of the team’s future like Jackson LaCombe did a couple of seasons ago. 

Relying on a breakout season isn’t a recommended strategy, but one wouldn’t be too surprised to see a player like Roger McQueen or Tristan Luneau immediately contribute, or even see a player like Sam Colangelo or Ian Moore elevate their game if afforded the opportunity to do so.

Anaheim Ducks Select Nikita Klepov with 15th Overall Pick

Anaheim Ducks Select Marcus Nordmark with 28th Overall Pick

Ducks Sign Ian Moore to Two-Year Contract Extension

With this year's free agency class not being the strongest, there has been a lot of trade activity around the NHL. This should only continue to be the case as the off-season rolls on, and the Montreal Canadiens could be a team to watch in the trade market. 

NHL insider Frank Seravalli put three Canadiens on his trade board for Hockey 24/7, as Samuel Montembeault, Kirby Dach, and Brendan Gallagher all made the cut. 

Montembeault was given the No. 19 spot, and it is not difficult to understand why. He was passed on the Canadiens' depth chart by Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler last season, and the Habs should be looking to move him because of it. In 25 games last season for Montreal, he had a 10-8-4 record, an .873 save percentage, and a 3.43 goals-against average. 

Dach was given the No. 22 spot by Seravalli on his trade board. The big center is a pending restricted free agent and could be a player the Canadiens dangle if they do not view him as a long-term part of their plans. In 37 games this past season with the Habs, the 6-foot-4 forward posted eight goals, 15 points, and 53 hits. 

As for Gallagher, he landed the No. 34 spot. He was transparent at the end of the season that his time in Montreal was coming to an end, and it is no secret that the Canadiens are looking to move him. The veteran winger posted seven goals, 23 points, and 98 hits in 77 games last season for Montreal. 

Ohio State men’s hockey saw four players drafted on Saturday in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Unlike the NFL and NBA Drafts where when a player is drafted they can no longer play at the college level, the NHL allows players to play college hockey and the team that drafts them retains their rights for a certain amount of time.

Then again, using the NBA Draft as an example to describe how college eligibility works might not be the smartest thing to do since we saw some strange rulings over the past year on players who were already drafted and wanted to return to college.

The Buckeyes finished the 2025-26 season with a 14-21-2 record, missing the NCAA Tournament after losing in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game. All four of the players drafted on Saturday are incoming freshmen and are still scheduled to come to Columbus in the fall to don the scarlet and gray.

With these four additions to the roster, Ohio State could be in for a bounce-back season in 2026-27.

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Ben Wilmott – 92nd overall pick – Las Vegas Golden Knights

The Las Vegas Golden Knights traded forward Pavel Dorofeyev on Friday to the New York Rangers for a number of draft picks. One of those picks Las Vegas received was the 92nd overall pick, which the Golden Knights used on Saturday to select Ben Wilmott, who will turn 20 years old in August.

The Seattle native split last season between the London Knights and Barrie Colts in the Ontario Hockey League. In 37 games with London, Wilmott scored 12 goals and dished out 22 assists in 37 games. Wilmott would then play in 27 regular season games for Barrie, netting 15 goals and 17 assists before adding 11 goals and 11 assists in 20 games in the playoffs.

What stood out about Wilmott during his time in the OHL is the work he does around the net. Wilmott is a bit of a late bloomer and needs to work on his speed and his play away from the puck. If Wilmott is able to build on what he did in the OHL last year, the rest of the Big Ten could be in trouble this season.

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Evan Jardine – 121st overall pick – Columbus Blue Jackets

The most notable pick involving an Ohio State player on Saturday was the selection of Evan Jardine by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the 121st overall pick. The Blue Jackets traded down a couple times earlier in the fourth round, accumulating a few more picks before taking Jardine.

While Jardine was already committed to Ohio State, where he is playing his hockey in a few years could just be a few miles down the road from campus.

Jardine has played in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms since 2023-24. Last year Jardine not only scored 27 goals and recorded 34 assists, he showed a bit of a mean streak, racking up 70 penalty minutes in 53 games. Much like Wilmott, Jardine has the ability to get under the skin of his opponents.

Jardine has a great mix of skill and grit, which could lead to him being a fan favorite in Columbus for both the Buckeyes and the Blue Jackets.

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Tobias Tvrznik – 126th overall pick – Colorado Avalanche

This season we saw Jakub Dobeš take over as the starting goaltender in Montreal, helping the Canadiens reach the Eastern Conference Finals before they were eventually eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Tobias Tvrznik hopes to find success in the NHL in the future after he was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday in the fourth round.

The Czechia product will have a few years before he reaches the NHL, as he won’t even turn 19 until the end of July. Before committing to Ohio State, Tvrznik appeared in 39 games for the Wenatchee Wild of the Western Hockey League, posting a 3.10 goals against average and .913 save percentage.

While the goals against average is a little high, Tvrznik’s save percentage is impressive. With a pretty crowded pipeline at goalie, Tvrznik can afford to spend some time in Columbus to develop.

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Will Tomko – 204th overall pick – Seattle Kraken

The final future Buckeye selected on Saturday was Will Tomko, who was drafted by the Seattle Kraken in the seventh round with the 204th overall pick.

There are a lot of similarities between Tomko and Evan Jardine, who was taken in the fourth round by Columbus. Tomko and Jardine are similar in size, standing at six-feet tall and weighing about 185 pounds.

In 59 games with the Sioux City Musketeers, Tomko scored 24 goals and handed out 36 assists. Tomko also spent a lot time in the penalty box, racking up 115 minutes in the sin bin last season. If his play with Sioux City is any indication of what he brings to the table, expect to see Tomko all over the ice during his time as a Buckeye.

The writing was on the wall for Brendan Gallagher and the Montreal Canadiens. While everyone saw the split coming, it wasn’t expected to be that sudden. When the alternate captain broke down in tears on dressing room clear-out day and said it was pretty obvious he would be moving on, a whole generation of fans’ hearts broke.

While GM Kent Hughes hasn’t been able to trade the veteran out of town yet, there is no doubt that one way or another, the organization will grant his wish. Owner Geoff Molson, who spoke at the City of Montreal ceremony that made Gallagher an honorary citizen, said it will be different when he returns to play against the Canadiens next season, but that he will still be treated as a hero by the fans.

Canadiens Go For Size On Day Two
Update On Gleb Pugachyov And His Potential Impact On The Prospect Pool
Canadiens’ Hughes Confident He Can Make A Move And How The Stars Might Align For Marchenko

On Saturday, the owner was proven right. Generally speaking, when a player leaves the Canadiens, collectors tend to try to sell the items they’ve accumulated over the years, but that’s not happening with Gallagher. Quite the opposite, in fact. So much so that Mascouche-based Memorable Authentic owners Francis Benoit and Julie Potvin decided to organize one last signing session with the man who wore the Sainte-Flanelle with pride for 14 years, and the response was overwhelming. Over 500 fans bought tickets to attend the signing session with Gallagher and his good friend Jake Evans.

While most were there to get their item signed and bid farewell to the man they had cheered on for years, Jean-Claude Tremblay had a different mission. The lifelong Canadiens fan is an accomplished collector who often acquires items at NHL auctions. During the playoffs, he won the Tampa Bay Lightning auction for what would turn out to be Gallagher’s last-goal puck with the Tricolore. With fees and taxes, the collectible set him back around $450, and since Gallagher’s impending departure was announced, he has received numerous offers in excess of $1,000 to buy the famous puck, but he refused them all. He felt the puck belonged to Gallagher:

“It belongs to him, said Tremblay. I’m a fan of his, but he was first and foremost my son’s idol. He was a great role model for him and for so many kids. It’s the least I could do [gifting him the piece of history].”

When he found out about the signing session, Tremblay asked Benoit if he could have a moment with Gallagher to gift him the puck. Not only did the organizers agree, but they also took it upon themselves to frame the goal puck with a picture of Gallagher scoring against the Bolts. That’s how, on Saturday, before the Canadiens’ warrior started signing autographs, Tremblay presented him with the gift. The gesture moved number 11 and was very appreciative, as shown by the picture of the moment.

While Tremblay didn’t want to be reimbursed for the puck, Gallagher’s agent asked that he be given a few autographed items and mentioned that he would make arrangements to get him a game-used stick signed by the forward later.

As for Patricia Neron, Bailey Larouche, and Lucie Lachance, they spent a few weeks collecting fans’ messages for the winger and compiled them into a scrapbook, which they presented to him at the signing session. If the names sound familiar, it might be because Neron was the fan who put together a similar scrapbook full of positive comments for David Reinbacher after his selection at the 2023 NHL Draft wasn’t well received by fans and led to online abuse. As for Lachance, she was the fan who gave Gallagher his practice-worn Hockey Fights Cancer jersey after his mother Della lost her battle with brain cancer.

It’s heartwarming to see how much fans love and appreciate Gallagher, even if he was never a superstar. The fanbase instantly took to him when he joined the Canadiens for the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. His work ethic and devotion to the team were obvious straight from the start, and they never wavered. Even though he was progressively pushed out of the lineup this past season, he remained a great leader and teammate for the good of the team, never complaining and telling the media he understood the situation.

My friend shared this, when we gave the book to Gally…He definitely loved it!! pic.twitter.com/pY4IDWyrgQ

— Lucie Lachance (@LucieLou08) June 27, 2026

There’s no doubt that Gallagher has made a lot of memories over his 14 years in Montreal, but yesterday, he was able to see, perhaps for one last time before he moves on, how much Canadiens fans care for him.

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The Vancouver Canucks are starting to build a strong prospect pool. Whether through the draft, trade or free agency, there are quite a few prospects who could make an impact at the NHL level sooner rather than later. Here is a look at the top ten prospects in Vancouver's system following the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. 

*Note: To qualify for this list, players must be 23 or under and have played fewer than 25 combined NHL regular-season and playoff games. Players are ranked based on age, position, potential, and overall performance during the 2025-26 season.

Honourable Mention: Ty Mueller- Abbotsford Canucks, AHL

C, 5'11", 185 lbs- 105th Overall in 2023

Ty Mueller continues to develop into a late-round steal for the Canucks. The 23-year-old recorded 37 points in 61 games last season with the Abbotsford Canucks while also scoring his first career NHL goal. Mueller will most likely start next season in the AHL, but could be one of the first players called up if injuries or trades occur during the year. 

10. Riley Patterson- Abbotsford Canucks, AHL

C, 6'0", 192 lbs- 125th Overall in 2024

Riley Patterson had a strong final campaign in the OHL. The 20-year-old led the Niagara IceDogs with 84 points in 60 games before producing eight points in five playoff games. After his OHL season concluded, Patterson joined Abbotsford, where he scored his first career AHL goal and recorded two points in four games. 

9. Sawyer Mynio- Abbotsford Canucks, AHL

LD, 6'1", 173 lbs- 89th Overall in 2023

One player who really stepped up for the AHL Canucks in 2025-26 was Sawyer Mynio. The 21-year-old took full advantage of his opportunities and produced 21 points in 58 games. Mynio is projected to be a top-four defender for Abbotsford in 2026-27 and should see time on both the penalty kill and power play. 

8. Ty Young- Abbotsford Canucks, AHL

G, 6'3", 181 lbs- 144th Overall in 2022

For the second straight season, Ty Young split the campaign between the AHL and ECHL. He finished with a record of 6-10-1 for the AHL Canucks, while posting a record of 7-5-1 with the Kalamazoo Wings. Based on Vancouver's current goaltending situation, Young should get more opportunities with Abbotsford this year. 

7. Alexei Medvedev- London Knights, OHL

G, 6'2", 178 lbs- 47th Overall in 2025

The 2025-26 campaign was not kind to Alexei Medvedev. He posted a 16-15-3 record, but lost his starting job before the start of the playoffs. Medvedev is scheduled to return to the OHL next year and should be in store for a bounce-back season in 2026-27. 

6. Niklas Aaram-Olsen- Boston University, NCAA

LW, 6'1", 183 lbs- 41st Overall in 2026

Niklas Aaram-Olsen is coming off an impressive season in the J20 Nationell over in Sweden. The 18-year-old scored 20 goals while recording 40 points in 29 games for Örebro HK's U20 program. On top of heading to the NCAA, Aaram-Olsen is projected to be named to Norway's 2027 Division IA World Juniors team. 

Vancouver Canucks 2026 NHL Entry Draft Selection TrackerA list with articles on all prospects the Vancouver Canucks select at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, updated throughout the draft.

5. Kirill Kudryavtsev- Abbotsford Canucks, AHL

LD, 5'11", 200 lbs- 208th Overall in 2022

Kirill Kudryavtsev continues to demonstrate why he is the steal of the 2022 draft. The 22-year-old was able to produce 20 points despite being limited to 44 games due to injury. Just like the last two years, Kudryavtsev will most likely receive a call-up to the NHL next season. 

4. Brooks Rogowski- Oshawa Generals, OHL 

C, 6'7", 235 lbs- 33rd Overall in 2026

The Canucks picked up one of the tallest and biggest prospects in the 2026 draft with Brooks Rogowski. The 18-year-old had a solid rookie season in the OHL, producing 42 points in 46 games. If Rogowski can have a strong start to his campaign, he could be in the conversation for Team USA at the 2027 World Juniors. 

3. Adam Novotný- Peterborough Petes, OHL

LW, 6'1", 205 lbs- 24th Overall in 2026

With their second pick of the first round, Vancouver selected Adam Novotný from Czechia. The 18-year-old had a successful rookie campaign in the OHL last year with 65 points in 58 games. Novotný is projected to be named to Czechia's World Juniors team for the second straight year. 

2. Braeden Cootes- Prince Albert Raiders, WHL

C, 5'11", 183 lbs- 15th Overall in 2025

After a dominant season in which he posted 63 points in 45 games and led his team to the WHL final, it looks like Braeden Cootes is ready to make the jump to the pro level. With the new AHL rule, the 19-year-old could be assigned to Abbotsford if he does not make the Canucks full-time. There is a good chance that Cootes at least gets a shot in the NHL and very well could be in the starting lineup when the season opens. 

1. Caleb Malhotra- Boston University, NCAA

C, 6'2", 182 lbs- 3rd Overall in 2026

Vancouver's newest top prospect is Caleb Malhotra. The 18-year-old had a season to remember in the OHL as he produced 84 points in 67 games and led the Brantford Bulldogs to the Eastern Conference Final. Malhotra will be headed to the NCAA next year, but it should not be long before he is making an impact at the NHL level. 

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Fabian Lysell arrives in Denver as the latest low-risk, high-upside swing for a Colorado Avalanche team that has made a habit of betting on talent others couldn’t quite unlock.

The track record is real. Andre Burakovsky turned a fresh start into a Stanley Cup ring in Colorado. Valeri Nichushkin—once written off by some around the league—became an indispensable piece of a championship core after arriving in Denver via a change of scenery.

Nichushkin’s path stands as the clearest blueprint. After his career stalled with the Dallas Stars amid questions about consistency, fit, and whether his game would ever fully translate at the NHL level, he found new life in Colorado and eventually developed into one of the Avalanche’s most important players.

Now, it’s Lysell’s turn to see if he can follow a similar trajectory.

The Avalanche acquired the former first-round pick from the Boston Bruins in exchange for Ivan Ivan, a depth forward who spent much of last season with the Colorado Eagles but left a strong impression on teammates and within the organization.

Drafted 21st overall in 2021, Lysell has appeared in just 12 NHL games to this point in his career. The flashes are easy to spot—the pace, the hands, the creativity that once made him a top prospect—but he has yet to find real traction at the NHL level or steady consistency in Providence.

A 50-point season in 2023-24 looked like a potential turning point. Instead, it was followed by 34 points in 52 games in 2024-25 and 42 points in 57 games this past season, leaving his development stuck in neutral rather than accelerating forward.

Part of that responsibility sits with the player, as it does with any prospect trying to establish himself. But there’s also a broader question of fit and development in Boston—whether Lysell was ever given the runway to lean fully into the offensive instincts that made him a first-round pick, or instead asked to adapt before his game was truly ready.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney hinted at that complexity when addressing the move.

“He hasn't fully grasped at the NHL level what it probably requires to play each and every night. He took ownership of that today,” Sweeney said. “We took ownership that, could we have done more and better in supporting him? Probably.”

Now, the reset begins.

When Lysell eventually makes his way to Denver for offseason training and pre-camp preparation, the spotlight shifts to how quickly he can translate talent into trust at the NHL level—and whether the Avalanche can unlock something Boston couldn’t consistently sustain.

Before turning pro in North America, Lysell developed in Sweden, spending parts of two seasons with Luleå HF in the SHL while also starring for Frölunda’s junior program. He posted three points (2G, 1A) in 26 SHL games during the 2020-21 season.

After being selected in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft, he came to North America and found immediate offensive success with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants in 2021-22, finishing with 62 points (22 goals, 40 assists) in 53 regular-season games. He elevated further in the postseason with 21 points (4 goals, 17 assists) in 12 playoff games, leading the WHL in assists that spring.

Internationally, Lysell has represented Sweden at the 2021 U18 World Championship and back-to-back World Junior Championships in 2022 and 2023, earning bronze medals at both the U18 and 2022 World Junior tournaments.

For Colorado, the talent is the easy part to see. The harder question is whether structure, opportunity, and patience under Jared Bednar can turn it into something permanent.

Fabian Lysell arrives in Denver as the latest low-risk, high-upside swing for a Colorado Avalanche team that has made a habit of betting on talent others couldn’t quite unlock.

The track record is real. Andre Burakovsky turned a fresh start into a Stanley Cup ring in Colorado. Valeri Nichushkin—once written off by some around the league—became an indispensable piece of a championship core despite a turbulent path that included a recent trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for the 43rd overall pick in the NHL Draft.

Nichushkin’s own path serves as a reminder of what’s possible. After his career stalled with the Dallas Stars for similar reasons—questions about consistency, fit, and whether his game would ever fully translate at the NHL level—he arrived in Colorado and, over time, developed into one of the Avalanche’s most important players and a key piece of a Stanley Cup-winning core.

Now, it’s Lysell’s turn to try and follow that same blueprint.

The Avalanche acquired the former first-round pick from the Boston Bruins in exchange for Ivan Ivan, a depth forward who spent much of last season with the Colorado Eagles but left a strong impression on teammates and within the organization.

Drafted 21st overall in 2021, Lysell has appeared in just 12 NHL games to this point in his career. The flashes are easy to spot—the pace, the hands, the creativity that once made him a top prospect—but he has yet to find real traction at the NHL level or steady consistency in Providence.

A 50-point season in 2023-24 looked like a potential turning point. Instead, it was followed by 34 points in 52 games in 2024-25 and 42 points in 57 games this past season, leaving his development stuck in neutral rather than accelerating forward.

Part of that responsibility sits with the player, as it does with any prospect trying to establish himself. But there’s also a broader question of fit and development in Boston—whether Lysell was ever given the runway to lean fully into the offensive instincts that made him a first-round pick, or instead asked to adapt before his game was truly ready.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney hinted at that complexity when addressing the move.

“He hasn't fully grasped at the NHL level what it probably requires to play each and every night. He took ownership of that today,” Sweeney said. “We took ownership that, could we have done more and better in supporting him? Probably.”

Now, the reset begins.

When Lysell eventually makes his way to Denver for offseason training and pre-camp preparation, the spotlight shifts to how quickly he can translate talent into trust at the NHL level—and whether the Avalanche can unlock something Boston couldn’t consistently sustain.

Before turning pro in North America, Lysell developed in Sweden, spending parts of two seasons with Luleå HF in the SHL while also starring for Frölunda’s junior program. He posted three points (2G, 1A) in 26 SHL games during the 2020-21 season.

After being selected in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft, he came to North America and found immediate offensive success with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants in 2021-22, finishing with 62 points (22 goals, 40 assists) in 53 regular-season games. He elevated further in the postseason with 21 points (4 goals, 17 assists) in 12 playoff games, leading the WHL in assists that spring.

Internationally, Lysell has represented Sweden at the 2021 U18 World Championship and back-to-back World Junior Championships in 2022 and 2023, earning bronze medals at both the U18 and 2022 World Junior tournaments.

For Colorado, the talent is the easy part to see. The harder question is whether structure, opportunity, and patience under Jared Bednar can turn it into something permanent.