Category: NHL

The New Jersey Devils came into Day 2 of the 2026 NHL Draft with just four selections to make, and two of them were in the second round. However, they moved back two spots from 35 to 37 with the Chicago Blackhawks, and took on the 119th overall pick as a result. 

With the 119th pick in the draft, the Devils selected forward Lavr Gashilov of Russia. He played in the MHL, which is the minor league to the KHL, and had 16 goals and 53 assists for 69 points in 51 games played. 

He has the ability to score some goals, but the playmaking is where he has thrived so far in his young career. Having 50 assists is an incredible achievement, even with it being the lesser of the two prominent Russian leagues. 

Gashilov is the first player to lead the MHL in assists during a draft-eligible season. He did a lot of his great work on the power play, which is a major part of his game. 

If you're looking for areas of improvement within Gashilov, his play away from the puck stands out the most. That is an area of concern for a lot of prospects who prioritize offense, and it's something that the Devils must develop within his game if he is going to become an NHL forward. 

Usually, players with his set of skills only have a place in the top six of an NHL lineup. If he never reaches the potential to play in that role, he is unlikely to have the tools to be a bottom-six forward. 

Sunny Mehta, with a lot of his selections so far, has used his selections on players with high ceilings and low floors. The development staff has their work cut out for them, but the reward could be players who make a difference. 

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While 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.

Ostapchuk, who was originally drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft, has quickly carved out a role for himself as a bottom-six center of the future for the Sharks since being acquired from the Senators as a part of the Fabian Zetterlund trade. 

During the 2025-26 season, Ostapchuk started the campaign with the Sharks' American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. After 11 games with the Sharks' farm team, Ostapchuk earned a call up in the middle of November and never looked back.

In 59 games with the Sharks, Ostapchuk scored four goals and seven total points. With that being said, he's more regarded for his play on the defensive side of the puck and on the penalty kill. He's lining up to be the Sharks' long-term fourth-line center, a role that often goes under-appreciated, but makes a massive difference. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins traded up to the fourth round of the 2026 NHL Draft on Saturday.

They originally had a sixth-round pick but traded it, along with a 2027 fourth-round pick, to the Boston Bruins for the 111th overall pick. 

The Penguins have acquired the 111th overall pick from the Boston Bruins in exchange for the 170th overall pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick (originally Winnipeg's). pic.twitter.com/j75GIPlZek

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) June 27, 2026

The Penguins found a player that they liked and traded up to select 20-year-old defenseman Parker Von Richter of the OHL's Barrie Colts. He played in 28 games with the Colts this season, compiling eight goals and 24 points. He also finished the playoffs with two goals and 14 points in 21 games. 

Von Richter originally started the 2025-26 season with the Brampton Steelheads before they traded him to the Colts. He had four goals and 25 points in 38 games with the Steelheads before he was traded. 

Von Richter is committed to the University of New Hampshire for the 2026-27 season. 

He stands as the Penguins' last pick of the day unless they acquire another pick. 

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In the fourth round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders selected right-shot defenseman Lincoln Kuehne out of Arizona State University in the NCAA.

Kuehne scored one goal with one assist for two points in 30 games last season, logging limited minutes for the Arizona squad. The 6’2” defenseman previously played with the USNTDP.

The Fargo, North Dakota native is a steady, rangy blueliner with above-average skating and shutdown ability. His 205-pound frame enables him to play with physicality, and while he won’t produce many points, Kuehne can break the puck out and make the occasional play up ice.

Per @eliteprospects on #Isles RHD Lincoln Kuehne:

Active feet, quickness, and physical skills are Kuehne’s best elements. Combined with his tools, he pushes rushes wide, comes across, and secures pucks. Even against quick attackers, he instantly matches their moves, eliminates…

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) June 27, 2026

Kuehne joins the shallowest area of the Islanders’ prospect pool: the right side. New York added yet another left-shot defenseman by drafting Malte Gustafsson yesterday, so the right-shot Kuehne will serve as a necessary supplement for the farm system. 

The Islanders have only one other right-shot defensive prospect inTomas Machu out of Providence College. Now, general manager Mathieu Darche has bolstered this positional weakness — at least in part.

The Islanders are slated to select three more times, once each in rounds five, six, and seven. Day 2 of the NHL Draft is available to watch on NHL Network, Sportsnet, and ESPN+.

Kai Russell wrote this story. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a knack for finding value in the middle rounds of the NHL Draft, as they have drafted talents such as Bryan Rust, Jake Guentzel, Harrison Brunicke, and Sergei Murashov beyond the first round.

And they may just have found more with their third-round pick Saturday.

With their 86th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the Penguins selected LW Pierce Mbuyi from the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL. Mbuyi, a 5-foot-10, 163-pound forward, had 32 goals and 75 points in 68 games last season, and he confirmed he will go back to the Sound for one more season before heading to Penn State for the 2027-28 season.

Although a bit undersized, Mbuyi has the scoring ability and the motor to generate quite a bit offensively. His speed is the hallmark of his game, but he excels around areas of the net-front despite his physical disadvantage and thrives off the rush, creating opportunity and forcing turnovers in the neutral zone. He is also strong on the forecheck and uses his skating to his advantage on that front. 

Mbuyi was an alternate captain for the Sound last season and was named the team's captain last spring.

The Penguins had one more selection in the draft, and they traded up to 111th overall to select defenseman Parker Von Ricther.

NHL Draft: Penguins Select Left Defenseman With Second-Round PickThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> continued to add to their defensive prospect pool during the second round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.

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Hurricanes star Seth Jarvis is expected to miss at least the first part of next season. 

The newly minted Stanley Cup champion underwent shoulder surgery that will “probably” sideline him “4-6 months,” according to Carolina general manager Eric Tulsky. 

“Hopefully on the shorter end of that,” Tulsky said, per NHL.com. ”But that’s the range we were given.”

Jarvis dealt with issues on the same shoulder during the 2023-24 season, although he played 81 games through the injury.

“Shoulders are tough,” Tulsky said. “Once it goes, you can keep aggravating it and it can limit what you can do and it’s tough, and eventually it needs to be repaired. You can strengthen it and try to get through it, and he did that for a while.”

Tulsky said Jarvis, the Hurricanes’ leading goal scorer, likely would have had the procedure last summer if the team hadn’t made a deep playoff run, but opted against it to avoid missing a significant portion of the season.

“Then we got to this year and had another deep run, and at some point, you just need to do it,” he continued. “You can’t be limited for the rest of your career. You start thinking maybe we’re going to have deep runs every year and are just going to have to bite the bullet and get it done.”

Jarvis, who was taken No. 13 overall by the Hurricanes in the 2020 NHL Draft, had another excellent season for Carolina with 66 points (32 goals, 34 assists). 

It was his third straight season reaching each of those figures. 

During the Canes’ Stanley Cup run, Jarvis had 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 19 games, including a pair of assists and goal during the Final against the Golden Knights.

The Nashville Predators have swung a draft day deal. They've announced that they have acquired forward Adam Edstrom from the New York Rangers.

In exchange, the Predators are sending forward Massimo Rizzo and pick No. 148 in this year's draft to the Rangers. 

Much like the Ross Colton and Jack Drury trades by newly hired GM Chris MacFarland, this deal is low-risk, high-reward. 

Edstrom, 25, is a huge player; he stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 232 pounds. This is a great addition to the Predators' bottom six, especially considering they have a lot of young, smaller forwards on their NHL team. 

Last season, in 35 games with the Rangers, he had three goals and two assists for five points. Over his career, he has played in 97 NHL games and scored 10 goals and six assists for 16 points.

By now, you can probably tell that Edstrom hasn't been an everyday NHL player at this point in his career. However, that is likely going to change with this new opportunity with the Predators. 

As a team, they are looking to get younger; Edstrom helps with that. Plus, when you add in his size, it's a great depth pick up for Nashville.

The Pittsburgh Penguins kept the 2026 NHL Draft's twins together.

The Penguins drafted Liam Ruck in the first round with the 22nd overall pick on Friday, June 26. That made their second-round choice easy on Saturday. They selected his twin brother Markus with the 39th overall pick.

"That would make sense if that's the way the board falls," general manager Kyle Dubas said Friday.

Liam said the longest span the brothers have been apart is four days.

"We're obviously pretty close brothers," he said. "We go through everything together, I hope his name is called soon because he deserves it."

It happened less than 24 hours later.

What a moment for Markus Ruck and his family 🥹 pic.twitter.com/Bh3ApRjBpC

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 27, 2026

Liam and Markus play for Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League and will return there next season. Markus had 108 points to Liam's 104 as they filled the gap when eventual Toronto Maple LeafsNo. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna left for Penn State.

Kyle Woodlief of Red Line Report said Markus has an "outstanding passing touch and playmaking skills. Excellent vision." He said Liam "wants the puck on his stick in pressure situations and thrived as the 'go-to' guy."

Both have committed to North Dakota for 2027. Liam said there's more work to do now that he's drafted.

"I want to be more explosive with my skating," Liam said. "I think that's going to come with strength. I need to get stronger and heavier."

Flames draft Jarome Iginla's son

The Calgary Flames selected Joe Iginla in the third round with the 65th overall pick. His father began his Hall of Fame career in Calgary. The Flames had missed out on Jarome's older son, Tij, who was drafted sixth overall by the Utah Mammoth in 2024, three picks before Calgary had its first selection.

Blues acquire Brandon Carlo from Maple Leafs

The Blues give up two third-round picks for the defensive defenseman. It was their second acquisition of the draft after acquiring Mason McTavish on the first day.

Former Leafs GM Brad Treliving gave up Fraser Minten, a conditional first-round pick (expected to be in 2028) and a fourth-rounder to land Carlo in March 2025.

In another trade, the Predators acquired 6-foor-7 Adam Edstrom from the Rangers for Massimo Rizzo and a fifth-round pick.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL draft Day 2 takeaways: Penguins keep Ruck twins together

The Nashville Predators opened day two of the 2026 NHL Draft by adding to their goaltending pipeline, selecting Russian netminder Dmitri Borichev with the No. 70 pick in the third round.

Borichev was viewed as one of the better goaltending prospects available outside North America, ranked by Central Scouting as the top European goalie in the class. He’s 6-foot-3, close to 200 pounds, and already has the frame NHL teams tend to lean toward with young goalies.

This past season in the MHL with Loko Yaroslavl, he put up a 2.25 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage over 24 games. Pretty solid numbers for an 18-year-old playing in that environment.

Borichev isn’t overly flashy or chaotic in net. He’s more controlled than anything else. He tracks the puck well, stays square, and doesn’t really overextend on plays. It’s a simple style, but it works. When he does have to make a tougher save, the glove is the part that stands out.

Nashville has usually been pretty patient with goaltenders, and this feels like another one of those long-term swings. He’s not coming over and pushing for NHL time right away. He's going to stay in Russia for a bit and keep playing. And Nashville will just let the development run its course, and when the time is right, he will come over to North America.

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The Colorado Avalanche selected Egor Shilov with the 43rd overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, adding the Victoriaville Tigres center to their prospect pool.

The pick used to select Shilov was acquired on Thursday in a trade that sent Valeri Nichushkin to the Columbus Blue Jackets. In return, Colorado received the 43rd overall pick, along with a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft for the 31-year-old forward.

Born in Tyumen, Russia, Shilov moved to North America in 2024 and quickly began adjusting to the smaller ice and faster pace. He split his first season between U16 AAA hockey with the Long Island Gulls and a stint in the USHL, where he posted 28 points in 39 games—an early sign that his offensive game would translate.

That momentum carried into his first full year in the QMJHL with the Victoriaville Tigres, where Shilov delivered a breakout season. He scored 32 goals on an 18.5% shooting percentage and finished with 82 points in 63 regular-season games, adding five points in four playoff contests. His performance earned him QMJHL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and pushed him onto the radar as a legitimate early-round draft target.

Shilov’s game is built around offense. He’s a creative center who thrives with the puck, often slowing the game down just enough to open passing lanes or create space for his shot. While he leans more playmaker than pure finisher, his shot is accurate and dangerous when he has time to load up—particularly on the power play.

We have drafted forward Egor Shilov to the Colorado Avalanche organization! pic.twitter.com/CebQk6QG6l

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 27, 2026

He also handled a significant two-way workload in Victoriaville, winning 54.8% of more than 1,100 faceoffs, showing he can manage responsibilities down the middle while still driving offense. His ability to produce big nights stood out as well, including multiple five-point performances, two hat tricks, and a four-assist game during the season.

Rankings from a range of outlets generally placed Shilov between the late first and early second round, reflecting a common split in his profile: high-end skill versus questions about pace and skating tempo. At times, he can dictate play; at others, the game can speed past him.

That inconsistency likely played a role in him sliding to No. 43, but the Avalanche are clearly betting on the upside.

Shilov is expected to return to Victoriaville for the 2026–27 season before making the jump to the NCAA with Penn State University in 2027–28. The long development runway gives him time to refine his skating and adapt his game to higher levels without pressure to rush into the professional ranks.

For Colorado, it’s a calculated swing on a player who may or may not be a fit in their system right now, but could later on. 

The first round of the 2026 NHL draft was all about Gavin McKenna for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who was selected with the first overall pick.

The next phase of the draft holds rounds two to seven of the draft on Saturday, and the Maple Leafs selected left-handed defenseman Alexander Bilecki with the 60th pick. Bilecki was Toronto's first pick following the selection of McKenna.

Bilecki is a Mississauga, Ont., native who spent the past two seasons in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers. This past year, the blueliner scored nine goals and 29 points in 66 regular-season contests, as well as two goals and 11 points in 18 OHL post-season games.

He helped push the Rangers to an OHL championship. He also wound up becoming a Memorial Cup champion, chipping in three assists and a plus-five rating in four appearances at the tournament.

Bilecki was the third-highest scoring defenseman on the team in both the regular season and the playoffs. He was also tied for the third-most points as a defenseman in the entire Memorial Cup tournament.

‘That’s My Goal’ Gavin McKenna’s Aims To Play On Maple Leafs First Line Alongside Auston Matthews After going No. 1 overall at the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, teenage phenom Gavin McKenna already has his sights locked on a spot next to Auston Matthews on Toronto's top line.

The 18-year-old has been labelled as a power-play specialist and a blueliner who thrives at moving the puck from the back end. Bilecki had eight power-play points, but was behind Kitchener's captain, Cameron Reid, on the depth chart as the team's quarterback.

Next year, if Bilecki remains with the Rangers, he'll get plenty more ice time as Reid, a first-round pick of the Nashville Predators, will be taking his talents to the University of Michigan next year.

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The Calgary Flames had a busy second round of the 2026 NHL Draft, first grabbing Chase Harrington at 36th overall, followed by netminder Tobias Trejbal at 42nd, and Alan Haikhlislamov at 55th.

Then, the club made headlines with their first selection in the third round, calling Joe Iginla's name, son of franchise legend and Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla. 

Adding another Iginla to the organization 🔥 pic.twitter.com/tbqCfKSurQ

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) June 27, 2026

The NHL Draft is the second draft the Iginla family has attended in June, as Joe's older sister, Jade, recently joined Hamilton PWHL as the 18th overall pick. Meanwhile, their brother, Tij Iginla, was the sixth overall pick in the 2024 Draft by the Utah Mammoth. 

Joe, born in Lake Country, BC, played minor hockey in Kelowna before transitioning to the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL for the 2023-24 season, skating in his dad's home city. He was a point-per-game player in his first call-up, but in 2024-25, Inginla had only nine goals and 16 points in 61 games.

He bounced back last year, splitting his time between the Oil Kings and the Vancouver Giants. Overall, Joe scored 15 goals and 31 points in 59 games.

According to NHL Central Scouting, Iginla was the 200th-ranked prospect, with the Flames selecting him at 65th overall. Meanwhile, his Elite Prospects profile does not list where he'll play in 2026-27, giving Calgary fans something to track in the coming months. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins continued to add to their defensive prospect pool during the second round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.

With their 54th overall pick on Day Two, the Penguins selected defenseman Tomas Galvas out of Bílí Tygři Liberec in the Czech league. In 32 games during the 2025-26 season, he registered eight goals and 24 points, and he also put together a standout performance in the World Junior Championship with three goals and nine points in seven games en route to a silver medal.

Galvas, 20, was draft-eligible for two years prior to 2026 but was not selected. The left-side blueliner is listed at 5-foot-10, 168 pounds, and he experienced significant growth in the past year to skyrocket to a second-round selection in his third stab at the draft, with his growth likely giving the Penguins the confidence that they can project what he'll be at the NHL level.

He is a mobile defenseman who excels in transition, and he has the footspeed and the defensive ability to complement a pretty complete toolset. In addition, he fulfills a need for the Penguins, who want to keep adding to their defensive prospect pool.

Their next selection will come at 86 in the third round. 

Family Reunion: Penguins Select Markus Ruck With 39th Pick, Get Both TwinsIt appears a family reunion is in order for the Ruck family in Pittsburgh.

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The Vancouver Canucks have selected goaltender Dmitri Ivchenko with the 78th-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. 

A 6-foot-3 goaltender, Ivchenko split time between Yastreby Omsk of Russia's U-18 league and Omskie Yastreby of the MHL during the 2025-26 season. In the U-18 league, he registered a 2.11 GAA and .915 SV% in eight games, while he logged a 1.91 GAA and .922 SV% in the MHL. 

As it stands, Ivchenko is projected to stay in the MHL for the 2026-27 season. 

Ivchenko is the first goaltender the Canucks have selected in this year's draft as well as the first non-forward picked by the organization. Last year, Vancouver selected goaltender Aleksei Medvedev in the second-round of the NHL Draft. 

Prior to picking Ivchenko, Vancouver selected Caleb Malhotra (3rd) and Adam Novotný (24th) during the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft. The Canucks then went on to select Brooks Rogowski 33rd-overall and Niklas Aaram-Olsen 41st-overall during the second round. They have yet to select a defenceman in this year's draft. 

Vancouver will not select again until the fourth round, in which they’ll pick 97th-overall.  

Follow along with the Canucks’ 2026 NHL Entry Draft picks via our tracker: 

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.

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The Seattle Kraken have had six first-round selections in franchise history since joining the NHL in 2021.

​As the 2026 NHL Draft is underway, it is time to evaluate where each first-round draft pick is now and what they have accomplished since being selected. ​

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First Rounders: ​

Matty Beniers - 2021 - 2nd overall

The team's first draft selection was Matty Beniers in 2021. Beniers was the number two selection in the draft. Beniers has played five seasons with the Kraken. He won the 2022-23 Calder Trophy for the best rookie in the NHL as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. In his rookie season, he led all first-year players in points with 57. ​ The 23-year-old has appeared in 331 games with the Kraken, recording 82 goals and 114 assists. Last season, he appeared in all 82 games, recording 20 goals and 30 assists. ​

Shane Wright - 2022 - 4th

Shane Wright was the team's second-highest selection in franchise history. Wright was selected fourth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. He has played four seasons with the Kraken. ​The 22-year-old has appeared in 169 games for the Kraken, recording 36 goals and 42 assists. Last season, he appeared in 74 games, recording 12 goals and 15 assists. ​

Eduard Sale - 2023 - 20th

The Seattle Kraken selected Eduard Sale with the 20th pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. ​The 21-year-old spent one season in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers in 2023-24, appearing in 24 games and recording 18 points. He then joined the Coachella Valley Firebirds in 2024-25, where he played 51 games and recorded 21 points. Sale played for the Coachella Valley Firebirds again last season, appearing in 58 games and tallying 27 points. ​He has yet to make his NHL debut. ​

Berkely Catton - 2024 - 8th

The Kraken selected Berkly Catton with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. ​Catton signed his entry-level contract on July 5, 2024. The 20-year-old has played one NHL season, 2025-26. He appeared in 66 games for the team, recording seven goals and 10 assists. ​

Jake O’Brien - 2025 - 8th

Jake O’Brien was selected eighth overall in 2025 by the Seattle Kraken. O’Brien spent last season in the OHL with the Brantford Bulldogs, appearing in 53 games and recording 28 goals and 65 assists. ​He signed his entry-level contract on July 3, but the 19-year-old has not made his NHL debut yet. ​