2026 NHL Draft: Grading how all 32 teams did
BUFFALO – And that’s that.
The 2025-26 NHL Draft season has come to a close with the two-day affair in Buffalo this weekend. A total of 223 players were selected, with Gavin McKenna going first to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night.
Today’s ranking is based on a few factors: perceived value, quality vs. quantity, and any high-end potential. So much can change over the next decade with this draft class, and, as always, I hope I’m wrong on any of the players I had anything negative to say about.
Here’s a look at how each team did:
Anaheim Ducks: B+
Notable picks: Nikita Klepov, Marcus Nordmark, Jayden Kurtz
I liked the Klepov pick – snagging one of the CHL’s top forwards, and someone who projects as a second-line winger, gives the team some much-needed offensive depth. Nordmark was a bit puzzling, though. It feels like he should have been a Day 2 pick because he can be invisible away from the puck, and scouts have questioned his work ethic on the ice. Nobody can deny his skill, though, and that’s what the Ducks are banking on here. Beyond that, I loved Anaheim’s next three picks of Jayden Kurtz, Mathis Preston and Rian Chudzinski – while Kurtz was maybe a bit of a stretch at No. 45, I actually think he could be a serviceable third-pairing defenseman. Preston, in my opinion, went 25 picks too late at No. 50.
Boston Bruins: C-
Notable picks: Yuri Ivanov, Nils Bartholdsson, Matvei Kotkov
This was bound to happen, given Boston didn’t have many picks. Nils Bartholdsson was a decent pick, but I didn’t really care for anything else they did. They’re trying to hit high on underdeveloped or underscouted European prospects, and you can’t hate that strategy. I just don’t think we’ll see any of these guys crack the NHL. I’d like to be wrong, though.
Buffalo Sabres: A-
Notable picks: Daxon Rudolph, Ilia Morozov, Olivers Murnieks
I know Rudolph wasn’t the popular choice, but he was one of the best offensive defenders available, and I think he has been underrated by the average fan. He can hit, score and run a power play – he just needs to work on his own-zone play, which is typically quite critical for a defenseman. Mozorov was a solid pickup later in the first; he won’t produce a ton at the next level, but he should have no problem bringing his big, strong frame and two-way hockey sense to the NHL. Olivers Murnieks and Doman Szongoth were nice high bets after pick 100.
Calgary Flames: A
Notable picks: Carson Carels, Jack Hextall, Chase Harrington
The Flames snagged the best left-handed defender in Carson Carels, the best goaltender in Tobias Trejbal and one of the best overagers in Egor Barabanov. I also like Chase Harrington, and feel like Jack Hextall could have a decent career if he can work on his 5-on-5 offense. I like his hockey sense, but the production beyond the power play leaves a bit to be desired. Simon Katolicky is a nice bet at the No. 132 pick – he was once viewed as a potential top 10 prospect, but had a terrible year. If he can find his game again in the OHL, it might be a steal of a pick. Joe Iginla at No. 65 was fun, but like 125 picks earlier than it needed to be.
Carolina Hurricanes: B
Notable picks: William Hakansson, Wiggo Sorensson, Zach Lansard
Not a bad haul for the defending champions. William Hakansson is a tough defenseman, and I expected him to go much higher than 51. Wiggo Sorensson is one of my favorite players in the draft, but he played in the fourth-tier Swedish pro league this past year, so there were concerns he was beating up on poor players. But when he joined Sweden at the U-18s, he was spectacular, and I like his odds of beating all expectations. Zach Lansard palys with some pace, while Mikey Berchild is very skilled, as well. Ryder Fetterolf was the top goalie in the CHL, and he might be one of the few smaller goalies who can pull through.
Chicago Blackhawks: B+
Notable picks: Xavier Villeneuve, Ryan Roobroeck, Samu Alalauri
The Blackhawks swung big with upside with their consecutive second-rounders. Xavier Villeneuve is one of the most skilled defenders in the class, but the lack of size and muscle is something that worries scouts. Ryan Roobroeck is a high-end shooter who loves creating offense, but he can be a total ghost away from the puck. Regardless, those are two guys I really like and love that for Chicago. Samu Alalauri wasn’t a bad pick, either – he really came alive later in the season, and scouts fell in love with his play at the U-18s.
Colorado Avalanche: B-
Notable picks: Egor Shilov, Beckett Hamilton, Tobias Tvrznik
We’ll see how this one pans out. Egor Shilov had great numbers this year, but I fear he’s too slow for the NHL. Beckett Hamilton plays with a boatload of energy. I’m just not sure he’s rounded enough or a strong enough skater to be more than a fringe fourth-line candidate. The most interesting options are goaltender Tobias Tvrznik – who I really like – and Axel Elofsson – a skilled puck-moving defender who makes far too many mistakes.
Columbus Blue Jackets: B
Notable picks: Oscar Hemming, Alessandro Di Iorio, Evan Jardine
My favorite pick was actually the team’s sixth selection all the way down at 185 – Jonas Woo. The small defender had 29 goals and 86 points in Medicine Hat while driving. theplay as well as any defender we’ve seen in the WHL in recent memory. He’s very small, though, which doesn’t help. I like Columbus’ bet on Oscar Hemming at No. 14, and Alessandro Di Iorio could still be an energy forward despite being the 94th pick. Beyond that, it was a “meh” draft.
Dallas Stars: C+
Notable picks: Jakub Vanecek, Ryan Brown, Anton Emil Wilde Larsen
Jakub Vanecek fell further than I expected, so that’s nice. Ryan Brown had a great run in London, which ensured he’d get drafted after being more of a bubble guy. Anton Wilde had some fascinating performances internationally – both good and bad – but I’m curious to see what his development could look like. I’m not sold any of them are surefire NHLers, though, but it’s hard to snag those with limited picks and just one in the top 150.
Detroit Red Wings: B+
Notable picks: J.P. Hurlbert, Victor Plante, Michal Orsulak
The Red Wings snagged a skilled winger in J.P. Hurlbert in the first, a smart playmaker in Victor Plante in the second and one of the CHL’s top goalies in Michal Orsulak in the third. I feel like Orsulak was taken a bit earlier than I would have liked, but I appreciate that Detroit has made it their mission to draft a goalie every year. That’s the type of move that pays off, either in the long-run or in the trade market (like with Cossa). I’m not convinced any of the three are impact NHLers, which is why I am leaving this at a B+, but that’s still solid.
Edmonton Oilers: B-
Notable picks: Rudolfs Berzkalns, Malcolm Gästrin, Andrew Robinson
Berzkalns is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here – I like him enough to consider him a future bottom-six NHLer. I know he didn’t produce much, but many players considered him an absolute pain in the you-know-what to go up against. Gästrin is a long shot, but a decent, hard-working forward. Andrew Robinson was a bit off the board, so it’ll be interesting to see what they do with his development.
Florida Panthers: B
Notable picks: Simas Ignatavicius, Ryder Cali, Jonas Kemps
The Panthers traded away their first-round pick, but they picked two bubble top 32 candidates in Simas Ignatavicius and Ryder Cali. Both are big humans who love to push guys around, and players like that are always coveted. Jonas Kemps is know more for blocking shots and punching people, but I think he’s excellent at both of those things. I think all three will be ranked quite high in Florida’s prospect pool rankings.
Los Angeles Kings: A
Notable picks: Elton Hermansson, Liam Lefebvre, Adam Goljer
Sometimes you can get good quality in high quantities. Elton Hermansson is a skilled forward with some top-six potential. Liam Lefebvre is a big dude who doesn’t lose many puck battles and is coming off a great playoff run in the QMJHL. Adam Goljer is a personal favorite of mine – his puck-handling might be flawed, but he’s smart and willing to make risky plays to create high-quality chances. Blake Zielinski, Yegor Rybkin and Gio Pantelas, in particular, are picks I love, value-wise.
Minnesota Wild: B
Notable picks: Adam Andersson, Kayden Lemire, Filip Ruzicka
The Wild didn’t have many picks, but it felt like they made the most of who they got. I can see Adam Andersson becoming a solid fourth-line center who wins faceoffs, kills penalties and gets in the way of shots. Kayden Lemire is a hard-nosed forward who makes life difficult for opponents. Filip Ruzicka is a 6-foot-8 goaltender, and some scouts thought he could be the best goalie in this draft class. I disagree, but I do think he’s a worthy pick at this point.
Montreal Canadiens: B+
Notable picks: Gleb Pugachyov, Timofei Runtso, Cooper Cleaves
If the goal was to get tougher, the Canadiens absolutely nailed it. They took three big guys with their first three picks, with each of them having no issue punching somebody in the face. Pugachyov could be one of the better late first-rounders – scouts think he’s better than his numbers suggest. Timofei Runtso is a physical beast, while Cooper Cleaves continued to get better as the season wore on.
Nashville Predators: A
Notable picks: Wyatt Cullen, Tommy Bleyl, Dmitri Borichev
I loved this draft. Wyatt Cullen and Tommy Bleyl were two of the biggest risers in the second half of the year and had legit arguments to go higher than 10th and 31st, respectively. Dmitri Borichev was one of the top goalies available – I loved that at No, 70. Jakub Flors was also an interesting pick at 106 because a lot of European scouts are high on him. I feel confident in the top three picks becoming NHLers, but don’t count out Floris, either.
New Jersey Devils: A
Notable picks: Alexander Command, Matias Vanhanen, Nikita Shcherbakov
This was nice. Command is a reliable two-way threat who’ll be able to play in the middle six in a few years. Matias Vanhanen was one of the better setup players this year, while Nikita Shcherbakov is a 6-foot-5 mammoth who is hard to beat along the boards and can be frustrating to try and beat on the rush. Lavr Gashilov was one of the best value picks outside of the top 100 – he’s outstanding with the puck, but needs to be better away from it.
New York Islanders: A-
Notable picks: Malte Gustafsson, Lincoln Kuehne, Vladimir Dravecky
On one hand, the Islanders barely had to do anything this weekend. On the other, I really like Gustafsson, so I feel like that’s worthy of an A- rating. If you’re going to get just one guy in the top 100, you might as well get one of the toughest defensemen in the draft to play against. I like how much space he takes up and he showed some real signs of skill with the puck in the latter stages of the year. There was a real chance he could have gone in the top 10, so the Isles will be thrilled with this. Lincoln Kuehne is a decent project guy, but he does practically nothing with the puck. Vladimir Dravecky was a nice get in the fifth round – I wonder if teams legit forgot he was on the board. If you’re looking for skill, you didn’t get it. But I liked Gustafsson enough to give them this ranking, and I thought their value per pick was solid.
New York Rangers: A-
Notable picks: Alberts Šmits, Ben Macbeath, Danai Shaiikov
Love this draft for the Rangers. Šmits is the obvious prize at No. 5 – he could be NHL-bound in a few months. He’s big, strong, and defensively responsible, and he’s going to have a good career as a top-four player in the NHL. They didn’t pick again until the final selection in the second, but I thought Ben Macbeath was a good value pick at 64, and Charlie Morrison and Tomas Chrenko were good fits in the third. I wanted the Rangers to get a goalie, and Danai Shaiikov is quite interesting. I didn’t have him ranked, but he gave Gatineau a chance to win consistently when they shouldn’t have. We’ll see if he ends up becoming anything because it feels like he was selected higher than he should have been.
Ottawa Senators: C
Notable picks: Jonas Lagerberg Hoen, Jaxon Cover, Adam Nemec
The Senators went for full upside on this one. They picked two players in the first round who I didn’t have in my top 50. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they are bad picks – both guys were rumored to be first-round talents in the eyes of some scouts because every team views players differently. The Senators used their two first-round picks on players with high upside, but with a lot of question marks. That makes you wonder if they really needed to use those early picks on them. They definitely gave up some skill and certainty to get these guys. So we’ll have to trust that the scouting staff is true believers in them. For what it’s worth, Cover’s backstory was one of the more fun ones in the draft. Oscar Holmertz was a nice pick at 87 but I feel like Nemec at 72 was early, and I’m not high on anyone else they took.
Philadelphia Flyers: C+
Notable picks: Maksim Sokolovskii, Brek Liske, Marek Sklenicka
Yeah, I didn’t love this one. I know Maksim Sokolovskii is a strong shutdown defenseman, but he leaves a lot to be desired with the puck. Brek Liske is kind of the same thing, but without the massive size. I like that they took two goaltenders in Martin Psohlavec and Marek Sklenicka, but I’m not sure either will crack the NHL. I wish they had tried to land someone with a bit of skill or speed.
Pittsburgh Penguins: B+
Notable picks: Liam Ruck, Markus Ruck, Tomas Galvas
Last year, the Penguins went for tough, two-way threats who make life miserable for everyone around them. This year, they bet high on skill, but perhaps a bit too much on the small side. I like the Ruck twins – you had to get them together. Tomas Galvas was a nice pick in the second round, and Pierce Mbuyi is fascinating. It was far from a bad draft, but it was interesting to see how different it was compared to the one a year ago. This is a win for Pittsburgh, in my opinion – especially if the Ruck twins hit it big.
San Jose Sharks: A+
Notable picks: Ivar Stenberg, Keaton Verhoeff, Ryan Lin
Friday night was a defining day in the history of this franchise, and everything else on Saturday was a nice little extra. Stenberg is a future top-line forward, while Verhoeff and Lin were two of the best defensemen on the board. All three entered the season as potential top 10 picks, so the idea of landing all of them in the first round is absolutely incredible value. They all have their flaws, for sure, but the upside is massive, and all have clear paths to solid NHL careers. We knew someone would snag Alexander Karmanov – the 7-foot-1 superhuman – and the Sharks did in the seventh round.
Seattle Kraken: A
Notable picks: Chase Reid, Casey Mutryn,
The Kraken finally snagged a defender in the first round, and it was the guy perceived to be the best on the board. Reid is a mobile, two-way defender who can make highlight-reel plays without sacrificing the bread-and-butter skills required to be a real difference-maker defensively. Casey Mutryn is a personal favorite of mine, so I felt like that was a nice pick in the second round. He’s a true power forward who should have no issues cracking the bottom-six someday.
St. Louis Blues: A-
Notable picks: Tynan Lawrence, Maddox Dagenais, Luke Schairer
Tynan Lawrence and Maddox Dagenais are two guys who I think will end up looking better than their respective draft ranks of 11 and 16. Lawrence’s stock fell a lot throughout the year, but I’m confident he’ll regain his status as a top prospect at Boston University. Dagenais plays with a boatload of power, too, and he’s so much fun to watch. Luke Schairer, Landon Nycz and Nick Bogas are all interesting options as potential third-pair shutdown guys, while goalie Vladimir Proskurin was a decent swing in the fourth round. I feel like they did a good job of snagging both quality and quantity this weekend.
Tampa Bay Lightning: C-
Notable picks: Oleg Kulebyakin, Tomas Kralovic, Morgan Anderberg
Kulebyakin had a big year in Halifax – some scouts were shocked they took him at 52nd, given he’s quite undersized. I think it’s a worthy bet on a guy with great hands. Beyond that, though, I didn’t care for their draft… yet. We know Tampa Bay tends to find magic from just about anywhere, so I’ll trust them here. I’m just not high on any of the guys they drafted right now.
Toronto Maple Leafs: A+
Notable picks: Gavin McKenna, Alexander Bilecki, Ethan MacKenzie
The franchise-changing pick of Gavin McKenna was a no-brainer. But then, Toronto continued to make hit after hit the rest of the way. Alexander Bilecki had a huge end to the season in Kitchener, leading them to the Memorial Cup. I like how effectively Ethan MacKenzie kills plays and how much of a pest Zach Olsen is. Mans Gudmundsson is a decent third-pairing option, and scouts think Juuso Ainasto is guaranteed to be an NHLer. We’ll see about that, but I feel really confident that most of Toronto’s picks in the top three rounds will make it to the NHL. McKenna is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, for sure, but any time you can get the best player in the draft, you’re a winner.
Utah Mammoth: A-
Notable picks: Ethan Belchetz, Adam Valentini
Ethan Belchetz was a great get – they had to move up to select him, and I think it’ll pay off. He was the best power forward available this year, and he’s an absolute unit. I wish he’d use that brute force a bit more, and his skating needs work. But at his best, Belchetz is extremely difficult to contain, and opponents absolutely hate going up against him. Valentini, meanwhile, is small at 5-foot-9, but he’s energetic and isn’t afraid to hit anyone. I’m not sure I’m set on him in an energy role in the NHL because he struggles physically against bigger guys, but I like his raw potential, and he was a great get in the third round. Carl Axelsson and Theodor Knights were decent bet-highs later in the draft, too.
Vancouver Canucks: A
Notable picks: Caleb Malhotra, Adam Novotný, Brooks Rogowski
They did it. They took the coach’s son – and, more importantly, the best center in the draft. There was a good argument to stay away from him, but an even stronger argument to take a guy with the potential to be a true difference-maker up front. Adam Novotny was one of the better value picks in the first round, because he’s a big-time shooter. Brooks Rogowski should be able to play an important role in the bottom six, and if Niklas Aaram-Olsen can round out his game away from the puck, his offense alone will be enough to keep things interesting.
Vegas Golden Knights: B-
Notable picks: Juho Piiparinen, Ben Wilmott, Sean Burick
It wasn’t a bad draft for Vegas, but they didn’t pick much and went for guys who are difficult to beat in 1-on-1 situations. None of the three are going to score at the next level, but Piiparinen can shut guys down and Burick will clobber opponents in the face. Jonah Sivertson was a good pickup in the fourth round – he should have been taken higher, in my opinion. Without a true puck-mover, it’s not that exciting of a haul for Vegas, but it was never going to be given their lack of draft capital.
Washington Capitals: B-
Notable picks: Oliver Suvanto, Tyus Sparks, Brian McFadden
The lower rating is more due to the lack of picks, but I thought they did fine. It still feels like they left talent on the board by taking Suvanto at No. 18. He’s a big forward who can defend well, but he struggles with the puck and doesn’t do much offensively. Still, he played primarily against men this year, and that was worthwhile for him. Tyus Sparks is a long shot to make the NHL because his game is a bit too simple, but I love him in an energy role.
Winnipeg Jets: A-
Notable picks: Viggo Björck, Samuel Hrenak, Zach Wooten
The Jets nailed the value on their first two picks. Viggo Björck was one of the top centers available, so they’ll be thrilled they could land him with the eighth pick. He’s fearless, skilled and already has plenty of pro experience. Samuel Hrenak had a huge end to the year, playing well with Fargo and then giving Slovakia its best shot at winning U-18 World Championship gold that they’ve had in decades. Realistically, though, Björck does most of the heavy lifting here because they didn’t have many picks in the end, but Zach Wooten could be interesting as a fourth-rounder.
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