Which teams are most likely to trade first-round picks at the 2026 NHL Draft?

May 29, 2026, 10:30 EDTUpdated: May 28, 2026, 16:23 EDT

Which teams are most likely to trade first-round picks at the 2026 NHL Draft?

Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Get ready to spend the next month reading trade proposals involving first-round draft picks.

First-round picks moving isn’t rare. It’s one of the top currencies at the Trade Deadline every year. But we rarely see top-10 picks moved in the salary cap era – the cost just never makes sense. Top 10 picks have been moved just 11 times since 2005 – and only one of them was a top-five selection.

So when you see fans talking about moving down a spot or two, just know it’s about as rare as the Toronto Maple Leafs winning a playoff series.

With that in mind, it’s easy to be skeptical that we’ll see any top-10 moves this year. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible, or that we won’t see any first-rounders moved by June 26. Today, we’re looking at five teams with actual cases to move their top picks this summer. This isn’t based on insider information – it’s solely based on what makes the most sense.

So, let’s get started:

Calgary Flames

Current Picks: 6, 30*

With six picks in the top 64, the Flames are absolutely one of the top teams to watch heading toward the draft. David Pagnotta told Daily Faceoff Live last week that the Flames are looking to move up after falling two spots at the NHL Draft lottery. A natural trade partner would be San Jose, which could still land a high-impact defender at No. 6 and potentially snag another pick from Calgary for their troubles. There’s also the argument of keeping that second first-rounder and drafting the Ruck twins, but that might be easier said than done.

Calgary is in a rebuild, and getting someone like Ivar Stenberg or Chase Reid could seriously pay off. The team has a strong prospect pool and doesn’t necessarily need to play this draft safe. Swinging big could expedite the process and potentially get the Flames back into playoff contention sooner rather than later. Pick No. 6 isn’t bad – but why not swing for the fences here?

Columbus Blue Jackets

Current Pick: 14

The Blue Jackets last made the playoffs in the 2020 bubble. They were one of the last cuts in the Wildcard race this year, but it truly feels like the Blue Jackets need to add a major piece to the puzzle if they’re going to be a true long-term contender. The core group is good – there’s a lot to like about Adam Fantilli, Dmitri Voronkov, Kirill Marchenko, Sean Monahan, Zach Werenski and Jet Greaves, among others. But they’re still not a true contender, and their prospect pool isn’t as good as it needs to be.

Columbus’ pipeline is midpack at best. Jackson Smith and Pyotr Andreyanov are both intriguing, but the latter is still another four years away from NHL action. Cayden Lindstrom’s play has left a lot to be desired, while Jordan Dumais and Luca Pinelli are fringe prospects at best right now. Could CBJ potentially package Kent Johnson and the 14th pick to move up in the draft? Getting into the top 10 could land them a quality defender to fill the hole left by the David Jiricek trade a few years back. Maybe they’d get lucky and have Viggo Björck fall to them. As it stands, they need a boost to their system, and the 14th pick likely isn’t going to move the needle much.

Florida Panthers

Current Pick: 9

The concept of the Panthers going to the Cup final three years in a row, winning twice and then selecting ninth overall in Year 4 is absolutely wild. But injuries played a big role in Florida getting a much-needed break this year – and, in a surprising twist, their first-round pick back in the Seth Jones deal. This is as much of a freebie as a top-level team is going to get at the NHL Draft, which is why the Panthers could elect to flip it to bring in some immediate help.

The Panthers likely still see themselves in win-now mode. Had Aleksander Barkov not missed the entire season due to injury, among other roster issues, Florida would have likely been in the running for a third straight Cup. Barkov, Jones, Matthew Tkachuk, and Anton Lundell are signed until 2030, while Sam Reinhart, Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, Niko Mikkola, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, and Brad Marchand have deals beyond that. The big question mark moving forward is in net, with the club either needing to re-sign Sergei Bobrovsky or find another option via trade.

San Jose Sharks

Current Picks: 2, 20

If there has ever been an argument for the team selecting second to move the pick, it’s San Jose in 2026. The Sharks really need a defenseman, but selecting one would likely mean passing on Ivar Stenberg, which just doesn’t seem wise at this point. Grier told reporters that he’s “Always open to listening to what’s out there.” If he were to trade the No. 2 pick, not only would it be highly desirable (duh), but it would come at a high cost (duh). Moving up seven spots is like finding money for a franchise that took notable steps forward this season and proved they could hang with the big dogs.

The Sharks have one of the best pipelines in hockey. The focus needs to be on actually progressing, and the second overall pick would easily be the team’s most valuable asset. It’s hard to gauge the trade market right now, but a pick of this magnitude would absolutely bring you back at least one impact defender who could help you immediately.

St. Louis Blues

Current Picks: No. 11, 15, 29*

The Blues have two picks in short succession and a third pick at the end of the first round. They also don’t have a ton of cap space, and Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Jordan Binnington and Colton Parayko can’t seem to leave the rumor mill. It felt like a foregone conclusion that at least one of them would be moved at the NHL Trade Deadline in March. That never happened, so could they look to ship any of them out this summer?

If so, the first-rounders could be fascinating. Do the Blues keep them to maximize their prospect pool? Or do they look to acquire younger help? With that much high-end draft capital, and a decent pipeline, the Blues could look to weaponize their picks to move up and select an even better prospect. Many scouts aren’t thrilled about the 11-20 range in this draft, so moving into the top 10 could be highly benefical.

*Picks with asterisk are still TBD based on final playoff seeding

CHECK OUT OFF THE ROSTER – NEW EPISODES EVERY WEEKDAY

Off The Roster is Toronto sports. Hosted by Cabbie Richards, Lindsay Dunn, and Dan Riccio, this is the go-to morning conversation for everything happening in the 6ix – Hockey, Baseball, Basketball and everything in between. From breakout performances and questionable trades to throwback jerseys, viral moments, and the stories fans are actually talking about – it’s smart, sharp, and never scripted. Live weekday mornings on the Nation Network YouTube channel and available wherever you stream podcasts, the show delivers real opinions, real chemistry, and real Toronto energy. Missed an episode? Catch up anytime. Off The Roster—The new sound of the 6ix.

Recent Articles by Steven Ellis

MORE FACEOFF.IN YOUR INBOX.

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DAILY NEWSLETTER