2026 NHL Draft: Live Tracker

After months of preparation, the 2026 NHL Entry Draft is finally here. Like last year, the NHL will host a decentralized draft, with fans and top prospects gathering in Buffalo’s KeyBank Center, while the general managers, scouts, and other personnel remain in their home bases and will submit their picks remotely. Last year’s event had plenty of issues, so it will be interesting to see what the league learned and what they will change for 2026.

Gavin McKenna is projected to be the first overall pick, even with Ivar Stenberg and Chase Reid close on his heels. The Toronto Maple Leafs’ surprising win in the draft lottery likely won’t change that, as McKenna could be just what Auston Matthews needs to rebound as the NHL’s most dangerous goal-scorer. After him, though, it’s anyone’s guess as to how things shake out after the flurry of moves leading up to Friday. Stenberg, Reid, and Caleb Malhotra are the next best options, followed by a cohort of top-tier defencemen.

American Wyatt Cullen has had a spectacular rise after his U18 World Junior performance, as has defenceman Malte Gustafsson, and both now look like potential top-10 picks. Ethan Belchetz and Viggo Björck could also get some top-10 consideration, although they are on opposite ends of the size spectrum; Belchetz stands an impressive 6-foot-5, while Björck is just 5-foot-9.

As we have done in previous years, the Live Draft Tracker is back at The Hockey Writers. The tracker will be updated after each and every pick throughout the first and second days of the draft (all seven rounds!). Be sure to check back regularly to see which prospects go to your favourite NHL team.

Make sure to refresh (F5 or CMD + R) throughout the event to see the most recent updates

First Round

Pick	Team	Position	Player	Junior Team
1		LW	Gavin McKenna	Penn State (NCAA)
2		LW	Ivar Stenberg	Frölunda HC (SHL)
3		C	Caleb Malhotra	Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
4		D	Daxon Rudolph	Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
5		D	Alberts Šmits	EHC München (DEL)
6		D	Carson Carels	Prince George Cougars (WHL)
7		D	Chase Reid	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
8		C	Viggo Bjorck	Djurgårdens IF (SHL)
9		D	Keaton Verhoeff	North Dakota (NCAA)
10		LW	Wyatt Cullen	USA U18 (NTDP)
11		C	Tynan Lawrence	Boston University (NCAA)
12		C	Alexander Command	Örebro HK U20 (Nationell)
13		D	Malte Gustafsson	HV71 (SHL)
14		LW	Oscar Hemming	Boston College (NCAA)
15		RW	Nikita Klepov	Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
16		C	Maddox Dagenais	Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
17		LW	Ethan Belchetz	Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
18		C	Oliver Suvanto	Tappara (Liiga)
19		RW	Elton Hermansson	MoDo (HockeyAllsvenskan)
20		C	Ilia Morozov	Miami-Ohio (NCAA)
21		D	Ryan Lin	Vancouver Giants (WHL)
22		RW	Liam Ruck	Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
23		LW	J.P. Hurlbert	Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
24		LW	Adam Novotny	Peterborough Petes (OHL)
25		RW	Jonas Lagerberg Hoen	Leksands IF U20 (Nationell)
26		RW	Gleb Pugachyov	Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)
27		D	Maxim Sokolovskii	London Knights (OHL)
28		LW	Marcus Nordmark	Djurgårdens IF (SHL)
29		D	Juho Piiparinen	Tappara (Liiga)
30		C	Jack Hextall	Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
31		D	Tommy Bleyl	Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
32		RW	Jaxon Cover	London Knights (OHL)

Second Round

Pick	Team	Position	Player	Junior Team
33		C	Brooks Rogowski	Oshawa Generals (OHL)
34		D	Xavier Villeneuve	Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
35		LW	Ryan Roobroeck	Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
36		LW	Chase Harrington	Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
37		LW	Matias Vanhanen	Everett Silvertips (WHL)
38		RW	Casey Mutryn	USA U18 (NTDP)
39		C	Markus Ruck	Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
40		RW	Simas Ignatavicus	Geneve (NL)
41		LW	Niklas Aaram-Olsen	Örebro HK U20 (Nationell)
42		G	Tobias Trejbal	Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
43		C	Egor Shilov	Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)
44		D	Nikita Shcherbakov	Toros Neftekhamsk (VHL)
45		D	Jayden Kurtz	Rogers High (USHS-MN)
46		C	Liam Lefebvre	Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)
47		LW	Victor Plante	USA U18 (NTDP)
48		C	Ryder Cali	North Bay Batallion (OHL)
49		D	Adam Goljer	HK Dukla Trencin (Slovak Extraliga)
50		RW	Mathis Preston	Vancouver Giants (WHL)
51		D	William Håkansson	Luleå HF U20 (U20 Nationell)
52		RW	Oleg Kulebyakin	Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
53		D	Brek Liske	Everett Silvertips (WHL)
54		D	Tomas Galvas	Bílí Tygři Liberec (Czechia)
55		RW	Alan Shaikhlislamov	Tolpar Ufa (MHL)
56		G	Yuri Ivanov	MHK Spartak-MAH Moskva (MHL)
57		D	Timofei Runtso	Victoria Royals (WHL)
58		C	Rudolfs Berzkalns	Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
59		D	Jakub Vaněček	Tri-City Americans (WHL)
60		D	Alexander Bilecki	Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
61		C	Wiggo Sörensson	Boro/Vetlanda HC (Division 2)
62		G	Martin Psohlavec	HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czechia)
63			forfeited
64		D	Ben MacBeath	Calgary Hitmen (WHL)

Third Round

Pick	Team	Position	Player	Junior Team
65		RW	Joe Iginla	Vancouver Giants (WHL)
66		D	Samu Alalauri	Pelicans U20 (SM-sarja)
67		G	Danai Shaiikov	Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
68		RW	Zach Lansard	Regina Pats (WHL)
69		D	Ethan MacKenzie	Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
70		G	Dmitri Borichev	Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)
71		G	Samuel Hrenak	Fargo Force (USHL)
72		LW	Adam Nemec	Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
73		RW	Zach Olsen	Saskatoon Blades (WHL)
74		C	Beckett Hamilton	Red Deer Rebels (WHL)
75		D	Luke Schairer	USA U18 (NTDP)
76		D	Mans Gudmundsson	Farjestad BK U20 (Nationell)
77		D	Charlie Morrison	Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
78		G	Dmitri Ivchenko	Omskie Yastreby (MHL)
79		G	Michal Orsulak	Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
80		C	Blake Zielinski	Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
81		C	Tomas Chrenko	HK Nitra (Slovakia)
82		RW	Rian Chudzinski	Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
83		C	Adam Andersson	Leksands IF U20 (Nationell)
84		LW	Malcolm Gästrin	MoDo U20 (Nationell)
85		G	Juuso Ainasto	Jokerit U20 (SM-sarja)
86		LW	Pierce Mbuyi	Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
87		C	Oscar Holmertz	Linköping HC (SHL)
88		RW	Nils Bartholdsson	Rögle BK U20 (Nationell)
89		G	Yegor Rybkin	Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)
90		D	Tomas Kralovic	HC Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)
91		RW	Louis-Felix Bourque	Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)
92		C	Ben Wilmott	Barrie Colts (OHL)
93		D	Cooper Cleaves	Dartmouth (NCAA)
94		C	Alessandro Di Iorio	Sarnia Sting (OHL)
95		D	Sean Burick	Penticton Vees (WHL)
96		C	Adam Valentini	U. Michigan (NCAA)

Fourth Round

Pick	Team	Position	Player	Junior Team
97		LW	Yaroslav Bryzgalov	Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
98		D	Jonas Kemps	Chicago Steel (USHL)
99		C	Viktor Fyodorov	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
100		C	Egor Barabanov	Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
101		C	Tyus Sparks	Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
102		LW	Spencer Bowes	Ottawa 67s (OHL)
103		C	Thomas Vandenberg	Ottawa 67s (OHL)
104		RW	Matvei Kotkov	Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
105		LW	Mikey Berchild	USA U18 (NTDP)
106		D	Jakub Floris	Lukko (Liiga)
107		D	Landon Nycz	UMass (NCAA)
108		C	Adam Levac	Peterborough Petes (OHL)
109		D	Lincoln Kuehne	Arizona State (NCAA)
110		G	Elliot Lennon	Deerfield Academy (USHS-MA)
111		D	Parker Von Richter	Barrie Colts (OHL)
112		RW	Kayden Lemire	Prince George Cougars (WHL)
113		RW	Jonah Sivertson	Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
114		G	Patriks Plumins	Zemgale (Latvia)
115		G	Carl Axelsson	Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
116		LW	Zach Wooten	Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
117		D	Brayden Klimpke	Saskatoon Blades (WHL)
118		LW	Justin Graf	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)
119		C	Lavr Gashilov	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)
120		G	Marek Sklenicka	Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
121		LW	Evan Jardine	Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
122		LW	Oscar Olsson	Örebro HK U20 (Nationell)
123		G	Vladimir Proskurin	MHK Atlant Mytishchi (MHL)
124		C	Olivers Murnieks	Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
125		G	Ryan Fetterolf	Ottawa 67s (OHL)
126		G	Tobias Tvrznik	Wenatchee Wild (WHL)
127		G	Brady Knowling	USA U18 (NTDP)
128		D	Axel Elofsson	Örebro HK U20 (Nationell)

Fifth Round

Pick	Team	Position	Player	Junior Team
129		RW	Connor Davis	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)
130		D	Theodor Knights	MoDo Hockey U20 (Nationell)
131		D	Finn Kearns	St. Andrews College (HS-ON)
132		LW	Simon Katolicky	Tappara U20 (SM-sarja)
133		D	Andrew Robinson	Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
134		C	Morgan Anderberg	Växjö Lakers HC (SHL)
135		D	Alxandre Taillefer	Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
136		C	Kent (KJ) Sauer	Andover High (USHS-MN)
137		G	Filip Ruzicka	Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
138		LW	Philip Hemmyr	IF Björklöven (HockeyAllsvenskan)
139		D	Nick Bogas	USA U18 (NTDP)
140		D	Cole Tuminaro	Chicago Steel (USHL)
141		D	Vladimir Dravecký	Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
142		G	Parker Snell	Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
143		C	Beckham Edwards	Sarnia Sting (OHL)
144		D	Brian McFadden	Thayer Academy (USHS-MA)
145		D	Vertti Svensk	SaiPa U20 (SM-sarja)
146		D	Eric Frossard	Guelph Storm (OHL)
147		RW	Florent Houle	Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL)
148		D	Luken Huff	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)
149		G	Daniil Rusakovich	Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL)
150		RW	Carter Stevens	Guelph Storm (OHL)
151		D	Harris Pangretitsch	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
152		D	Theodore (Teddy) Lechner	Academy of Holy Angels (USHS-MN)
153		D	Giogos Pantelas	Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
154		C	Cooper Soller	Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
155		LW	Ryan Brown	London Knights (OHL)
156		C	Domán Kristóf Szongoth	KooKoo U20 (SM-sarja)
157		D	Jacob Vandeven	Komoka Kings (GOJHL)
158		C	Cooper Williams	Saskatoon Blades (WHL)
159		D	Will McLaughlin	Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
160		G	Matvei Nikonovich	Ladia Togliatti (MHL)

Sixth Round

Pick	Team	Position	Player	Junior Team
161		D	Yaroslav Fedoseyev	Chelmet Chelyabinsk (VHL)
162		D	Andre Mondoux	Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
163		RW	Darian Anderson	Flint Firebirds (OHL)
164		D	Bode Laylin	Tri-City Storm (USHL)
165		G	Zachary Jovanovski	Guelph Storm (OHL)
166		D	Ola Palme	Växjö Lakers HC U20 (Nationell)
167		C	Landon Hafele	Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
168		RW	Vilho Vanhatalo	Tappara U20 (SM-sarja)
169		RW	Brody Pepoy	Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
170		G	Roberto Henriquez	Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
171		RW	Lars Steiner	Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)
172		C	Luke Wilfley	Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
173		C	Artyom Matyuk	Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)
174		C	Jake Gustafson	Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
175		LW	Luka Arkko	Pelicans U20 (SM-sarja)
176		RW	Lucian Bernat	Tappara U20 (SM-sarja)
177		RW	Alex Kostov	Flint Firebirds (OHL)
178		G	Gleb Peshkov	Taifun Primorsky Krai (MHL)
179		D	Benjamin Cossette-Ayotte	Val-d’Or Foreurs (QMJHL)
180		C	Caden Harvey	Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
181		RW	Cole Zurawski	Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
182		C	Anttoni Uronen	HIFK (Liiga)
183		D	Alexander Grunin	Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk (MHL)
184		D	Samuel Eriksson	Farjestad BK U20 (Nationell)
185		D	Jonas Woo	Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
186		G	Stepan Shurygin	Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
187		G	Anton Emil Wilde Larsen	Frederikshavn White Hawks (Denmark)
188		RW	Dylan Dumont	Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)
189		LW	Parker Trottier	USA U18 (NTDP)
190		RW	Wesley Royston	Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
191		G	Matthew Minchak	Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
192		C	Noah Kosick	Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)

Seventh Round

Pick	Team	Position	Player	Junior Team
193		D	Ivan Patrikhayev	CSKA Moskva (KHL)
194		D	Alexander Ivanov	Bars Kazan (VHL)
195		LW	Shawn Carrier	Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
196		D	Myles Brosnan	Dexter Southfield (USHS-MA)
197		C	Jasper Kuhta	Ottawa 67s (OHL)
198		D	Rylan Singh	Guelph Storm (OHL)
199		D	Alofa Tunoa (Noa) Ta’amu	Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
200		C	William Sörbrand	Timrå IK U20 (Nationell)
201		D	Alexander Karmanov	North Bay Battalion (OHL)
202		C	Charlie Puglisi	Winchendon (USHS-MA)
203		C	Colin Fitzgerald	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
204		C	William Tomko	Sioux City Stampede (USHL)
205		RW	Robert Cowan	Western Michigan (NCAA)
206		LW	Filip Novak	HC Sparta Praha (Czechia)
207		LW	Noel Pakarinen	Kiekko-Espoo U20 (SM-sarja)
208		C	Logan Stuart	USA U18 (NTDP)
209		RW	Tobias Krestan	HV71 U20 (Nationell)
210		D	Jimmy Rieber	Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
211		LW	Artem Prima	Minot Minotauros (NAHL)
212		G	Ryan Cameron	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)
213		D	Max Laatikainen	Kiekko-Espoo U20 (SM-sarja)
214		D	Ondrej Ruml	Ottawa 67s (OHL)
215		G	Alexandre Raymond	Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)
216		D	Cullen McCrate	Fargo Force (USHL)
217		G	Louis-Antoine Denault	Newfoundland Regiment (QMJHL)
218		D	Max Vilen	Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
219		D	Mikhail Cherepanov	New Hampshire Mountain Kings (NAHL)
220		G	John Parsons	Providence (NCAA)
221		D	Jean-Samuel Daigneault	Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
222		C	Quinn McKenzie	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
223		D	Lucas Ambrosio	Erie Otters (OHL)
224		RW	Tyler Deakos	Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)