The first day of the 2026 NHL Draft delivered a rapid run of trades and fresh roster bets, lifting teams like the Rangers and Sharks while raising uncomfortable questions for the Vegas Golden Knights and other clubs facing uncertainty.
For the Carolina Hurricanes, the Stanley Cup celebration in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina kept the focus on the now—fans lining sidewalks as the parade unfolded. By Friday, June 26, the NHL turned the page in a different direction: toward what’s next.
The 2026 NHL Draft’s first round on that date came with two major trades announced back-to-back early in the draft—an early sign that this wasn’t going to be a routine lineup of picks. For teams watching the post-trade domino effect, the day felt less like a clock striking and more like a scramble.
Pavel Dorofeyev went from the Vegas Golden Knights to the New York Rangers, and JJ Peterka went from the Utah Mammoth to the Boston Bruins. Later in the first round, Mason McTavish moved as well, going from the Anaheim Ducks to the St. Louis Blues.
The Toronto Maple Leafs took Penn State’s Gavin McKenna at No. 1 as expected. The San Jose Sharks selected forward Ivar Stenberg at No. 2 instead of a defenseman.
Here’s how the first day of the NHL draft shaped into a story of sharp swings—who pulled ahead, who paid for it, and where the risks started.
New York Rangers ended up among the day’s clear winners. After trading defenseman K’Andre Miller before last season and forward Artemi Panarin during the season. the Rangers missed the playoffs for the second straight year. But they used the draft to chase potential replacements with more than just wishful thinking. Dorofeyev brought goal-scoring ability, totaling 72 goals over the last two seasons, and he agreed to a seven-year, $77 million extension. The Rangers also added Alberts Smits. a big defenseman who played for Latvia at the Olympics. world championships. and world junior championships.
San Jose. too. landed in the win column even after they kept their intentions under wraps and waited until the No. 2 selection. Instead of choosing a defenseman, the Sharks took skilled forward Stenberg. They still made the day work on the defensive side by landing Keaton Verhoeff at No. 9. Then they moved up six spots in a trade to draft Ryan Lin at No. 21.
Caleb Malhotra went at No. 3 overall and gets a chance to play for his dad—new Vancouver Canucks coach Manny Malhotra.
The Toronto Maple Leafs made their own case for a clean fit at the top. Buffalo had been a good draft site for the franchise. and ten years ago the Leafs took Auston Matthews at No. 1 overall. Now, with McKenna selected as the No. 1 pick, the organization has another high-profile entry to build around.
Vegas Golden Knights, meanwhile, carried some of the day’s heaviest tension. The defending Western Conference champions have leaned on a formula of trading futures for name players. This time. though. a salary cap crunch forced a costly trade decision: they moved Dorofeyev—described as their best homegrown player—for futures. The trade at least created a rare opening for Vegas to draft in the first round. Even so, the Golden Knights traded down twice before selecting Juho Piiparinen with the 29th overall pick.
A different kind of falling-out hit another club in the form of a player who didn’t go where many expected. Chase Reid had been mentioned as high as No. 2 if the Sharks wanted to draft a defenseman. General manager Mike Grier had hinted at the possibility before the draft, but the Sharks instead selected Stenberg. Reid slid to No. 7 with the Seattle Kraken. The same Kraken team. by one reported note. has made the playoffs once in its existence and turned down a reported $15 million-a-year contract offer from Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson.
Columbus Blue Jackets land in the loser category with a cloud hanging over their roster stability. During the draft. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported the Blue Jackets were listening to offers on Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes later reported that Kirill Marchenko—listed as the team’s leading goal scorer—might not be willing to re-sign beyond the end of his contract. For a team that has missed the playoffs for six consecutive seasons and whose effort down the stretch was questioned by coach Rick Bowness. the combination of trade openness and potential contract uncertainty didn’t look like a comfortable moment.
There was also frustration outside the picks themselves—on the broadcast.
One of the most visible changes this year was ESPN getting rid of last year’s worst feature: the virtual room where prospects talked to their new teams. But the replacement didn’t land well either. The interviews still left drafted players sitting on a couch. and even with the excitement created by the trades. the show dragged. The coverage lasted four hours.
The draft’s first-day story is hard to miss when you line up what happened immediately after the opening picks and trades. Teams that moved early did not just shuffle names—they created space to lock in players like Dorofeyev. while other clubs spent their day absorbing the cost of a salary cap reality or watching uncertainty surround key names like Werenski and Marchenko.
Outside the arena, people were still celebrating the Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup moment in Raleigh. Inside the NHL’s workflow. the next season started being shaped by decisions made on a tight calendar—trades announced back-to-back. contracts agreed. and prospects sliding as teams chased the balance between risk and reward.
2026 NHL Draft Pavel Dorofeyev K'Andre Miller Artemi Panarin New York Rangers San Jose Sharks Ivar Stenberg Juho Piiparinen Vegas Golden Knights Zach Werenski Kirill Marchenko Gavin McKenna Calab Malhotra Manny Malhotra