Trades redraw the board before the 2026 NHL Draft

Sam Cosentino’s 2026 NHL mock draft has been reshaped by a week of trades, with the Toronto Maple Leafs still pegged to go first overall for Gavin McKenna. Beyond that, pick-by-pick uncertainty swirls around the San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo S

By the time the 2026 NHL Draft rolls into its next stretch. the board no longer looks like the one many fans were staring at a week ago. Cosentino says the shape of the draft has “considerably changed” over the last week as the number of trades increased—and he suspects that trading won’t be finished anytime soon. potentially running right through Day 2 of the 2026 NHL Draft on Saturday.

What won’t change, in his view, is the Toronto Maple Leafs selecting Gavin McKenna first overall. The Maple Leafs, he notes, visited Whitehorse and met with McKenna’s family not long after winning the first overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery.

Cosentino also points to recent moves by San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier as a strong clue that Ivar Stenberg could be next off the board. The Jets. Canucks. Sabres and others are watching the early run closely. but the real intrigue begins at pick number three—where Vancouver is widely projected to take Caleb Malhotra. head coach Manny Malhotra’s son. even as Buffalo could also be very much in play.

He describes the No. 3 slot as the kind of decision that produces a shortlist of suitors, with Jarmo Kekalainen—known for thinking outside the box—potentially using multiple options if the Sabres do in fact go that direction.

Even beyond the top few. the draft has plenty of momentum for players who turned heads at the NHL Combine and those who looked comfortable against men this season. Viggo Bjorck is one example: Cosentino credits his showing at the Combine and says his men’s worlds performance should help erase size concerns. making a top-five selection “not a stretch.”.

On defense, he adds, there’s a stack of top-ten possibilities. Chase Reid, Daxon Rudlolph and Keaton Verhoeff are all named as right-handed options. Alberts Smits is also brought up as a high-upside, NHL-ready prospect who could “very easily” be a top-five pick.

The chaos factor, though, sits with the teams that have the most bullets. St. Louis has four picks in the first round—something Cosentino says hasn’t been seen since 1999. when the Islanders picked four players in round one. Add in San Jose’s three first-rounders and the next couple of days feel set up for constant reshuffling.

For now, here is how Cosentino sees the first round unfolding:

1. Toronto Maple Leafs: Gavin McKenna, LW, 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, Penn St. (NCAA)
Cosentino argues there’s too much upside, and says McKenna helped himself immensely at the NHL Combine with how he presented both physically and personally.

2. San Jose Sharks: Ivar Stenberg. LW. 5-foot-11. 183 pounds. Frolunda (SHL)
He links this pick to “two moves”: San Jose’s acquisition of Michael Kesselring. which he says indicates a move off of Chase Reid. and the departure of William Eklund to Ottawa. Stenberg. Cosentino says. would fill the Eklund void immediately based on his track record playing against men all season long. including right through the men’s worlds.

3. Vancouver Canucks: Caleb Malhotra. C. 6-foot-1.75. 182 pounds. Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
Cosentino calls this a feel-good story in a market that “could use it.” He also insists Vancouver still has to pick the best player available regardless of who the coach is. adding it wouldn’t shock him if the Canucks avoid potential drama and go another direction.

4. Buffalo Sabres: Chase Reid, RD, 6-foot-2.5, 195 pounds, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
Here, the wildcard is Kekalainen. Cosentino says anything can happen, but Reid’s “game-changing ability” is the reason he’s in this spot. He also references the adversity Reid faced along the way and frames more growth before hitting his ceiling.

5. New York Rangers: Alberts Smits, D, 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Munchen (DEL)
Cosentino’s case is straightforward: Smits is the most NHL-ready player in the draft class. He says Smits played against men all season long in a number of high-leverage events and was equally as good or better in Buffalo.

6. Calgary Flames: Viggo Bjorck. Djurgardens. RW. 5-foot-9. 177 pounds. Djurgarden (SHL)
Cosentino says the pick addresses a need and also represents the best player available. He insists Bjorck’s size won’t be an issue at the NHL level. pointing to his SHL track record and a strong showing at the men’s worlds and the NHL Combine.

7. Seattle Kraken: Carson Carels. D. 6-foot-1.75. 198 pounds. Prince George Cougars (WHL)
This pick is built around character. compete and work ethic. described as “through the roof” on a “natural born leader.” Cosentino also flags medical concerns. saying if that checks out. it would be the first time the Kraken picked a defenceman with their first-round pick.

8. Winnipeg Jets: Daxon Rudlolph, RD, 6-foot-2.5, 206 pounds, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
Cosentino expects heavy debate over the Jets’ defenceman choice, but writes that they “can’t go wrong” with either option. He has Rudolph by a nose.

9. San Jose Sharks: Keaton Verhoeff, RD, 6-foot-3.75, 212 pounds, North Dakota (NCAA)
Cosentino says the board could have suggested a higher range, but the way it fell gives San Jose a chance to add an elite right-shot defenceman after taking Stenberg at No. 2.

10. Nashville Predators: Wyatt Cullen, LW, 6-foot-1, 176 pounds, USNTDP (USHL)
After McKenna, Cosentino calls Cullen the most dynamic player in the draft class, citing “great wheels,” “sick hands,” and “NHL bloodlines.”

11. St. Louis Blues: Nikita Klepov, RW, 5-foot-11, 178 pounds, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
He presents Klepov as a replacement for Jordan Kyrou, stating Klepov led the OHL with 97 points this season. Cosentino also points to a recent viewing at the Milstein Florida camp.

12. New Jersey Devils: Ryan Lin. RD. 5-foot-11.25. 178 pounds. Vancouver Giants (WHL)
Cosentino frames Lin as different from Nemec while still filling a similar void two years down the road. He says Lin showed another layer to his game at the U18 worlds after coming back from injury at the end of Vancouver’s season.

13. New York Islanders: Ethan Belchetz. LW. 6-foot-5. 228 pounds. Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Cosentino says Belchetz has an amazing array of skills for his size. describing him as an elite shooter and emphasizing how hard he keeps working on his skating. Belchetz, he adds, will take the college route next season after a broken collarbone suffered in early March.

14. Columbus Blue Jackets: Tynan Lawrence. C. 6-foot-0.5. 185 pounds. Boston University (NCAA)
Cosentino says Lawrence slipped from pre-season projections. but Columbus gets a hard-working player with production in his past. He adds that a higher draft slot might have been likely if Lawrence had stayed the full year in Muskegon.

15. St. Louis Blues: Malte Gustafsson, LD, 6-foot-4.25, 201 pounds, HV71 (SHL)
Cosentino calls Gustafsson a late riser tied to his play at the U18 worlds. He says Gustafsson has size, can skate, defends well, and helps move pucks quickly and efficiently.

16. St. Louis Blues: Alexander Command, C, 6-foot-.05, 186 pounds, Orebro (SWE-J20)
He describes Command as another high riser after being cut from the Hlinka-Gretzky, then working his way back to becoming a key contributor on a gold medal-winning team at the U18s.

17. Los Angeles Kings: Adam Novotny. LW. 6-foot-1. 204 pounds. Peterborough Petes (OHL)
Cosentino highlights Novotny as a successful volume shooter who transitioned seamlessly to the North American game. He also points to high character and says Novotny can play in different ways without necessarily needing to score to make an impact.

18. Washington Capitals: Ilia Morozov, C, 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Miami (NCAA)
Cosentino says the Capitals have shown a penchant for size. He describes Morozov as bigger than his frame suggests, coachable, and driven by work ethic to improve. As one of the youngest players in the class, he says Morozov has more runway.

19. Utah Mammoth: Oscar Hemming, LW, 6-foot-3.5, 193 pounds, Boston College (NCAA)
Cosentino says Hemming fits the physical and playing profile of GM Bill Armstrong. He notes Hemming only got a half-season to show what he can do, but plays a power-forward game with some skill.

20. Buffalo Sabres: JP Hurlbert, LW, 5-foot-11.75, 183 pounds, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
Here, Cosentino emphasizes multiple position versatility for an elite shooter. He says Hurlbert is always around the action, impressed at the Combine and showed up with the mindset that it was “his job.”

21. Philadelphia Flyers: Maksim Sokolovskii. LD. 6-foot-7. 238 pounds. London Knights (OHL)
Cosentino points out that three years ago the Flyers tapped into the London Knights program to select Oliver Bonk one spot later than this. He says this time the pick adds size, meanness and physicality to the Flyers’ defensive prospect pool.

22. Pittsburgh Penguins: Xavier Villeneuve. D. 5-foot-11. 162 pounds. Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
Cosentino says Kyle Dubas was never concerned about size when drafting in Toronto. He notes there was a slight turn in that philosophy last year with Pittsburgh. but doesn’t think the Penguins oppose a smaller player with great skill.

23. Boston Bruins: Maddox Dagenais. C. 6-foot-4. 196 pounds. Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
Cosentino calls Dagenais a big-body player who can zip the puck. He describes a development arc where the player had to learn he was more than just goal-scoring and skill. and once he did. Cosentino says he began impacting games physically—something required at the next level.

24. Vancouver Canucks: William Hakansson, D, 6-foot-4, 207 pounds, Lulea (SHL)
Cosentino sees Hakansson as a steady-eddie type who identifies well with the role and is happy playing it. He also says there is untapped offensive upside.

25. Ottawa Senators: Elton Hermansson, RW, 6-foot-3.5, 181 pounds, Modo (Allsvenskan)
Cosentino writes that the Senators appreciate skill, especially goal-scoring ability. He calls Hermansson an enigma who will need development exposure to extract his best. and frames that as part of his path forward.

26. New York Rangers: Jack Hextall, C, 6’0.5, 188 pounds, Youngstown (USHL)
Cosentino cites solid numbers in a difficult league. He portrays Hextall as a max-effort player who is sturdy on his skates and willing to engage in all three zones.

27. San Jose Sharks: Tommy Bleyl. RD. 5-foot-11.5. 165 pounds. Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
Cosentino says Bleyl had an absolutely brilliant rookie season and transitioned quickly from prep school to major junior. He describes Bleyl’s feet as “spectacular” and says he can run a power play. something San Jose does not have.

28. Montreal Canadiens: Oliver Suvanto, C, 6-foot-2.75, 207 pounds, Tappara (Liiga)
Cosentino says size is always at the fore with Montreal. He frames Suvanto as not looking like a high-end producer. but still a player who can help in multiple ways. protecting the puck well and playing centre or wing with a good motor.

29. St. Louis Blues: Tobias Trejbal, G, 6-foot-4.25, 190 pounds, Youngstown (USHL)
Cosentino says St. Louis has plenty of optionality if it keeps its picks, but in this spot it’s time for goalie-hunting. He believes Trejbal is the best of the group.

30. Calgary Flames: Liam Ruck. RW. 5-foot-11. 187 pounds. Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Cosentino connects this pick to “the dream” for the mirrored twins and says Calgary is in the best position to make it happen. He suggests that if the belief is that the twins are better together. the Flames won’t have to wait long on Day 2 to secure Markus.

31. Carolina Hurricanes: Gleb Pugachyov. RW. 6-foot-3. 198 pounds. Torpedo-Nizhny (KHL)
Cosentino says the Stanley Cup champs are never afraid to draft Russian players. He describes Pugachyov as playing the game in the same fashion as the Hurricanes—getting after it. While he says the skill may not be elite. he expects Pugachyov would join a team where minutes and scoring are spread out. and where tenacity can win out.

32. Ottawa Senators: Brooks Rogowski, C, 6-foot-7, 235 pounds
Cosentino calls Rogowski a big right-shot centre still learning how his size can impact play. He says Rogowski skates well and has good skill for his size, adding that if he adds the physical element, people should “look out.”

The draft itself is set: live NHL Draft coverage begins with the first round on Friday followed by Rounds 2-7 on Saturday, as Cosentino directs fans to Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ for the broadcast schedule and streaming.

As Day 1 gives way to Saturday, the sense around the league is simple: the picks may be mapped, but the trading window is where the real movement comes from.

2026 NHL Draft Toronto Maple Leafs Gavin McKenna San Jose Sharks Ivar Stenberg Vancouver Canucks Caleb Malhotra Buffalo Sabres Chase Reid Draft trades MISRYOUM Sports News