Ice hockey players born between January 1, 2006, and September 15, 2008, are eligible for selection in the 2026 NHL entry draft. Additionally, un-drafted, non-North American players born in 2005 are eligible for the draft; and those players who were drafted in the 2024 NHL entry draft, but not signed by an NHL team and who were born after June 30, 2006, are also eligible to re-enter the draft.[2]
Since the 2012–13 NHL season all teams not qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs have a "weighted" chance at winning the first overall selection.[3] Beginning with the 2014–15 NHL season the NHL changed the weighting system that was used in previous years. Under the new system the odds of winning the draft lottery for the four lowest finishing teams in the league decreased, while the odds for the other non-playoff teams increased.[4] As the league reduced the number of lottery drawings before the 2021–22 season, this resulted in two lotteries being held instead of three and since the 2022 draft lottery, the teams winning one of the two drawings are allowed to move up a maximum of ten spots in the draft order and a team is only allowed to win the lottery by moving up the order twice in a five-year period.[5]
The Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks won the two lotteries that were held on May 5, 2026.[6] Toronto notably won the first lottery with an 8.5% probability; heading into the draft lottery, they had a 56.2% chance of being advanced by one or more teams above them in the standings without winning either lottery,[7] in which case they would have conditionally granted their top-five-protected pick to the Boston Bruins to fulfill a trade made in March 2025 that also sent Fraser Minten and a fourth-round pick in 2025 to Boston in exchange for Brandon Carlo.[8] Instead, they will grant their first-round pick in 2027 or 2028 to Boston, with the other being granted to the Philadelphia Flyers.
The order of the 2026 entry draft will be finalized upon the conclusion of the 2025–26 NHL season. However, some teams have already exchanged picks for this draft via trade. These picks are listed below.
The Anaheim Ducks' first-round pick will go to the Washington Capitals as the result of a trade on March 6, 2026, that sent John Carlson to Anaheim in exchange for a third-round pick in 2027 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[11] The condition – Washington will receive Anaheim's first-round pick in 2026 if Anaheim qualifies for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs[11] – was converted on April 13, 2026.[12]
The Edmonton Oilers' first-round pick will go to the San Jose Sharks as the result of a trade on March 6, 2025, that sent Jake Walman to Edmonton in exchange for Carl Berglund and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[13] The condition – San Jose will receive a first-round pick in 2026 if Edmonton does not possess their first-round pick in 2027 after the 2026 trade deadline[13] – was converted when Edmonton traded their 2027 first-round pick on March 4, 2026.[14]
The Tampa Bay Lightning's first-round pick will go to the Seattle Kraken as the result of a trade on March 5, 2025, that sent Kyle Aucoin, Oliver Bjorkstrand and a fifth-round pick in 2026 to Tampa Bay in exchange for Mikey Eyssimont, a conditional first-round pick in 2027, Toronto's second-round pick in 2025, and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[16] The condition – Seattle will receive Tampa Bay's first-round pick in 2026 if it is outside of the top ten selections[16] – was converted when Tampa Bay qualified for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs on April 4, 2026.[17]
The Dallas Stars' first-round pick will go to the New York Rangers as the result of a trade on July 1, 2025 that sent K'Andre Miller to Carolina in exchange for Scott Morrow, a second-round pick in 2026, and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[18] The condition – New York will receive Dallas' first-round pick in 2026 if it is outside of the top ten selections, and more favorable than Carolina's first round selection [19] – was converted when Dallas qualified for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs on March 22, 2026 and on May 1, 2026, when they were eliminated from the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Carolina previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 7, 2025, that sent Mikko Rantanen to Dallas in exchange for Logan Stankoven, a conditional first-round pick in 2028, third-round picks in 2026 and 2027 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[19] The condition – Carolina will receive Dallas' first-round pick in 2026 if it is outside of the top ten selections[19] – was converted when Dallas qualified for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs on March 22, 2026.[20]
The Colorado Avalanche's first-round pick will go to the St. Louis Blues as the result of a trade on March 6, 2026, that sent Brayden Schenn to the Islanders in exchange for Jonathan Drouin, Marcus Gidlof, a third-round pick in 2026 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[21] The condition – St. Louis will receive Colorado's first-round pick in 2026 if it is outside of the top ten selections[22] – was converted when Colorado qualified for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs on March 20, 2026.[23]
New York previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 6, 2025, that sent William Dufour and Brock Nelson to Colorado in exchange for Oliver Kylington, Calum Ritchie, a conditional third-round pick in 2028 and this conditional pick.[22]
The Vegas Golden Knights' first-round pick will go to the Calgary Flames as the result of a trade on March 6, 2024, that sent Mikhail Vorobyev to Vegas in exchange for Daniil Miromanov, a conditional third-round pick in 2025 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – Calgary will receive a first-round pick in 2026 if Vegas does not possess their first-round pick in 2025 by March 10, 2024[24] – was converted when Vegas transferred their first-round pick in 2025 to San Jose on March 8, 2024.[25]
The Ottawa Senators will pick last in the first round, pick #32, as the result of a penalty sanction due to the trade of Evgenii Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights, and Dadonov's subsequent voided trade to the Anaheim Ducks. The pick was originally forfeited, prior to the sanction being modified on March 12, 2026.[26][27][28] One condition of the pick reinstatement is that the Senators are not allowed to trade the pick.[29]
Utah previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on July 13, 2022, that sent Ty Emberson to New York in exchange for Patrik Nemeth, a second-round pick in 2025 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[31] The condition – Arizona[a] will receive a third-round pick in 2024 or a second-round pick in 2026, at their choice[31] – was converted when the Rangers' third-round pick in 2024 was transferred to St. Louis on March 27, 2023.[33][34]
The Winnipeg Jets' second-round pick will go to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a result of a trade on March 7, 2025 that sent Luke Schenn to Winnipeg in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2027 and this pick.[36]
Pittsburgh previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on August 13, 2024, that sent St. Louis' second-round pick in 2025 and a fifth-round pick in 2026 to St. Louis in exchange for Ottawa's third-round pick in 2025 and this pick.[39]
The New York Islanders' second-round pick will go to the Chicago Blackhawks as the result of a trade on June 29, 2023, that sent future considerations to New York in exchange for Josh Bailey and this pick.[40]
Montreal previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on August 19, 2024, that sent Jordan Harris to Columbus in exchange for Patrik Laine and this pick.[42]
Utah previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 1, 2023, that sent Jakob Chychrun to Ottawa in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in 2023, a conditional second-round pick in 2024 and this pick.[44]
The Buffalo Sabres' second-round pick will go to the Toronto Maple Leafs as the result of a trade on March 6, 2026, that sent Scott Laughton to Los Angeles in exchange for this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[46] The condition – Toronto will receive Buffalo's second-round pick in 2026 if Los Angeles qualifies for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs[47] – was converted on April 13, 2026.[48]
Los Angeles previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 5, 2026, that sent Warren Foegele and a conditional third-round pick in 2026 to Ottawa in exchange for a conditional third-round pick in 2026 and this pick.[49]
The Vegas Golden Knights' second round pick will be forfeited as the result of a penalty sanction due to violations of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Media Regulations. The penalty includes the forfeiture of this pick as well as a $100,000 fine towards Vegas head coach John Tortorella.[53]
Ottawa Senators (from Dallas via Carolina and Los Angeles10)
92
New York Rangers (from Buffalo11)
93
Montreal Canadiens
94
Columbus Blue Jackets (from Colorado via Minnesota12)
95
96
The Vancouver Canucks' third-round pick will go to the Calgary Flames as the result of a trade on November 30, 2023, that sent Nikita Zadorov to Vancouver in exchange for a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024 and this pick.[54]
Dallas previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on June 19, 2025, that sent Mason Marchment to Seattle in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2025 and this pick.[56]
The Florida Panthers' third-round pick will go to the Ottawa Senators as the result of a trade on March 6, 2024, that sent Vladimir Tarasenko to Florida in exchange for a third-round pick in 2025 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[57] The condition – Ottawa will receive a third-round pick in 2026 if Florida wins the Stanley Cup in 2024[57] – was converted on June 24, 2024.[58]
Detroit previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 6, 2026, that sent Elmer Soderblom to Pittsburgh in exchange for this pick.[59]
The New York Islanders previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on January 27, 2026, that sent Maxim Tsyplakov to New Jersey in exchange for Ondrej Palat, a sixth-round pick in 2027, and this pick.[61]
The Washington Capitals' third-round pick will go to the Los Angeles Kings as the result of a trade on March 5, 2026, that sent Warren Foegele and a conditional third-round pick in 2026 to Ottawa in exchange for a second-round pick in 2026 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[49] The condition – Los Angeles will receive the better of Ottawa or Washington's third-round picks in 2026[49] – was converted on April 13, 2026, when Washington was eliminated from playoff contention after Ottawa had already qualified for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.[64]
Ottawa previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on July 1, 2024, that sent Jakob Chychrun to Washington in exchange for Nick Jensen and this pick.[65]
The Los Angeles Kings' third-round pick will go to the New York Rangers as the result of a trade on February 4, 2026, that sent Artemi Panarin to Los Angeles in exchange for Liam Greentree, a conditional fourth-round pick in 2028 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade.[66] The condition – New York will receive the better of Dallas or Los Angeles' third-round picks in 2026 if Los Angeles does not win one round in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs[67] – was converted on April 26, 2026, when Los Angeles was eliminated in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, ensuring their pick would be higher than Dallas'.[68]
The Dallas Stars' third-round pick will go to the Ottawa Senators as the result of a trade on March 5, 2026, that sent a second and conditional third-round pick in 2026 to Los Angeles in exchange for Warren Foegele and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[49] The condition – Ottawa will receive the lesser of Dallas or Los Angeles' third-round picks in 2026[49] – was converted on April 26, 2026 when Los Angeles was eliminated from the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, ensuring that Dallas' pick would be lower than Los Angeles'.[68]
Los Angeles previosuly acquired this pick as the result of a trade on June 28, 2025, that sent Nashville's third-round pick in 2025 to Carolina in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2025 and this pick.[69]
Carolina previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 7, 2025, that sent Mikko Rantanen to Dallas in exchange for Logan Stankoven, conditional first-round picks in 2026 and 2028, a third-round pick in 2027, and this pick.[19]# The Buffalo Sabres' third-round pick will go to the New York Rangers as the result of a trade on March 6, 2026, that sent Sam Carrick to Buffalo in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2026 and this pick.[70]
The Colorado Avalanche's third-round pick will go to the Columbus Blue Jackets as the result of a trade on November 30, 2024, that sent David Jiricek and a fifth-round pick in 2025 to Minnesota in exchange for Daemon Hunt, a conditional first-round pick in 2025, Toronto's fourth-round pick in 2026, a second-round pick in 2027 and this pick.[71]
Minnesota previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 7, 2024, that sent Brandon Duhaime to Colorado in exchange for this pick.[72]
The New York Rangers' fourth-round pick will go to the Seattle Kraken as the result of a trade on December 19, 2025, that sent Mason Marchment to Columbus in exchange for a second-round pick in 2027 and this pick.[75]
Columbus previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 8, 2024, that sent Jack Roslovic to New York in exchange for this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[76] The condition – Columbus will receive a fourth-round pick in 2026 if the Rangers do not advance to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final[76] – was converted when the Rangers were eliminated from the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs on June 1, 2024.
The Toronto Maple Leafs' fourth-round pick will go to the Columbus Blue Jackets as the result of a trade on November 30, 2024, that sent David Jiricek and a fifth-round pick in 2025 to Minnesota in exchange for Daemon Hunt, a conditional first-round pick in 2025, Colorado's third-round pick in 2026, a second-round pick in 2027, and this pick.[71]
Minnesota previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 8, 2024, that sent Connor Dewar to Toronto in exchange for Dmitry Ovchinnikov and this pick.[77]
The Florida Panthers' fourth-round pick will go to the San Jose Sharks as the result of a trade on March 6, 2025, that sent Nico Sturm and a seventh-round pick in 2027 to Florida in exchange for this pick.[79]
The San Jose Sharks' fourth-round pick will go to the Carolina Hurricanes as the result of a trade on January 16, 2026, that sent Chicago's fifth-round pick in 2027 to Carolina in exchange for Kyle Masters and this pick.[80]
The Columbus Blue Jackets' fourth-round pick will go to the Ottawa Senators as the result of a trade on March 5, 2026, that sent David Perron to Detroit in exchange for this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[81] The condition – Ottawa will receive Columbus' fourth-round pick in 2026 if Detroit fails to win a round in the 2026 playoffs, or Perron fails to play in 50% of Detroit's first-round playoff games[81] – was converted when Detroit was eliminated from playoff contention on April 11, 2026.[82]
Detroit previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on June 28, 2025, that sent a third-round pick in 2025 to Columbus in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2025 and this pick.[83]
The Detroit Red Wings' fourth-round pick will go to the Boston Bruins as the result of a trade on January 16, 2026, that sent Jeffrey Viel to Anaheim in exchange for this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[84] The condition – Boston will receive the better of Detroit or Philadelphia's fourth-round pick in 2026[84] – was converted on April 13, 2026 when Philadelphia qualified for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs after Detroit had already been eliminated from playoff contention.[85]
Anaheim previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on June 28, 2025, that sent John Gibson to Detroit in exchange for Petr Mrázek, a second-round pick in 2027 and this pick.[86]
The Anaheim Ducks' fourth-round pick will go to the Toronto Maple Leafs as the result of a trade on March 6, 2026, that sent Bobby McMann to Seattle in exchange for a conditional second-round pick in 2027 and this pick.[87]
Seattle previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on July 2, 2024, that sent Brian Dumoulin to Anaheim in exchange for this pick.[88]
The Edmonton Oilers' fourth-round pick will go to the Winnipeg Jets as the result of a trade on March 6, 2026, that sent Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn to Buffalo in exchange for Isak Rosén, Jacob Bryson, a second-round pick in 2027 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[89] The condition – Winnipeg will receive the earlier of Edmonton or Buffalo's fourth-round picks in 2026[89] – was converted on April 30, 2026 when Edmonton was eliminated from the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs ensuring they would have an earlier pick than Buffalo.[90]
Buffalo previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 7, 2025, that sent Henri Jokiharju to Boston in exchange for this pick.[91]
Boston previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade that sent Petr Hauser and Max Jones to Edmonton in exchange for Max Wanner, St. Louis' second-round pick in 2025.[92]
The Ottawa Senators' fourth-round pick will go to the Chicago Blackhawks as the result of a trade on February 22, 2023, that sent future considerations to Ottawa in exchange for Nikita Zaitsev, a second-round pick in 2023 and this pick.[95]
The Tampa Bay Lightning's fourth-round pick will go to the Boston Bruins as the result of a trade on June 28, 2025, that sent Detroit's fourth-round pick in 2025 to Tampa Bay in exchange for this pick.[96]
The Dallas Stars' fourth-round pick will go to the St. Louis Blues as the result of a trade on February 4, 2026, that sent Nick Bjugstad to New Jersey in exchange for Thomas Bordeleau and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[97] The condition – St. Louis will receive the lattermost of Dallas, New Jersey or Winnipeg's fourth-round picks in 2026[97] – was converted on April 13, 2026, when Winnipeg was eliminated from playoff contention, leaving Dallas as the only one of the three to qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
New Jersey previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on February 28, 2024, that sent Christopher Tanev to Dallas in exchange for this pick.[98]
Washington previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 5, 2024, that sent Anthony Mantha to Vegas in exchange for a second-round pick in 2024 and this pick.[101]
The Edmonton Oilers' fifth-round pick will go the Nashville Predators as the result of a trade on June 28, 2025, that sent a fifth-round pick in 2025 to Edmonton in exchange for this pick.[106]
The Pittsburgh Penguins' fifth-round pick will go to the St. Louis Blues as the result of a trade on August 13, 2024, that sent Ottawa's third-round pick in 2025 and a second-round pick in 2026 to Pittsburgh in exchange for St. Louis' second-round pick in 2025 and this pick.[39]
The Colorado Avalanche's fifth-round pick will go to the Toronto Maple Leafs as the result of a trade on March 5, 2026, that sent Nicolas Roy to Colorado in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in 2027 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[109] The condition – Toronto will receive the lattermost of Boston, Colorado, and Philadelphia's fifth-round picks in 2026[109] – was converted when Philadelphia was eliminated from the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs on May 9,[110] guaranteeing Colorado's pick as the lattermost of the three.
The Chicago Blackhawks' sixth-round pick will go to the New York Rangers as the result of a trade on March 6, 2026, that sent Sam Carrick to Buffalo in exchange for a third-round pick in 2026 and this pick.[70]
The Florida Panthers' sixth-round pick will go to the Chicago Blackhawks as the result of a trade on June 28, 2025, that sent a seventh-round pick in 2025 to Florida in exchange for this pick.[112]
The Columbus Blue Jackets' sixth-round pick will go to the San Jose Sharks as the result of a trade on October 5, 2025, that sent Carl Grundström and Artem Guryev to Philadelphia in exchange for Ryan Ellis and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[115] The condition – San Jose will receive the earlier of Columbus or Philadelphia's sixth-round picks in 2026[115] – was converted on April 13, 2026, when Philadelphia qualified for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs after Columbus had already been eliminated from playoff contention.[85]
Philadelphia previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on September 14, 2025, that sent Ivan Fedotov to Columbus in exchange for this pick.[116]
Minnesota previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 8, 2024, that sent Patrick Maroon to Boston in exchange for Luke Toporowski and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[119] The condition – Minnesota will receive a sixth-round pick in 2026 if Maroon plays in one game for the Bruins during the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs[119] – was converted on April 20, 2024.[120]
Buffalo previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on July 1, 2025, that sent Sam Lafferty to Chicago in exchange for this pick.[121]
Ottawa previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on July 15, 2024, that sent Kevin Mandolese and a seventh-round pick in 2026 to Colorado in exchange for this pick.[123]
The Pittsburgh Penguins' sixth-round pick will go to the Columbus Blue Jackets as the result of a trade on February 22, 2024, that sent Emil Bemstrom to Pittsburgh in exchange for Alexander Nylander and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[124] The condition – Columbus will receive a sixth-round pick in 2026 if Bemstrom scores fewer than six goals for Pittsburgh in the 2023–24 NHL season – was converted at the end of the Penguins' season on April 17, 2024.[125]
The Utah Mammoth's sixth-round pick will go to the Nashville Predators as the result of a trade on June 28, 2025, that sent Colorado's sixth-round pick in 2025 to Utah in exchange for this pick.[126]
Nashville previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on June 29, 2024, that sent a fourth-round pick in 2024 to New York in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2024 and this pick.[130]
The Calgary Flames' seventh-round pick will go to the Detroit Red Wings as the result of a trade on June 28, 2025, that sent St. Louis's seventh-round pick in 2025 to Calgary in exchange for this pick.[131]
The Ottawa Senators' seventh-round pick will go to the Colorado Avalanche as the result of a trade on July 15, 2024, that sent a sixth-round pick in 2026 to Ottawa in exchange for Kevin Mandolese and this pick.[123]
The Minnesota Wild's seventh-round pick will go to the Florida Panthers as the result of a trade on March 5, 2026, that sent Jeff Petry to Minnesota in exchange for this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[136] The condition – Florida will receive Minnesota's seventh-round pick in 2026 if Minnesota fails to reach the 2026 Western Conference final, or if Petry fails to play in 50% of Minnesota's first and second-round playoff games[136] – was converted when Petry was scratched from game three of Minnesota's second-round series against Colorado on May 9, mathematically eliminating him from playing 50% of Minnesota's first and second-round games.[137]
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Gavin McKenna (LW)
Ivar Stenberg (LW)
Chase Reid (D)
Alberts Smits (D)
Oliver Suvanto (C)
Gleb Pugachyov (RW)
Simas Ignatavicius (RW)
Michal Orsulak