Now that the 2026 NHL Draft has concluded, it is time for everyone’s favorite article: draft grades!
The only way I can fairly and reasonably go about this exercise is to assign grades based on which team added the most by way of draft picks to the organization. I don’t account for players acquired by trade, how well a player fits into the organization, or whether I think a team reached or got potential value on a pick. This is a ranking showing who got the most talent in the draft, divided by tiers represented by a letter grade. Teams are listed by their grade, but teams with the same grade are listed alphabetically.
I realize this basically becomes highly correlated to draft slot and the number of picks. Your method may vary, and I realize there are other ways to analyze a draft performance. This is how I do it. This is not a ranking of how good your favorite team’s scouts are. I am just trying to explain whether the organization did or didn’t make their farm system better this weekend.
This file has a brief synopsis of the draft classes, but there are individual team files for all 32 clubs linked in this article for a more detailed breakdown of each draft haul.
As predicted, Gavin McKenna goes No. 1
The Athletic Hockey Show
Toronto landed the grand prize in Gavin McKenna. He’s an ultra-dynamic winger whose vision, skills and game-breaking abilities make him the draft’s highest upside prospect. They had a great Day 1, and Day 2 was also excellent for them. They got two players I was very passionate about in Måns Gudmundsson and Patriks Plumins, as well as a bunch of other players like Alexander Bilecki and Ethan MacKenzie I think are real prospects. They could have multiple Day 2 guys play games to go with McKenna’s impact potential.
Read the full analysis of the Maple Leafs’ draft class here.
At No. 2, the Sharks took Ivar Stenberg, a brilliant, play-driving winger. Keaton Verhoeff at 9 gives them a towering 6-foot-4 right-shot defender with massive upside, and Ryan Lin at 21 is a highly intelligent, mobile defenseman. They had immense draft capital and capitalized on it. I see three everyday NHL players from this group, including potential impact players in Stenberg and Verhoeff.
Read the full analysis of the Sharks’ draft class here.
Calgary walked away with a premium defenseman in Carson Carels at 6. His elite physical play to go with strong offense could make him a great top-four defenseman. Late in the first, the Flames grabbed Jack Hextall, a smart, competitive center who projects well as a middle-six forward even if he isn’t the flashiest skater. I really like Chase Harrington and Tobias Trejbal for them on Day 2 as well. This draft could become a very important part of their rebuild.
Read the full analysis of the Flames’ draft class here.
Vancouver made a big splash by taking its new head coach’s son Caleb Malhotra at 3. He possesses high-end skill and compete and projects as a quality top-six center. Adding a highly competitive winger in Adam Novotný late in the first makes this a fantastic haul. The Canucks kept building depth early on Day 2 by adding Brooks Rogowski and Niklas Aaram-Olsen. I like both of them, particularly Rogowski. I see two everyday NHLers coming out of this class and possibly three.
Read the full analysis of the Canucks’ draft class here.
No. 7 pick Chase Reid is a very talented defenseman with a lot of offensive and athletic tools. He has the speed, hands, vision and shot to generate chances and he projects as a major minutes NHL defenseman who can run a first power play. Second-rounder Casey Mutryn gives the Kraken a high-motor forward to complement him. Seattle walks away with two likely pros.
Read the full analysis of the Kraken’s draft class here.
The Kings bet big on Elton Hermansson at 19. He’s a winger with high-end offensive tools. Adding Liam Lefebvre and Adam Goljer in the second round gives them decent depth down the middle and on the blue line, respectively, with Lefebvre having a very projectable motor. I could see two NHL players coming from this group.
Read the full analysis of the Kings’ draft class here.
Buffalo addressed its blue line in a major way by taking Daxon Rudolph at 4. He’s a premier defensive talent in this class and has high-end offensive tools. At 20, Ilia Morozov gives the Sabres a big, competitive center who plays a very direct, heavy style. Olivers Murnieks has a good chance to play the bottom six minutes, too. I see two legit NHL players here, with Rudolph having top-pairing upside.
Read the full analysis of the Sabres’ draft class here.
The Blues restocked the middle of the ice in a big way. No. 11 pick Tynan Lawrence has an elite motor and speed, though his offense became a question as the year went. Maddox Dagenais, the pick at No. 16, brings tremendous size and physicality and a heavy shot. If both hit, that’s their middle-six center depth sorted. I see two NHL players from their draft class.
Read the full analysis of the Blues’ draft class here.
Anaheim had a fascinating draft, loading up on highly skilled wingers in Nikita Klepov at 15 and Marcus Nordmark at 28. Klepov is a dynamic offensive talent. Getting Mathis Preston in the middle of the second round is a classic swing on upside; he’s an undersized winger who had a tough draft year but possesses massive pure skill and pace. The Ducks also grabbed Jayden Kurtz in the second, adding a mobile defender to the system. The future of this class comes down to whether these skill guys hit. I expect one or two of these players to become regulars.
Read the full analysis of the Ducks’ draft class here.
I’m a huge fan of the Alberts Šmits pick at No.5. He’s a tall defenseman with impressive mobility and smarts. He can make a reliable first pass, has a big point shot and defends very well due to his length and feet. He projects to be a top-pairing defenseman in the NHL. The Rangers grabbed goaltender Danai Shaiikov on Day 2, which is a fine gamble on some athletic traits. Šmits is the only sure thing in this class but I could see Shaiikov or forward Tomas Chrenko get NHL games.
Read the full analysis of the Rangers’ draft class here.
Nashville got two very talented players in the first round. Wyatt Cullen is an elite skilled winger, whereas Tommy Bleyl is an undersized yet very mobile and smart defenseman. Cullen for sure plays in the NHL. Bleyl is less certain to do so, but they’re both swings on talent.
Read the full analysis of the Predators’ draft class here.
Pittsburgh heavily targeted the WHL, landing Liam Ruck in the first and Markus Ruck in the second. The Ruck twins lack size and pace, but both are very skilled and intelligent. Taking Tomas Galvas later in the second round is another nice swing on a highly mobile puck-moving defenseman. I see one to two players playing in the NHL from this group.
Read the full analysis of the Penguins’ draft class here.
No. 12 pick Alexander Command has a great motor, and is a center. He plays bigger than his frame and drives play consistently. Matias Vanhanen early on Day 2 gives the Devils another highly skilled forward, and Nikita Shcherbakov adds a steady defensive presence. I think New Jersey gets at least one, likely two regulars from this draft.
Read the full analysis of the Devils’ draft class here.
The Islanders bulked up their blue line with Malte Gustafsson at No. 13. He’s a 6-foot-5 defenseman with good mobility, compete and puck-moving ability. He projects as a top-four D. Vladimir Dravecky was a solid mid-round bet as well.
Read the full analysis of the Islanders’ draft class here.
Montreal took a swing on the upside of Gleb Pugachyov at 26. He’s a very physical Russian winger who projects as a top-six scoring forward with bite. Getting a toolsy, right-shot defender in Tim Runtso in the second round rounds out the Canadiens’ top picks well. They’ll likely get one NHLer out of this group in Pugachyov.
Read the full analysis of the Canadiens’ draft class here.
Detroit took a swing on J.P. Hurlbert at 23, a highly skilled winger with a lot of offensive pop who can create off the rush. The Red Wings selected Victor Plante in the second round; he’s a classic NTDP competitive forward who does a lot of the little things right, though his pure offensive ceiling is a question mark. Hurlbert, for me, is the only real name in this class, although some of their later picks do have a chance to play.
Read the full analysis of the Red Wings’ draft class here.
Columbus added a massive, highly skilled winger in Oscar Hemming at 14. At 6-foot-3, he’s a power forward who can really shoot the puck and dictate play down low. He isn’t a burner, but he works hard enough and has the hands to project as a quality middle-six winger.I do have time for Alessandro Di Iorio as well and could see him become a bottom-six type.
Read the full analysis of the Blue Jackets’ draft class here.
Utah added Ethan Belchetz at 17. At 6-foot-5 and 229 pounds, he boasts one of the most tantalizing combinations of size and skill at the top end of the class, but he fell down the draft order due to skating concerns. He projects as a top-six power forward.
Read the full analysis of the Mammoth’s draft class here.
The Flyers went with big, toolsy defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii at 27, who moves incredibly well for his size and plays very hard, although he has no offence. Defenseman Brek Liske and goalie Martin Psohlavec have chances to play in the NHL. I would guess one regular comes from this class for Philadelphia.
Read the full analysis of the Flyers’ draft class here.
After trading its first-round pick, Boston was limited in what it could walk away with. Nils Bartholdsson in the third round brings some interesting traits, and I liked Oscar Olsson where the Bruins got him. I could see one depth player emerging, or Yuri Ivanov getting some games as a backup goalie.
Read the full analysis of the Bruins’ draft class here.
Ottawa grabbed two highly talented wingers at the end of the first round. Jonas Lagerberg Hoen is a big, fast goal-scorer, whereas Jaxon Cover is a good skater with size and skill. I like Lagerberg Hoen a lot, but while Cover is talented, I think he has a lot of work to do to become an NHL player. Adam Nemec was a solid bottom-six type to add on Day 2.
Read the full analysis of the Senators’ draft class here.
A classic Carolina draft, trading down and accumulating value on Day 2, including flipping No. 42 to Calgary for multiple assets. Zach Lansard, Wiggo Sörensson and William Håkansson in the second round are toolsy players who are athletic and highly competitive. I liked goalie Ryder Fetterolf for where they got him, too. The Hurricanes lacked a premium pick, so the ceiling of the class isn’t massive, but I think they get one regular player from this crop.
Read the full analysis of the Hurricanes’ draft class here.
Simas Ignatavicius is a highly talented winger who just needs to add consistency and strength to his frame. Second-rounder Ryder Cali has good size and reach down the middle. I like the tools the Panthers bet on with their top picks, and I could see one player from this group becoming a regular.
Read the full analysis of the Panthers’ draft class here.
After trading their first-round pick for Bowen Byram, the Blackhawks focused heavily on their second- and third-round bets. I like all of Xavier Villeneuve, Ryan Roobroeck and Samu Alalauri. They’re all very toolsy, and odds are that one of them will hit.
Read the full analysis of the Blackhawks’ draft class here.
It was a very quiet draft for Colorado, as it lacked premium picks. Egor Shilov is very skilled but inconsistent and Beckett Hamilton works hard and has decent offensive instincts but lacks dynamic NHL traits. I think it’s a long shot to find more than one depth option here.
Read the full analysis of the Avalanche’s draft class here.
Without a first-round pick, the Wild were forced to find value later on. They traded up in the third round to grab Adam Andersson, a 6-foot-4 Swedish center. He had a productive international season and brings a lot of size and speed down the middle. I didn’t mind Kayden Lemire and goalie Filip Ruzicka for where they got them, too. I could see one player from this class getting regular games.
Read the full analysis of the Wild’s draft class here.
Winnipeg targeted a highly cerebral player in Viggo Björck at 8. He’s won scouts over with his mature, high-IQ game down the middle. He’s undersized, but his brain and compete are so elite that I think he can be a top-six center.
Read the full analysis of the Jets’ draft class here.
Vegas landed Juho Piiparinen at 29, a smooth-skating Finnish defender with a very calm, projectable two-way game. The Golden Knights didn’t have a ton of premium capital, but Piiparinen looks like a safe bet to play games, even if his offensive upside isn’t massive. Jonah Sivertson was a solid mid-round pick as well.
Read the full analysis of the Golden Knights’ draft class here.
Tampa Bay operated entirely on Day 2, landing a skilled winger in Oleg Kulebyakin. He has good puck skills and vision but needs to improve his pace to translate to the NHL. I don’t mind Tomas Kralovic, the big, mobile defenseman the Lightning got later as well. I could see one depth player coming out of this draft if things break right.
Read the full analysis of the Lightning’s draft class here.
No. 18 pick Oliver Suvanto is a highly intelligent, two-way center who has played a very mature game against men in Finland. He’s not the flashiest player and his skating is just NHL average, but he rarely makes mistakes and has enough skill to produce. He projects as a reliable third-line center. I see one likely NHL player from this group.
Read the full analysis of the Capitals’ draft class here.
Edmonton picked Rudolfs Berzkalns with its first pick. I like him, but he’s no sure thing. Other than him, there’s no other prospect in this class I’m excited about.
Read the full analysis of the Oilers’ draft class here.
Without a first-round pick, Dallas had to wait to make its mark on Day 2. The Stars took Jakub Vaněček, who’s a quality yet unspectacular defenseman and has a legit chance to play.
Read the full analysis of the Stars’ draft class here.
