NHL Mock Draft 2026: Gavin McKenna to the Toronto Maple Leafs as we pick for every lottery team

Key Points:

• The Toronto Maple Leafs won the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft with an 8.5% chance and are projected to select Gavin McKenna, a left winger from Penn State, seen as a franchise-altering talent who could boost the team and fanbase.
• The San Jose Sharks jumped from No. 9 to No. 2 in the lottery and are expected to pick Ivar Stenberg, a skilled left winger from Frölunda, focusing on the best player available despite their surplus of forwards.
• Other top projected picks include Caleb Malhotra (Vancouver Canucks, C), Carson Carels (Chicago Blackhawks, LHD), and Chase Reid (New York Rangers, RHD), highlighting teams’ needs for centers and defensemen.
• The draft is set for June 26-27, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y., with teams balancing positional needs and best player available strategies, as reflected in the mock draft by NHL reporters.
• Several teams like the Calgary Flames, Seattle Kraken, and Winnipeg Jets are projected to prioritize defensemen with size and skill, while others such as the Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators focus on forwards and centers to build their rosters.