The 2026 NHL Draft is done. Development camp will be next for many of these prospects, while others will get straight to training and preparing for the 2026-27 season.
Hope springs anew after each draft, as fans and teams look forward to the potential of the players new to the organization. To wrap up the draft, Sportsnet’s prospect experts Sam Cosentino and Jason Bukala write about who their favourite picks were in each of the seven rounds, whether because of how surprisingly late they were taken compared to projection, their upside, their background or any other reason why they liked these picks in particular.
Jasno Bukała: Viggo Bjorck, Winnipeg Jets, eighth overall
The first round was turned on its head early in the proceedings when Daxon Rudolph was selected fourth overall by the Buffalo Sabres, followed by Alberts Smits to the New York Rangers one pick later. The trickle-down effect resulted in Bjorck falling to the Jets at eighth overall.
Winnipeg ends up with one of the most dynamic personalities in the entire draft class and a player who will start his NHL career as a second-line centre before growing into a first-line role. Bjorck isn’t tall, but he doesn’t play a small game. He’s a sturdy/strong forward who plays quick and fast. He provides offence and off-puck detail defensively. I wouldn’t hesitate to deploy Bjorck in all situations. His competitive nature and well-rounded skill set fills the need the Jets were looking for in the first-round. Bjorck produced 6G-9A playing pro for Djurgardens in the SHL this year. His season ended with a J20 championship where he contributed 8G-12A in nine playoff games.
Sam Cosentino: Chase Reid, Seattle Kraken, seventh overall
Reid’s story is truly unbelievable. Two years ago he was cut from USHL Waterloo and in order to keep playing, he moved to NAHL Bismarck. Originally a seventh round OHL pick by Sault Ste. Marie in 2023, Greyhounds GM Kyle Raftis thought he’d give Reid a call to see if he would want to come play there.
Ultimately he would be given the spot vacated by Andrew Gibson (Nashville second-rounder in 2023) when he was off at the world juniors. It didn’t take long for Reid to take off and he ended up with 40 points in 39 games. A year later, he was running the power play for Team USA at the 2026 world juniors whenever Cole Hutson was out of the lineup.
I had Reid as my top-ranked defenceman going into the draft and expected him to go off the board within the first four picks. He slipped to Seattle at number seven, marking the first time the Kraken have used their first round pick on a defenceman. Reid possesses some Cale Makar-like qualities in his game from his elite passing skills, a big shot and skating prowess that allows him to transport the puck all over the ice.
Jason Bukala: Matias Vanhanen, New Jersey Devils, 37th overall
The Devils are fortunate to land Vanhanen where they did in the second round. Vanhanen went through last year’s draft and teams will regret the fact they didn’t step up on him sooner. He’s fantastic playmaker with elite vision and a combination of passing and shooting ability. Another layer to Vanhanen’s game, like Bjorck, includes reliable off-puck detail and competitiveness. He was one of the top available overall offensive drivers in this draft class and I believe he will end up as part of the Devils’ top-six forward group in time.
Vanhanen contributed 21G-66A in 6 regular season games playing for Everett in the WHL. His playoff contribution in high-leverage games resulted in 16G-16A in 23 games including the Memorial Cup.
Sam Cosentino: Tomas Galvas, Pittsburgh Penguins, 54th overall
I like this pick for two reasons. First, at 20 years old Galvas is considered an old man for the draft. This was the third draft for which he was eligible, having already been passed over twice. Secondly, by today’s standards, he’s considered small for a defenceman at 5-foot-10, and 190 pounds.
His year consisted of eight goals and 24 points in 32 Extraliiga games, but he popped at the 2026 world juniors. As a third-time member of Czechia’s team in the event, Galvas played a simple, effective, puck-moving game. He played just shy of 21 minutes per game on Czechia’s second pairing, tying for the team lead with a plus-7 rating, while leading the defence corps with three goals and nine points in a silver medal effort. Galvas also suited up for Czechia at the men’s worlds averaging 14:00 per game while recording one assist in eight games.
His dad, Lukas, played 911 games over 22 seasons in Czechia’s top league and that surely had something to do with Tomas finally getting selected.
Jason Bukala: Adam Valentini, Utah Mammoth, 96th overall
Valentini, for whatever reason, seemed to be a polarizing prospect in the eyes of the scouting community. Some teams valued him considerably higher than others. I personally had Valentini amongst a group of very similar prospects, albeit with different skill sets, ranked in the 28-40 range on my personal list.
Valentini is listed at 5-foot-9, 183 pounds. Like some of the other prospects in this draft class he isn’t tall, but he doesn’t play a light game. Valentini has the flexibility to play the wing and centre. He was a true freshman at the University of Michigan this year and contributed 11G-16A in 40 games. He was also whistled for 46 penalty minutes, which speaks to the fact he’s involved and doesn’t play a perimeter/no-contact game. Valentini is a nice addition for the Mammoth in this slot. He has enough skill to potentially take some shifts on the second-line but, given the depth of Utah’s forward group, I view him as a middle-six/secondary scorer for them.
Sam Cosentino: Beckett Hamilton, Colorado Avalanche, 74th overall
A self-proclaimed late bloomer, Hamilton has shown steady improvement over the course of his time in Red Deer. He rose from being ranked 75th in NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings to 33rd on their final list.
The 2024-25 season marked his first full season in the WHL and, playing mostly on the wing, he put up a respectable 14 goals for 25 points playing for head coach Dave Struch. Struch was replaced by Marc Habscheid this past season, which is extremely difficult for a player to experience during his draft eligible year.
Hamilton rose to the task, though, and a move to centre resulted in a 24-goal, 62-point season. In fact, his last 10-game regular season segment produced five goals and 12 points and helped the Rebels secure the last spot in the WHL playoffs by one point over Moose Jaw.
Hamilton is acutely aware of what his role will be at the next level. He self-identifies as a hard worker who will be hard to play against and rub opponents the wrong-way. He will use his defensive awareness to be a solid checker and a responsible middle of the lineup player.
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Jason Bukala: Thomas Vandenberg, Los Angeles Kings, 103rd overall
Vandenberg is exactly the kind of prospect teams value in this range of the draft. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound centre was very young for this draft class. He was born on Sept. 8, 2008. If he was born seven days later, he would have qualified for next year’s draft instead.
Vandenberg plays fast, can be deployed in a variety of roles, and he’s a relentless competitor. He produced 25G-25A in the regular season playing for the Ottawa 67’s this year, with 11 of his tucks coming on the power play. He ended the season playing for Team Canada at the U18 World Championship and displayed his flexibility to be deployed deeper in the lineup in an energy/checking role. I project Vandenberg as a third-line forward who has the hockey sense to play either centre or the wing. He’s headed to Providence college in the fall to further his development at the NCAA level.
Sam Cosentino: Brady Knowling, San Jose Sharks, 127th overall
Go figure, he was left until this pick for the Sharks, who won the 2026 NHL Draft. A dual citizen, Knowling played his minor hockey in the Toronto area before leaving for the USNTDP. He checks all the boxes as a 6-foot-5, 208-pound goaltender. Heading into the draft, he was the top-ranked North American netminder according to NHL Central Scouting.
Knowling’s numbers in the program were only average (15-13-5, 3.51 GAA, .883 SV%) but as a team, the program experienced a down season in general. His season started with a bang however, capturing gold at the 2025 Hlinka-Gretzky tournament with a stellar 3-0 record, 2.25 GAA, .914 SV% performance.
He also popped at the CHL/USA Prospects Challenge where he stopped 42 of 44 shots en route to a 4-2 victory and ultimately winning the event over Team CHL.
Knowling will spend next season with OHL Saginaw before heading to Boston University for the 2027-28 season. Hey, didn’t Sharks GM Mike Grier go there?
Jason Bukala: Ryan Brown, Dallas Stars, 155th overall
Brown is an intriguing prospect who could be a late-bloomer and become an NHL player in time. The 5-foot-10, 177-pound forward was traded from the Sarnia Sting to the London Knights this season and produced a combined 22G-41A in 67 regular season games. I noticed his role steadily increasing with the Knights and his playoff contribution was noteworthy (3G-2A in five games).
I anticipate Brown’s role continuing to expand with the Knights. He has the skill and commitment to be trusted to carry heavy minutes at the junior level and might end up being a late-round steal for the Stars.
Sam Cosentino: Alexandre Taillefer, Winnipeg Jets, 135th overall
Originally a seventh round pick by Remparts GM Simon Gagne in the 2024 QMJHL Draft out of the famed Lac St. Louis minor hockey program, Taillefer started the 2024-25 season with Lac St. Louis’ U18 AAA team before being promoted full-time to the Remparts in mid-December of that season.
Taillefer is an averaged-sized defenceman who, after his first half-season with the Remparts, came to the realization that he needed to do things differently. His exit meeting with Gagne and head coach Eric Veilleux challenged him to become a more coachable player.
He returned to start this season with an entirely different attitude predicated on hard work and dedication. There was an understanding that in order to be successful he had to embrace playing physically, leaning on opponents and generally being a tough guy to play against. He added those elements and used his mobility and agility to move pucks quickly and efficiently, resulting in a 17-point effort over 28 games before suffering an achilles injury in early December. He attempted to come back after the Christmas break, but ultimately gave way to ruptured achilles surgery. He should be back before the start of next season.
Veilleux said “I will bet on this guy,” and that’s good enough for me.
Jason Bukala: Noah Kosick, Anaheim Ducks, 192nd overall
To have a chance at an NHL career, prospects have to be wired with an engine that never stops running. The NHL is a hard game and there aren’t too many players in the league who can afford to get away with skill alone. They have to combine “skill” with “will” to have impact.
Kosick is a nice bet for the Ducks in the sixth round. I had him much higher on my list and he’s similar to Brown in that I feel like the best is yet to come for the forward from the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. Kosick is listed at 5-foot-11, 160 pounds. He will need to add more strength to his frame as he matures, but he too was very young for this draft class and has time on his side. Kosick was born on Aug. 18, 2008.
Kosick was traded from the Swift Current Broncos to Seattle this season. He produced a combined 16G-38A in 69 regular season games and went on to contribute 1G-4A in five playoff games. I appreciate his approach. He never goes away and has the ability to create turnovers on his own with his pursuit off the puck. Kosick is committed to the University of Michigan.
Sam Cosentino: Wesley Royston, Montreal Canadiens, 190th overall
The Habs came into the draft with the goal of trying to get bigger, meaner, and stronger. That was evident with their first-round pick, Gleb Pugachyov (6-foot-3, 224 pounds). That theme continued in Round 6 with the pick of Royston, an absolute beast of a physical specimen, who has plenty of room to grow his 6-foot-4, 186-pound frame. He crushed the NHL Combine, finishing in the top-25 in seven different events.
Royston, a second round OHL pick by Erie, had a decent rookie season with 14 goals and 27 points in 63 games. He got off to a slow start this season with two goals in 13 games, before being acquired by Owen Sound mid-season. The Otters needed more skill, while the Attack needed more physicality. Both teams benefitted, but individually, Royston returned to his goal-scoring, menacing self, converting 10 goals and striking fear into opponents with 80 PIMs in the 46 games he played with the Attack.
Jason Bukala: Max Laatikainen, Philadelphia Flyers, 213th overall
Laatikainen was the youngest draft eligible player in the class. His Sept. 14, 2008 birthdate was literally one day away from him not being draft eligible until next year. If he would have gone through this draft, I am confident projecting he would have been selected much higher next year.
Laatikainen is just scratching the surface of his upside. The right-shot defenceman is listed at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds. He’s a strong skater who appears to have secondary offence as a potential element. At worse he has the ability to scan how plays are developing, close on opponents with his agility, and move pucks efficiently. He’s a great bet for the Flyers in the seventh round and a name to remember in the future.
Sam Cosentino: Colin Fitzgerald, St. Louis Blues, 203rd overall
Fitzgerald was a beast in minor hockey playing for his hometown Peterborough Petes. He had the reputation of being a strong physical player who was hard to move off the puck. When he had the puck he was dangerous both as a shooting threat, and a decent playmaker as well. He was taken third overall by the Petes in the 2024 OHL Draft, setting up for the hometown hero story. He was on track to follow in his dad Rob’s footsteps, who toiled in OHL circles in the early-90’s with Owen Sound and Belleville.
Fitzgerald’s rookie season in Peterborough elicited a pedestrian 12 goals and 28 points, but he was still included on Team Red at the U17 World Challenge, and on Team Canada for the Hlinka Gretzky, where he had two assists in five games playing in a limited role.
He was given an ‘A’ for Peterborough to start this past season and was off to a decent start with six goals and 13 points in 24 games before being dealt to Sault Ste. Marie in November for six draft picks. Fitzgerald maintained a half point-per-game pace after the trade, but the Hounds are expecting big things from him next season.
He went from being the 41st North American-ranked skater on NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term list to 82nd on its final list. Fitzgerald has prototypical power-forward potential. The Blues took a swing on him returning to form, but this pick also tells me they had seen him in his minor hockey days, likely by Ontario scouts Jeff McKercher and/or Ian MacLellan.