Over the course of my career as an executive at the OHL and NHL levels, and now as an analyst at Sportsnet, I have attended the NHL Draft in a working capacity since 2006. The build up always hits its peak in the final week ahead of Round 1 as teams reach out to each other searching for ways to improve their draft stock or trade out to improve their roster.
As I look back over the years, I can’t recall a draft week where there were as many transactions and rumours ahead of day one than this year. Star players have been requesting trades, some pending free agents have indicated they prefer going to market instead of re-signing with their current club, and draft picks have been switching hands.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs hold the No. 1 pick as the next group of NHL stars gets set to enter the league. Live NHL Draft coverage begins with the first round on Friday followed by Rounds 2-7 on Saturday. Catch it all on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
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The number of moves has built more excitement for fans of the game, but strategizing my mock draft has been flush with starts and stops since last weekend. Alas, it has come time to put pen to paper and reveal how I believe the first-round will unfold Friday night in Buffalo. With any luck, the draft order will remain the same and I won’t have to revisit my mock ahead of when it starts at 7:00 p.m. Friday night, which you can watch on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
1. Toronto Maple Leafs: Gavin McKenna, Winger
The Leafs step up to select McKenna to fill the void that was left behind when Mitch Marner departed for Vegas. McKenna’s offensive upside is immense. His attention to detail and three-zone compete vastly improved in the second-half of his season at Penn State. McKenna is a game-changing talent and future top-line winger for the Leafs.
2. San Jose Sharks: Ivar Stenberg, Winger
As soon as the Sharks traded William Eklund to the Ottawa Senators this week it signaled to me that they had made a decision to select Stenberg if he was available to them at second overall. Stenberg, like McKenna, is an electric talent offensively. He will, in time, be deployed in all situations for the Sharks and log heavy minutes in the process as one of their first-line wingers skating beside Macklin Celebrini.
3. Vancouver Canucks: Caleb Malhotra, Centre
Malhotra is, by the slimmest of margins over Viggo Bjorck, the top available centre in this draft class. The Canucks recently named Caleb’s father, Manny, their head coach. This scenario presents a unique situation but it’s nothing Caleb can’t overcome. He’s a complete player who can be deployed in all situations and he has built-in leadership qualities as well. Malhotra is a future first-line centre for the Canucks.
4. Buffalo Sabres: Viggo Bjorck, Centre
Bjorck is the best available player in this slot and someone who the Sabres would be fortunate to select. He plays much bigger than his listed size (five-foot-nine, 180 pounds) and has proven he is trustworthy in all situations. Bjorck packages his pace, skill and relentless compete into positive results. Like Malhotra, he is a future top-line centre.
5. New York Rangers: Chase Reid, Defenceman
The Rangers land Reid in this slot and they end up with a future top-pairing, right-shot defender who’s one of the top skaters in the draft class and can be used in all situations. His offensive upside is intriguing and should result in Reid providing productive results with the man advantage.
6. Calgary Flames: Carson Carels, Defenceman
Calgary’s acquisition of right-shot defenceman Simon Nemec from the New Jersey Devils this week indicates, to me, that they will next fill a slot on the left side of the defence corps by selecting Carels. Carels is also a complete player, relentless defensively and he provides better than secondary offence. Carels is a top pairing prospect.
7. Seattle Kraken: Keaton Verhoeff, Defenceman
The Kraken are fortunate to see Verhoeff slide to them in this slot. He has proven he can be deployed in all situations, compete and make adjustments defensively He also has a lethal shot from long-range. Like the other defenceman selected ahead of him, Verhoeff will develop into a top pairing defender who logs north of twenty-five minutes per game.
8. Winnipeg Jets: Daxon Rudolph, Defenceman
Rudolph already looks like a Winnipeg Jets player. The right-shot defenceman is listed at six-foot-two, 205 pounds and he can be used in all situations. It’s not often a future top pairing defenceman arrives on the scene coming off a season that produced 37G-68A, 100 PIMs and a plus-41 stats line, regular season and playoffs combined.
9. San Jose Sharks: Alberts Smits, Defenceman
Compared to the other defencemen ahead of Smits on this list, a strong argument can be made that he is the most pro-ready out of the lot. His floor is higher to start his career, but the others have higher offensive ceilings. The two-way, left-shot defender has proven he can manage the game at the pro level overseas and he competed at the Olympics and men’s world championship representing Latvia. Smits could be a top-pairing defender at the NHL level. At worst he slots into the second-pairing as a high-end option.
10. Nashville Predators: Wyatt Cullen, Winger
The Preds have an affinity for players who have developed at the USNTDP and are heading to college. Cullen is very young for this draft class, born on Sept. 8, and only seven days removed from being eligible for next year’s draft. He continues to grow taller and add weight and strength. Cullen is now listed at 6-foot-1, 183 pounds and projects as a top-six scoring winger.
11. St. Louis Blues: Malte Gustafsson, Defenceman
The Blues have an incredible opportunity ahead of them at the draft, holding four picks in the first round. Gustafsson is a “do it all” left-shot defenceman who is listed at 6-foot-4, 203 pounds. He moves extremely well, has understated offensive potential, and can be trusted in all game situations. He could end up a top-pairing defender in time but, like Smits, is at worst a high-end second pairing “two-way”defender on projection.
12. New Jersey Devils: Ryan Lin, Defenceman
The Devils moved on from Simon Nemec earlier in the week in a trade with the Calgary Flames and rumours continue to circulate regarding Dougie Hamilton’s future in New Jersey. Lin could be a replacement down the line. He’s a right-shot, “two-way/transitional” defender and power play quarterback. I envision Lin as a second-pairing option at even strength, but also a player who will land on the top power play unit.
13. New York Islanders: Tynan Lawrence, Centre
The Islanders add Lawrence to their group as a potential top-six centre with offensive upside. Lawrence plays fast, competes up and down the ice, and has more to give than his stats (2G-5A in 18 games) show from his time at BU. At the U18 world championship he produced 2G-4A in five games representing Canada.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets: Ethan Belchetz, Winger
Belchetz brings a power-style frame (six-foot-five 230 pounds) and has a nose for the net (34G-25A) to help the Jackets. He projects as a top-six winger who can be deployed in a variety of roles. With his stature, and length, Belchetz is extremely difficult to defend along the boards and out front of the net.
15 and 16. St. Louis Blues: Liam and Markus Ruck, Winger and Centre
The Blues are the team best positioned to draft the Ruck twins out of Medicine Hat. Liam is the shooter (45G-59A) while Markus is the playmaker (21G-87A). They will be returning to Medicine Hat for one more season before enrolling at North Dakota for the start of the 2027-28 season. It’s hard to teach offence at the NHL level but Liam and Markus have the skill, and synergy together, to make life difficult on opponents in a top-six role.
17. Los Angeles Kings: JP Hurlbert, Centre/Winger
Hurlbert can play both centre and the wing. He will continue his development at the University of Michigan in the fall. He’s a potential top-six forward who can be deployed in a variety of roles. Hurlbert is coming off a fantastic season that resulted in 42G-55A in 68 regular season games.
18. Washington Capitals: Alexander Command, Centre
The Capitals are building towards being a physically imposing team and adding a relentless competitor in Command fits their blue print. Command can be used in all situations, provide better than secondary offence and push back with enthusiasm in the hard areas of the ice. He has top-six upside.
19. Utah Mammoth: Nikita Klepov, Winger
The Mammoth have some elite shooters and playmakers on their roster already. Adding Klepov, who produced 37G-60A in 67 regular season games in Saginaw adds another layer of distraction to their lineup. I envision Klepov slotting into a second-line role and ripping pucks on the power play.
20. Buffalo Sabres: Elton Hermansson, Winger
Hermansson is a sturdy/strong, right-shot winger who is listed at six-foot, 182 pounds. He plays his off-wing and drives play in transition. Hermansson has top-six potential. He produced 11G-10A in 38 pro games in Sweden’s second division. Equally impressive was his end-of-year impact playing amongst his peer group at the U18 World Championship. Hermansson contributed 4G-12A in seven games at the worlds.
21. Philadelphia Flyers: Adam Novotny, Winger
The Flyers select a goal scorer who’s heavy in the hard areas of the ice. Novotny is listed at six-foot-one, 200 pounds. He battles for net front position and has a lethal release from high danger areas of the ice. He could end up skating in the Flyers’ top-six in time. Novotny contributed 34G-31A in 58 regular season games for the Petes.
22. Pittsburgh Penguins: Ilya Morozov, Centre
The Pens have added some nice pieces to their prospect pool in recent years and including this six-foot-two, 205 pound centre in their process adds another layer of size and skill to their group. Morozov can be used in a variety of roles and projects as a potential second-line centre. He produced 8G-12A in 36 games as a true freshman at Miami.
23. Boston Bruins: Maddox Dagenais, Centre/Wing
Dagenais is a big body (six-foot-three, 198-pound) forward who can play the middle and the wing. He’s at his best when he’s playing fast and asserting himself physically. His combination of size, skill, straight-line speed and push produced 30G-32A in 62 regular season games. He projects as a top/middle-six forward who can bump up into a second-line role.
24. Vancouver Canucks: Oscar Hemming, Winger
Hemming is a hulking (six-foot-four, 204-pound) left-shot winger who plays a power game. He swallows up opponents when he closes on them to finish checks and he’s exceptionally difficult to defend around the crease. Hemming will complement smaller playmaking linemates and open up space for them to execute offensively. Hemming provides better than secondary offence and also projects as a top/middle-six forward.
25. Ottawa Senators: Mathis Preston, Winger
Preston ended his season on a high note representing Canada at the U18 world championship where he contributed 2G-4A in five games while be deployed in a variety of roles. Preston projects as a middle-six winger who’s a hard out in all three zones when he’s maximizing his potential and playing to his identity. His combination of energy, better-than-secondary skill, and overall competitiveness are attractive in this area of the draft.
26. New York Rangers: William Hakansson, Defenceman
The Rangers add a complementary left-shot defenceman to their core, after I have them selecting Chase Reid earlier in the first round. Hakansson is a massive (six-foot-four, 217-pound) defender who leans shut-down/match-up defenceman. He has middle-pairing upside, competes exceptionally hard every shift, and makes responsible decisions with the puck. Hakansson has potential to land on a middle-pairing.
27. San Jose Sharks: Tommy Bleyl, Defenceman
The Sharks continue to add more depth to their defence corps with the addition of Bleyl. He’s a transitional defenceman and power play quarterback who produced 19G-90A in 84 combined regular season and playoff games with Moncton. Bleyl projects as a potential middle-pairing defenceman.
28. Montreal Canadiens: Simas Ignatavicius, Centre
Ignatavicius adds another layer of size, speed and tenacity to the Canadiens’ roster in the middle of the ice. He’s a right-shot centre who’s listed at six-foot-two, 201 pounds. When he isn’t producing offence he hounds pucks and creates turnovers up ice. Ignatavicius produced 7G-6A playing pro in Switzerland this year and projects as a middle-size/spot-duty second-line centre.
29. St. Louis Blues: Juho Piiparinen, Defenceman
The Blues go with a right-shot defenceman to complement the left-shot they selected at 11th overall (Malte Gustafsson) and forwards (the Ruck twins) they selected at number 15 and 16. Piiparinen has second-pairing upside and the ability to be deployed in a variety of roles. He’s a strong skater who arrives ahead of opponents more often than not and moves pucks efficiently.
30. Calgary Flames: Oliver Suvanto, Centre
Suvanto is another big-body centre who’s listed at six-foot-three, 213 pounds. I’m not totally convinced Suvanto will produce anything more than secondary offence at the NHL level, but his power game opens up space for his linemates and can wear down opponents. Suvanto can be deployed in a variety of roles and move to the wing if required. He projects as a middle-six forward.
31. Carolina Hurricanes: Adam Valentini, Centre/Winger
Valentini flew under the radar for much of the season for reasons I don’t understand. He produced a healthy amount of offence as a freshman at Michigan (11G-16A in 40 regular season games) and ended his year representing Canada at the U18’s where he contributed 3G-2A in five games. Valentini has offensive upside and he’s in the fight when the games get congested. He has middle-six upside and the ability to play both centre and the wing.
32. Ottawa Senators: Maksim Sokolovski, Defenceman
Sokolovski adds a reliable, shut-down/match-up defender to the Sens’ lineup. He complements other prospects in their system and on their current NHL roster. Sokolovski is listed at six-foot-seven, 240 pounds. The Atlantic Division is loaded with teams that are physically determined and a player like Sokolovski provides a dependable and predictable element. He projects as a middle-six/bottom-pairing defenceman.