2026 NHL Mock Draft: Trade or Keep? What Every Lottery Team Should Do With Its Pick
Now that we know the order of the first 16 picks in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, it is time to ask an important question for all of them: Keep the pick or trade the pick?
When it comes to the top-10 selections, and especially the top-five selections, the answer to that question is typically very simple. Those picks rarely, if ever, get traded, and if they are, it is usually only to move down a couple of spots to gain more picks.
If you are, say, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the owners of the No. 1 overall pick, you would need an outrageous offer to move off of it.
San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier seems open to the possibility of moving the second pick, but said the price is obviously significantly higher than when he thought he was going to have the No. 9 overall pick.
But some teams should at least consider the possibility. So we are going to go through each team that was in the lottery and suggest what they should do with their selection: Keep it or trade it.
Updated 2026 NHL Mock Draft
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1. Toronto Maple Leafs: Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State (NCAA)
2. San Jose Sharks: Chase Reid, D, Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds
3. Vancouver Canucks: Ivar Stenberg, LW/RW, Frolunda HC (SHL)
4. Chicago Blackhawks: Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
5. New York Rangers: Carson Carels, D, Prince George Cougars (WHL)
6. Calgary Flames: Keaton Verhoeff, D, University of North Dakota (NCAA)
7. Seattle Kraken: Viggo Bjorck, C/RW, Djurgardens IF
8. Winnipeg Jets: Alberts Smits, D, Jukurit (Liiga)
9. Florida Panthers: Tynan Lawrence, C, Boston University (NCAA)
10. Nashville Predators: Daxon Rudolph, D, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
11. St. Louis Blues: Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
12. New Jersey Devils: Oscar Hemming, F, Boston College (NCAA)
13. New York Islanders: Adam Novotny, LW/RW, Peterborough Petes (OHL)
14. Columbus Blue Jackets: Ryan Lin, D, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
15. St. Louis Blues (via DET): Oliver Suvanto, C, Tappara (Liiga)
16. Washington Capitals: Nikita Klepov, LW, Saginaw Spirit
17. Los Angeles Kings: Elton Hermansson, RW/LW, MoDo Hockey (Hockey Allsvenskan)
18. Washington Capitals (via ANA): Malte Gustafsson, D, HV71 (SHL)
19. Utah Mammoth: Ilia Morozov, F, Miami University (NCAA)
20. San Jose Sharks (via EDM): Egor Shilov, C, Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)
21. Philadelphia Flyers: Juho Piiparinen, D, Tappara (Liiga)
22. Pittsburgh Penguins: Xavier Villeneuve, D, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
23. Boston Bruins: JP Hurlbert, C, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
24. Vancouver Canucks (via MIN): Marcus Nordmark, RW, Djurgardens IF U20 (U20 Nationell)
25. Montreal Canadiens: Wyatt Cullen, LW, USNTDP
26. Seattle Kraken (via TBL): Liam Ruck, RW, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
27. New York Rangers (via DAL): Mathis Preston, RW, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
28. Calgary Flames (via VGK): Maddox Dagenais, C, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
29. Buffalo Sabres: Jack Hextall, C, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
30. Carolina Hurricanes: Jaxon Cover, LW, London Knights (OHL)
31. St. Louis Blues (via COL): Adam Valentini, LW, University of Michigan (NCAA)
32. Ottawa Senators: Ryan Roobroeck, C, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
1. Toronto Maple Leafs
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Keep the pick.
Do not overthink this.
Do not try to get cute.
You were given a gift by the lottery balls and a chance to reset a stale franchise that needs a jolt of excitement.
People will say they should move back and take a defenseman. People will say they should just take a defenseman first. Ignore all of it. It is insane. It is nonsensical. It is stupid.
Just take the player you deem to be the best player, without any concern over organizational need, and just try to find a superstar. That is your only objective when you have the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. If that player happens to be a forward, so be it. That gives you the flexibility to trade a different forward on the roster (hello, Matthew Knies) for that defensive help.
Keep that pick. Take the player you like the best and that you think has the highest upside long-term. The simplest answer is the best answer. Just take it.
2. San Jose Sharks
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Shop the pick, but ultimately keep it.
Shopping the pick is not the same as forcing a trade. The Sharks are absolutely loaded with young forward talent and could use a similarly talented defender to help build around. It could make some sense for the Sharks to try and move back a spot or two, gain some extra picks now and in the future, and try to get that young defensive star.
But it has to be a trade that makes sense and gives you the right value.
History tells us that trade is hard to find.
The smartest course of action here is very similar to what Toronto is dealing with: Take your good lottery fortune and find another star. If you think Chase Reid is worthy of the No. 2 pick, he would obviously be there. But passing on the opportunity to add Ivar Stenberg, another potential top-line star, to a core that already has Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and Michael Misa up front could be tough and risky.
No matter who they pick, the Sharks are likely to stay right where they are.
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3. Vancouver Canucks
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Keep the pick.
It might not be the pick the Canucks wanted, and dropping from No. 1 to No. 3 might be another punch in the face for a franchise that has received its fair share of them over the years, but they have to start adding young, elite talent into the organization and this is still a good place to start.
There is typically a massive difference between the No. 1 and No. 3 pick in most years, so even here the Canucks are on the fringes of potential franchise-changing players. You do not want to go too far down at this point, as that would lower those odds even more. Stay at three and take whichever of Reid or Stenberg is still sitting there.
Being at No. 3 is bad luck.
But you can still get a good player here.
4. Chicago Blackhawks
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Shop the pick.
This is an interesting one.
The Blackhawks have a chance to add another top prospect to the organization, but this might be the first real opportunity in this draft when it makes sense for a team to be aggressive with a trade.
They are entering year four of the Connor Bedard era and are barely better than they were the year before he arrived, when they were actively tanking to get him. Glaciers make faster progress than this. This team needs to start adding major impact talent to its roster. The No. 4 pick could be an attractive trade chip for that.
Imagine if Dallas can not get a new contract extension signed with Jason Robertson and makes him available for a trade.
That No. 4 overall pick could be an intriguing starting point,
It is time to get aggressive.
5. New York Rangers
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Keep the pick.
Even though the lottery luck was not on their side on Tuesday, they still got lucky when general manager Chris Drury decided to trade the Rangers' first-round pick last year instead of holding on to it and being forced to send this pick their way.
The Rangers need to start retooling and getting more young, high-level talent into the organization, and there will be some good prospects available here.
Because it is the Rangers and because there is always a desire to add superstars to the NHL team and make huge moves, there will be an urge to trade this pick. They should resist that urge and temptation. They are not close enough to a championship, and do not have enough in the way of quality prospects to shop a top-five pick. Keep it and start rebuilding your farm system with an elite talent.
6. Calgary Flames
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Keep the pick.
The Flames have multiple first-round picks in each of the next three drafts, multiple second-round picks in each of the next three drafts (including a whopping FOUR this year), and multiple third-round picks in this year's draft.
They can shop those other picks.
They can move Vegas' first-round pick if they want more immediate NHL help or want to trade a pick to accumulate more assets.
Keep the No. 6 pick and try to add a young top-line player and potential star for the long-term.
7. Seattle Kraken
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Keep the pick.
This is a nearly identical situation to Calgary. Do the Kraken need a lot of help at the NHL level? You bet they do. But like the Flames, they have multiple first-round picks in each of the next two years.
They can shop the latter pick. They can potentially dangle that pick as trade bait.
Keep the top-10 pick for yourself and try to get a much-needed star.
8. Winnipeg Jets
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Trade the pick.
The pressure is officially on in Winnipeg. Franchise goalie Connor Hellebuyck put everybody on notice immediately after this season, and there is going to be a massive push for this team to do something major this offseason to not only keep their best player happy but also get back into contention.
Their biggest need is a second-line center, but they need more impact talent all over the roster.
This pick could be a big starting point toward that.
It is a win-now team, facing a win-now season, and this pick might have some major trade value.
History tells us general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will not see it that way, because he never really makes a major trade unless he is forced into it. That does not mean he should not consider it this offseason.
9. Florida Panthers
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Shop the pick.
On one hand, this could be a good opportunity for an older team that has been one of the best in the NHL over the past four years to really add a major talent to its prospect pool.
There is a lot of value in that.
There is also a need for it.
On the other hand, this is still going to be a Stanley Cup contender that could see this as a big piece of trade bait, adding even more talent to an NHL roster that should be significantly better than it was this season, as long as it gets some better injury luck.
Do not trade it for the sake of trading it. If you do not find a good player who helps, do not be afraid to keep it and add the prospect who will probably be the best to the system.
10. Nashville Predators
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Keep the pick.
There is eventually going to be a new general manager coming in here, and while ownership might be deluded into thinking this team and core can still compete as currently constructed, it would make more sense for a new GM to start their tenure with a top-10 pick.
This core has shown us what it is capable of over the past two years, and it is not good enough. There is no need to buy and move a pick this high for short-term help. Look to the future. If anything, the new general manager should be looking to sell veteran NHL players to potentially add more picks in the first round.
11. St. Louis Blues
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Keep Pick.
The Blues are entering a weird offseason where their direction is not yet fully known. Solid core with good young players on the rise, but is there enough of it, and do they have the goaltending to not waste it?
The Blues actually have three first-round picks this season, including two in the lottery within the top-15.
There might be a way for them to seek out trades, but it's not here. Keep this pick and explore trade options with the other two first-round picks.
12. New Jersey Devils
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Shop pick.
The Devils took a big step backwards this season and clearly need a lot of help on their roster. As long as Jack Hughes is in New Jersey and playing on that contract, the expectation should be the playoffs. In that sense, this pick might have more value to them as a trade piece than a pick itself.
The bigger question for the Devils this offseason might be how they handle the future of center Nico Hischier and whether or not they need to move him as he enters the final year of his contract, but they should at least be open to parting with this pick if it can bring in some immediate help.
13. New York Islanders
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Shop pick.
The Islanders were significantly better than anybody expected this past season, and there is a really promising core of young talent starting to make its way up through the system. That core is headlined by 2025 No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer, the runaway favorite for this year's Calder Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year.
While this year was a step forward and an improvement, this is not yet a team that is ready to seriously compete. It still needs a lot of help offensively. A mid-first-round pick is in that zone where you can still get a good prospect, but it's not likely to land you an All-Star. You are now in the 50-50 range for whether you get an NHL player.
It would make sense to keep adding talent to the growing prospect pool.
But keep your eyes open for trade help that can add more offense to the NHL team right now.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets
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Trade pick.
The Blue Jackets had multiple first-round picks a year ago and salary cap space burning a hole in their pocket. They were willing to trade both in order to improve the NHL roster. They were unable to make a trade. They then went into the season and completed a roller coaster campaign that saw them go from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings to looking like a playoff lock to completely falling apart in the final two-and-a-half weeks of the regular season and shockingly missing the playoffs.
Head coach Rick Bowness was furious and promised a culture change if he returned.
He is, in fact, returning, but this culture is not going to change just through its mindset and its head coach bag-skating them. It is going to change with better talent. They still have salary cap space at their disposal, and they should be swinging for the fences when it comes to adding better NHL talent to the lineup. This is a good trade chip to start with.
15. St. Louis Blues (Via Detroit)
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Shop pick.
Welcome back to St. Louis.
We mentioned above that the Blues have three first-round picks this season, and that includes this pick right here from the Detroit Red Wings as part of the Justin Faulk trade.
Even if they do not trade this pick for NHL talent, this could be a spot where the Blues may look to move back in order to accumulate more draft picks. While they have three first-round picks this season, they do not have a single second-round pick in each of the next two years. This could be a way to move back a few spots and maybe replenish that cupboard a little bit.
16. Washington Capitals
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Trade pick.
Even though the Capitals took a step back this season, they do not appear to be in a hurry to rebuild or start over. In fact, they seem more inclined to try to add a top-six forward or a potential impact player to the lineup.
Dallas' Jason Robertson would be ideal.
While the Capitals were hesitant to trade top prospects last season for defenseman Quinn Hughes, they are going to have to move something of value to get some immediate help.
That usually involves a pick like this.
It will not get them a star player on its own as a trade chip, but it can at least be a significant part of a potential trade on that level.
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