2026 NHL Mock Draft: 5 Teams That Should Trade Their 1st-Round Pick

The NHL draft can be one of the busiest times of year for trades, whether it involves moving up or down in the draft or using those picks as trade pieces for established players.

The most valuable of those picks are first-rounders, but not every team is in a position where it makes sense to trade its opening selection. Teams within the top 10 rarely trade out of those spots.

But that doesn't mean there cannot be exceptions, or other teams within the first round that are in a win-now mode and should consider dangling their first-rounders as trade options.

Especially if the team in question has multiple first-round picks.

Let's look at some teams that should consider it.

Updated 2026 NHL Mock Draft

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FULL PROJECTIONS AND ANALYSIS

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) 

Columbus Blue Jackets (No. 14)

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The Blue Jackets missed a great opportunity to use a couple of mid-first-round picks as trade options a year ago, but it was not for a lack of effort.

General manager Don Waddell made it pretty clear he was open for business on them, but could not find a deal that would help the team for the 2025-26 season.

He needs to try again.

The No. 14 pick is in that weird range of the draft where you can get a potential star, but it is more likely that you are going to get just a middle-of-the-roster player. There is still value in that, but for a team like Columbus, that pick might have some serious trade value.

You can see where this team is right now. It missed the playoffs (again) in 2025-26 and completely fell apart down the stretch, finishing so poorly that head coach Rick Bowness ripped the players to shreds publicly after the final regular-season game.

There is a clear expectation to get back into the playoffs and win, and plenty of pressure to do it. They have cap space to spend, young prospects and roster players to use as trade bait, and a first-round pick that might be more valuable as a trade chip than as an actual selection.

San Jose Sharks (No. 20)

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The San Jose Sharks should not trade their own first-round pick, which is now No. 2 overall following their recent luck in the draft lottery.

That is a potential superstar and another core piece to add alongside Macklin Celebrini. You keep that pick and make it because there is almost no chance anybody is going to give you the value that pick is worth.

Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg on a team with Celebrini, Will Smith and Michael Misa for the next 10 years is the path forward here.

Do not overthink it.

But that is not the only first-round pick the Sharks have this season.

They also have the No. 20 overall pick, and that is the pick the Sharks should be looking to move.

San Jose received that pick from the Edmonton Oilers as part of last year's Jake Walman trade, and the Sharks should be all over moving that.

As good as their young core of stars is, and for as much potential as it has, the rest of the roster needs a lot of work. The Sharks cannot just simply sit back and wait for all of their lottery picks and prospects to pan out, because not all of them will. Just sitting back and waiting turns you into the Detroit Red Wings. It takes a decade to become a contender.

Celebrini is ready to win. Now. Even if all of those young players and prospects do pan out, it will not be enough. The rest of the roster still needs a lot of work. They need scoring depth and defensive help, and they need to really start complementing their young stars with proven NHL talent that can help them take a real step forward.

See what that No. 20 overall pick can get you. Or what sort of trade it can be a part of.

St. Louis Blues (No. 11, 15 or 31)

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The St. Louis Blues could be a fascinating team this offseason.

They have two NHL veterans who have been in the trade rumor mill for more than a year, in Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou.

Thomas would bring an especially nice return given how good he is, but that talent and production are also why you want to keep him. Especially as he fits in with some of the young talent on the roster, in Dylan Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud.

They also have three first-round picks at Nos. 11, 15, and 31.

Any of those picks should at least be considered as trade chips. The Blues could move one, or even two, and still have a pick in the top half of the first round.

You can still add a solid prospect or two to your farm system while putting yourself in position to upgrade an NHL roster with a young core just entering its prime years.

There is a real chance to be aggressive here and have a fascinating offseason.

Let's see what Blues management does with it.

Washington Capitals (No. 16 and No. 18)

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Even though the Washington Capitals took a small step backwards during the 2025-26 season and missed the playoffs, we are not sure that means they are ready to throw in the towel and rebuild.

And that is true whether Alex Ovechkin comes back or not.

There is still a solid framework for a good team here, and with better special-teams play, they can be back in the playoffs in short order. In order to do that, they could really use a top-six upgrade in their forward lineup, and having two first-round picks in the middle of the round could be a good starting point.

That sort of pick value is what landed the Montreal Canadiens Noah Dobson a year ago, and the Capitals should be looking for that sort of deal from a forward perspective.

Could they get you, say, Jason Robertson? Could it entice St. Louis to move Robert Thomas? Maybe, but it's worth exploring as well.

Winnipeg Jets (No. 8)

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This is the one team in the top 10 that could be an exception that moves its pick.

Could the Jets use the No. 8 selection to add a much-needed top prospect to their system and prospect pool? Absolutely. But do you know what else it needs? It needs to keep its starting goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, happy and add some serious talent to its roster.

Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor are still good enough players to build a winning team around, and they are under contract in a position where they should be winning.

The 2025-26 season was a massive step backwards for the organization, and there will be even more pressure to put a winning team on the ice this season.

Winnipeg also has plenty of holes that could be filled by using a top-10 pick as a trade chip. The Jets need a No. 2 center, plus defensive and scoring depth.

They should be aggressively shopping that pick and trying to get somebody into Winnipeg who can make an impact and help the team win right now before its core players get fed up with losing.