2026 NHL Mock Draft: Biggest Takeaways From the Draft Combine
The NHL Draft Combine is one of the most peculiar events on the league schedule, and the day of physical testing is a peek into the curiosities that help teams gauge how the next generation of players stands out.
Every year in Buffalo, the upcoming draft hopefuls arrive and go through a battery of mental and physical tests to help determine where they might be selected at the NHL Draft. With Gavin McKenna at the top of the list and Ivar Stenberg hot on his heels, this year's draft is a fascinating one from the top down.
The combine itself lasts all week with interviews and dinners with team representatives dotting the players' schedules. The interviews can be intense and loaded with oddball questions meant to elicit responses that offer insight into the players' psyches. For all these 17- and 18-year-olds, the draft is the start of the road of their professional careers and, gosh, is it fascinating.
The efforts teams make to ensure they're getting the right players to build around are its own kind of science and whether players are being asked what kind of animal they would be or if they can toss a puck into a garbage can from various distances (something the Montréal Canadiens asked of some players this year), it's the testing day that closes everything out before the draft goes down at the end of June.
We were there, and we were watching it all go down the past two days, and we've picked out a handful of things that stood out from the weekend filled with a lot of information and just a little bit of puking.
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 (OHL)
3. Vancouver Canucks: Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
4. Chicago Blackhawks: Ivar Stenberg, LW/RW, Frolunda HC (SHL)
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 (SHL)
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 (OHL)
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: Alexander Command, C, Orebro HK (SHL)
22. Pittsburgh Penguins: Wyatt Cullen, LW, USNTDP
23. Boston Bruins: JP Hurlbert, C, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
24. Vancouver Canucks (via MIN): Marcus Nordmark, RW, Djurgardens IF U20 (U20 Nationell)
25. Seattle Kraken (via TBL): Xavier Villeneuve, D, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
26. New York Rangers (via DAL): Mathis Preston, RW, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
27. Buffalo Sabres: Jack Hextall, C, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
28. Montreal Canadiens: Maddox Dagenais, C, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
29. St. Louis Blues (via COL): Casey Mutryn, RW, US National U18 Team (USNTDP)
30. Calgary Flames (via VGK): Liam Ruck, RW, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
31. Carolina Hurricanes: Nikita Shcherbakov, D, Tolpar Ufa (MHL)
32. Ottawa Senators: Ryan Roobroeck, C, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
Gavin McKenna is Motivated to Crush the Naysayers
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The hype for forward Gavin McKenna has been building for a couple of years, and now the time has come for him to be drafted. His season at Penn State after leaving the WHL featured huge stats and drew a lot of early criticism as he adjusted to playing against older, more physically mature players.
When he played for Canada at World Juniors, he said his season took a turn for the better, and he helped lead the Nittany Lions to the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to Minnesota Duluth. McKenna had 51 points in 35 games, including 15 goals. He finished tied for fifth in the country in scoring as an 18-year-old, and his highlight reel showed the hype surrounding him is more than real.
"I think I got pretty fired up from (criticism during the season)," McKenna said. "When I started seeing those things, I got sick and tired of seeing it and just kind of used it as fuel. Started working harder off the ice, on the ice, and I think when I started doing that, I just became more confident. When you're putting in the time and efforts, you start to feel good about yourself and I think that's what helped me."
Still, he was invited to play at World Championships and opted to stay home to prepare for the NHL Draft Combine. That extra work more than paid off, as he had the best results in the VO2 Max bike test for aerobic fitness and tied with four other prospects for the fifth-most pull-ups, with 14. If any teams who might be able to have the chance to take McKenna came into the combine with doubts, he was making it clear he was going to keep them quiet.
It might seem "easy" for the elite players to get to this point and get drafted highly, but the best of them all take motivation from everything, especially if they're being doubted. If this is just the start, whoever takes him (probably the Toronto Maple Leafs at No. 1) will reap the rewards.
Ivar Stenberg Hype is Real
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If there's a challenger to Gavin McKenna being selected first overall, it's Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg. While McKenna battled against college players this season, Stenberg went up against anyone and everyone of all ages and had a huge season.
As an 18-year-old, Stenberg starred at Frölunda in the Swedish Hockey League and put up 11 goals and 22 assists in 43 games. Doing that as a teenager in a men's league is more than impressive, especially because many young players see limited action. At 6'0" and 181 pounds, Stenberg isn't small, but he used his smarts, skills, and speed around the ice to make plays. He also played for Sweden at World Juniors and represented his country at World Championships.
In a packed year of games, Stenberg didn't participate in testing at the NHL Draft Combine, and that's completely OK because his game tape will tell you whatever you need to know about him. Even though questions do linger about guys jumping from Europe to North America at a young age, he's ready for the challenge.
"I'm a good hockey player, I'm good over the whole ice," Stenberg said. "I want to be better every day, and I want to compete every day."
With all of Stenberg's high-profile appearances playing for Sweden and how he performed in them (10 points in seven games at World Juniors; eight points in eight games at World Championships), he's made his case as strongly as possible away from the eyes of many fans in North America. He's going to go high in the draft, but where he lands will be fascinating.
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You're Going to Hear So Much About Caleb Malhotra
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Every year at the NHL Draft, we're treated to seeing the sons of former NHL players being selected and preparing to follow in their dad's footsteps. For Caleb Malhotra, being ranked as one of the best forwards in the 2026 NHL Draft got a lot more interesting when his dad, Manny Malhotra, was named coach of the Vancouver Canucks, who will pick third overall.
Manny was a first-round pick (seventh overall in 1998 by the New York Rangers), and while Caleb is ready to compete with his old man to see if he can be picked higher, he's also a guy who's been around athletes his whole life. He has Manny as his dad, his mom is college soccer star Joann Nash, and his uncle is NBA Hall of Famer Steve Nash.
"I think that's a big part of who I am," Caleb Malhotra said. "It's been a big part of my upbringing, and I've been very grateful to be around competitors and to learn how to work. I don't think a lot of people kind of have that instilled in them, and I've been lucky enough to have that, not just in my family, around my life, but for my entire life...Very privileged to have that."
With his background and now his father coaching a team that very well may select him in the draft, Caleb Malhotra is about to get really popular, really quickly. Even without the familial connections, a center putting up 84 points in 67 games and then 26 more in 15 playoff games was going to be near the top of a lot of lists regardless.
Defensemen Debates Will Rule the Future
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While Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Caleb Malhotra, and Viggo Bjorck will get lots of attention being forwards who can finish, it's the defensemen at the top of the draft that will undoubtedly leave fans debating for years to come over who winds up the best of the bunch.
In just the top half of the first round, we could see defensemen Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff, Alberts Smits, Daxon Rudolph, Ryan Lin, Malte Gustafsson, and Xavier Villeneuve all wind up off the board. There are puck movers and physical defenders alike to be found for any teams looking to fill organizational needs, but as for who winds up being the best of the class? Only time will tell.
With the San Jose Sharks picking second overall and looking for defensemen to fill out their ranks surrounding Macklin Celebrini, Reid's offensive upside and smooth skating seem to make a lot of sense. Talking to various scouts, however, leads to varying opinions.
"I've overcome a lot of adversity in my career," Reid said. "I think coaches can throw me out there in any situation that they want to with any opportunity that presents itself on the ice. I can run a power play. I think my skating separates me in a tremendous way to be able to play big roles in big minutes as well."
At the Olympics, Smits showed that he has a big future ahead of him, using his size and mobility to contend with the world's best players.
"I believe in myself," Smits said. "I believe once I'm going to become a complete hockey player, I'm going to be one of the best defensemen. After the draft, I've got to work on my upcoming things and have to work as hard as I can to become a complete hockey player soon, as fast as I can."
Verhoeff jumped from junior hockey to college hockey and thrived in his first season at North Dakota thanks to his size and physical play. Villeneuve may lack size, but with guys like Lane Hutson out there proving size doesn't matter if you can move the puck with speed and skill to help generate offense.
There's something for everyone looking for help on the blue line, but finding the right guy who will evolve into a top NHL player is hard when they're 18 years old.
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