Examining NHL Mock Draft 2026 Expert Predictions for Rangers, Jets, Panthers and Lottery Teams

A handful of notable NHL teams own top-10 picks in the 2026 NHL draft.

The New York Rangers are locked into the No. 5 overall pick, a spot where they can add a true difference-maker to a roster that needs some fresh faces.

The Winnipeg Jets sit at No. 8. They are in need of defensive depth behind Josh Morrissey. That selection could shape their blue line for quite some time.

And then the Florida Panthers, winner of two of the last three Stanley Cups, sits at No. 9.

Florida might be looking for different qualities in a player because it is expected to be back in the hunt for the Stanley Cup during the 2026-27 season.

New York Rangers

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Most mock drafts are in agreement that the New York Rangers should take a defenseman at No. 5.

The Athletic's Corey Pronman mocked Carson Carels to the Rangers.

Pronman stated that "they seem primed to take one of the big defensemen", but Caleb Malhotra is a candidate if he slips to No. 5. Malhotra is expected to be a top-four selection..

NHL.com's mock draft experts were split on whether the pick would be Carels or Alberts Smits.

NHL.com's Adam Kimelman argued that Smits is the most pro-ready defenseman in the draft.

"He's a strong skater, has a high-end offensive game and his maturity on and off the ice -- he's lived on his own since leaving Latvia to play in Finland at age 13 -- might make him the most NHL-ready prospect in this draft class," Kimelman wrote.

Regardless of who the pick is, the Rangers are poised to add a young defenseman to the group headlined by Adam Fox.

Carels or Smits should provide a boost on the blue line, which was one of the many areas the Rangers struggled last season.

Winnipeg Jets

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Winnipeg's lack of top-tier defensive prospects will likely lead it to a defenseman at No. 8.

NHL.com's Mike Morreale noted that in his prediction for North Dakota's Keaton Verhoeff to go at No. 8.

"Winnipeg lacks high-end defense prospects beyond Elias Salomonsson and Boumedienne. As a result, they should prioritize adding a defenseman capable of playing heavy minutes and eventually supporting Josh Morrissey," Morreale wrote.

Pronman placed Alberts Smits with the Jets at No. 8, while Kimelman linked Winnipeg with Daxon Rudolph.

A run on defensemen will happen at the back end of the top 10.

Winnipeg will choose between some combination of Verhoeff, Smits and Rudolph, as long as the Rangers go with Carels at No. 5. There's a very small chance that Carels drops to No. 8.

Blue-line help for Morrissey is the priority, regardless of who the pick is, and that should help bolster the overall defense next season.

Florida Panthers

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Florida needs to find a player that can contribute to a championship run.

The Panthers don't expect to be picking in the top 10 again for a while. They had an off season riddled by injuries after their two Stanley Cup runs.

Pronman mocked Daxon Rudolph at No. 9, as did Morreale, but Kimelman went another round and predicted Viggo Bjorck, a forward out of Sweden, would be the selection.

The argument for a defenseman is that Florida's defensive corps isn't getting any younger.

A fresh, young player on the back line could help reinvigorate that spot on the ice.

However, it's tempting to go after someone, like Bjorck, that can bring more scoring to one of the top three lines.

Florida isn't desperate for scoring across the board, so it may look more at defensemen.