Big Decisions Loom Behind Leafs at 2026 NHL Draft
There may not be mystery at the very top of Friday’s NHL Draft, with odds to be the No. 1 pick off the board as Gavin McKenna appears destined for Toronto, but there’s intrigue beyond.
Adding to the theatre is a draft-week trade that saw the Blackhawks move out of the No. 4 spot in exchange for Bowen Byram, shaking up an unpredictable top five. Here’s what you could expect on draft night.
2nd overall
While McKenna is nearly certain to don the blue and white, there's only slightly less certainty around the second pick owned by the San Jose Sharks. Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg (-700) appears to be headed to join an awe-inspiring young cast led by Macklin Celebrini and Michael Misa.
The draft's top defenseman, Chase Reid, is a distant second on the odds board at +380, should the Sharks opt to try and improve a blue line behind what is an incredibly exciting young core offensively.
3rd overall
The third pick, and the Vancouver Canucks, is where it begins to get interesting with the drama aided by family ties. The current favourite to be selected is Caleb Malhotra (-200), a centre from the Brantford Bulldogs... and the son of former NHLer and new Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra.
But, like the Sharks, Reid lingers as a logical alternative. He’s the second favourite to head to the west coast as the Canucks seek to replace Quinn Hughes, at +365.
4th overall
Having just changed hands in a mind-boggling trade, the fourth pick, now owned by the Buffalo Sabres, is up in the air. With Byram traded, it would make sense for the Sabres to take a ready-made replacement in Reid (-105).
Should they look further up the ice, however, it's Swedish centre Viggo Bjorck (fourth among European skaters in the NHL Central Scouting rankings) next at +300. Carson Carels, the draft's second-ranked defenseman, looms as an option should Reid be off the board, sitting third on the odds board at +450.
5th overall
Rounding out the top five are the New York Rangers, looking to climb out of back-to-back seasons outside the playoffs. The odds show a five-pack of players with odds of 55/1 or shorter: Carels (+110), Alberts Smits (+280), Malhotra (+315), Reid (+380), and Keaton Verhoeff (+550).
Provided one of the top three doesn't fall into the Rangers' laps, it's clear the expectation is to improve the blueline. Verhoeff projects as the third-ranked North American defenseman, while Smits heads into Friday as the top-ranked European defenseman.
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Odds as of June 24, 2026.