2026 NHL Draft Hub: Scouting reports, rankings, interviews and so much more

The 2026 NHL Draft is closing in – and the fun is set to truly begin soon.

The draft will take place at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on June 26–27, 2026. It’ll be the second straight year for the decentralized draft format, meaning teams will handle the draft from the comforts of their own offices. Despite that, around 100 players are expected to attend the draft in person.

Daily Faceoff draft analyst Steven Ellis has been following the process all year. Here’s a collection of the top draft stories from the season, with everything you need to know:

Draft Rankings

• April Top 75
• January Top 64
• December Top 50
• November Top 50
• September Top 40
• July Top 32

Mock Drafts

• Post-Draft Lottery Top 32 (May 6)
• March Top 32 (March 13)
• January Top 32 (January 25)

Player Features

• What Gavin McKenna offers the Toronto Maple Leafs
• Are we overanalyzing Gavin McKenna as the 2026 NHL Draft’s top prospect? (from Tyson Cole)
• What’s fuelling Ivar Stenberg’s push for No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft? (from Tyson Cole)
• Ivar Stenberg is making a name for himself (from Robin Olausson)
• How Keaton Verhoeff has handled the draft-year pressure
• Keaton Verhoeff breaks down the challenges of going from major junior to NCAA
• Caleb Malhotra is the 2026 NHL Draft’s top center
• ‘He’s a monster’: Meet Carson Carels, the small-town kid chasing the NHL Draft spotlight
• ‘Unflinching’ Viggo Björck isn’t too small for the NHL – period
• ‘He makes everyone better’: Why Wyatt Cullen is flying up 2026 NHL Draft boards
• Ryan Lin might be small, but his impact isn’t
• Meet Tynan Lawrence, one of the 2026 NHL Draft’s most explosive centers
• ‘He’s a wrecking ball’: Why Ethan Belchetz is pushing up 2026 NHL Draft rankings
• Why scouts are falling in love with Mathis Preston again
• ‘Fearless’ Adam Valentini is one of the 2026 NHL Draft’s most underrated forwards
• ‘He’s terrifying’: Maddox Dagenais is a goal-scoring wrecking ball
• Can USA’s Brady Knowling become the 2026 NHL Draft’s top goaltender?
• Could trade to London thrust Braidy Wassilyn into first-round 2026 NHL Draft contention?
• Why Jaxon Cover is the 2026 NHL Draft’s most interesting prospect 
• ‘He’ll win you big games’: Meet Harrison Boettiger, one of 2026 NHL Draft’s top goaltenders

Misc. Features

• 2026 NHL Draft: Who boosted their stock at the U-18 World Championship?
• Scouting 15 top prospects from the World Juniors
• Which teams could move up in the 2026 NHL Draft?
• Columbus could be a team looking to trade up at 2026 NHL Draft
• Sharks have big decision to make with No. 2 pick in 2026 NHL Draft
• Breaking down the Canucks’ options at the 2026 NHL Draft
• Wyatt Cullen would be a good fit for the Panthers at the 2026 NHL Draft
• Top standouts from USA Hockey All-American Game
• Top standouts from OHL Top Prospects Game
• Top players to watch at CHL USA Prospects Challenge
• Which prospects are in the running for first overall?
• Breaking down every NHL team’s draft pick situation ahead of 2026 NHL Trade Deadline
• Which NHL Draft prospects could become stars at the 2026 World Juniors?
• 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup: Scouting reports on over 90 NHL Draft prospects

Lists

• Top 10 producing CHL prospects you need to know
• Top 10 NCAA players you need to know
• Top 10 goaltenders you need to know
• 15 prospects you need to watch at U-18 World Championship
• Five prospects who could boost stock at U-18 World Championship
• Five re-entry prospects you need to know
• Five early season risers

2026 NHL Draft Key Dates

• NHL Draft Combine: May 31 – June 6, 2026 (LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, N.Y.)
• NHL Draft: June 26, 2025 – June 27, 2026 (KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.)

2026 NHL Draft First-Round Order

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