Which teams could move up in the 2026 NHL Draft?
With the 2026 NHL Draft just over a month away, teams are discussing what their strategy should be in order to obtain the best prospects that could fit in their organization.
While a number of teams have quality spots in the opening rounds, there are a few that might look at utilizing other assets in order to move up the draft board to get an even better player. Many experts believe that there are only a few prospects who are considered NHL-ready, which may be enticing for some general managers to take a swing on the draft floor.
On Friday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Steven Ellis joined Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton to discuss which teams might be willing to trade up this year.
Steven Ellis: I think with the Blues having three first-round picks there, I think really helps there. They’ve got 11, they’ve got 15, and they’ve got 31. Could they package two and move up a bit? Could they move 15 and 31 and get, let’s say, 12? Could they move 11 and 15 and get into the top 10? When you look at what Gavin McKenna, he’s probably the guy that most teams are thinking is No. 1, but No. 2 really varies depending on who you talk to and which kind of team needs. So, I think there’s some opportunities here for a team a little later in the draft to maybe move up.
I’d be interested to see…does Florida keep their pick? I think there’s an argument that both them and Winnipeg should be able to bounce back next year, and you think maybe they can go out there and use that pick and either move up and just get immediate help. In Winnipeg’s case, I think it’s very intriguing here where it’s like, okay, Connor Hellebuyck…he’s in the trade rumors right now. You’ve got to almost prove to this core that you want to be competitive right away. Are you going to get a player at number eight that’s going to make that happen, or can you find a way to trade up a little bit, move into fifth or sixth, and get someone who might be a bit more impactful right away? I think that’s interesting.
If there’s one team that I could see moving down, it would actually be the San Jose Sharks. I know if it’s kind of an obvious one, but think about it. They almost wish they were getting this pick next year when they had a shot at Landon Dupont. Maybe not this year.
Do I believe any team in the top 10 is going to make a trade? Absolutely not, because it basically never happens, but I think there’s at least some good arguments for it this year.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…