With the Brady Tkachuk trade to the Florida Panthers, there is some shakeup in the top 10 of the 2026 NHL Draft. The Chicago Blackhawks, however, will not see their fourth overall pick impacted by that move.
They still have to wait to see how things unfold with the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, and Vancouver Canucks ahead of them.
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Early in the process, there was some chatter that the San Jose Sharks would take a defenseman, which could leave Ivar Stenberg for the Blackhawks if the Canucks took Manny Malhotra’s son, Caleb.
Now, the whispers are that the Canucks may not draft the son of their new head coach. This is what the draft could look like if Stenberg is not available to Chicago because Vancouver flipped the script at the last minute:
1. Toronto Maple Leafs – Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State
The Toronto Maple Leafs selecting Gavin McKenna would add another star to their crop of great forwards. Assuming they don’t trade any of them, he would be wonderful on a power play unit with Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, William Nylander, and Darren Raddysh.
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2. San Jose Sharks – Chase Reid, D, Sault St. Marie
The San Jose Sharks made some moves that suggest they are changing their thinking, but they could still use a high-end defenseman at the top of the draft. Chase Reid would provide them with that.
3. Vancouver Canucks – Ivar Stenberg, LW, Frolunda
The Vancouver Canucks pass on their coach’s son here and select Ivar Stenberg. They have a strong history with Swedish forwards becoming stars, and Stenberg has that type of ceiling.
4. Chicago Blackhawks – Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford
With Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg off the board, the Chicago Blackhawks select the third-best forward in the draft, which is Caleb Malhotra. A selection like this would move one of Anton Frondell or Frank Nazar back to the wing.
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5. New York Rangers – Keaton Verhoeff, D, North Dakota
The New York Rangers take a chance on Keaton Verhoeff’s high ceiling with this selection at fifth overall. With Adam Fox’s speed in question, Verhoeff would be a great compliment to him.
6. Calgary Flames – Carson Carels, D, Prince George
The Calgary Flames just traded for Simon Nemec, which adds a great young defenseman to their pool. Carson Carels is another one with an incredibly high ceiling to consider adding to that mix.
7. Seattle Kraken – Alberts Smits, D, Jukurit
The Seattle Kraken get what could turn out to be a star in Alberts Smits, who helped Latvian hockey take a big step in the Olympics and World Championships. They are desperate for stars, so taking a chance on this player with star potential is the perfect idea for them.
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8. Winnipeg Jets – Daxon Rudolph, D, Prince Albert
Things fall off a bit in terms of potential when it comes to defensemen following the selection of Smits, but Winnipeg is brilliant at taking young defensemen and turning them into great players. Daxon Rudolph would fit right in there.
9. San Jose Sharks via Ottawa Senators via Florida Panthers – Viggo Bjorck, RW, Djurgarden
This 9th overall pick, which originally belonged to the Florida Panthers, has done some traveling. First, it was traded to the Blackhawks, but it was top-ten protected. Then, Florida used it in the Brady Tkachuk trade with the Ottawa Senators. Finally, the Senators traded it to the Sharks for William Eklund. Now, in this mock, they use it on Viggo Bjorck after using the second overall pick on a defenseman. Bjorck was impressive all season, whether it was with Djurgarden, the World Juniors, or the World Championships.
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10. Nashville Predators – Tynan Lawrence, C, Boston University
The Nashville Predators had somewhat of a bounce-back year, but it wasn’t enough to keep them from finishing with a top-ten pick. Tynan Lawrence, who may be a center or wing in the NHL, is the perfect project for them. At one point, he was projected to be a top-three pick, so taking a chance on his skills at 10 is perfect for Nashville.
11. St. Louis Blues – Ryan Lin, D, Vancouver
This is the first of three picks for the St. Louis Blues in the 2026 NHL Draft. Selecting a defenseman in Ryan Lin makes sense for them organizationally, but they could probably use a bit of everything at this point.
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12. New Jersey Devils – Wyatt Cullen, F, USDP
Wyatt Cullen is a speedy forward who fits what the New Jersey Devils try to do offensively. His ceiling would allow him to play with one of Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier, which is a reason that they’d take a chance on him.
13. New York Islanders – Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor
Ethan Belchetz, who will play for Michigan State in 2026-27, is in a great spot for him to work on his abilities. The New York Islanders would have two successful first rounds in a row if they made a selection like this.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets – Adam Novotny, LW, Peterborough
Adam Novotny is a forward who has some very good goal-scoring skills, and the rest of his offensive game is solid. The Columbus Blue Jackets, who have some wonderful young players, are still trying to build up. This makes Novotny’s ceiling worth considering for their long-term plan.
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15. St. Louis Blues via Detroit Red Wings – Oscar Hemming, RW, Boston College
The St. Louis Blues acquired the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in the Justin Faulk trade ahead of the deadline. On Tuesday, they traded Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals, which makes adding a high-end forward prospect enticing. Oscar Hemming is a great option for them if he makes it to 15.
16. St. Louis Blues via Washington Capitals – Malte Gustafsson, LD, HV71
The Blues received the 16th overall pick in the Kyrou trade, which makes it back to back selections in the mid-teens and three in the top half of the draft. They do need a lot of help all over the roster, but there may be some extra emphasis on defense this year. Malte Gustafsson is one to consider with this selection.
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