The first round of the 2026 NHL Draft officially concluded Friday night, delivering a mix of expected franchise cornerstones and heavy veteran trades. The Toronto Maple Leafs predictably selected Gavin McKenna at No. 1 overall shortly after the floor opened at 7:00 p.m. ET.
The San Jose Sharks quickly took control of the night’s momentum. They drafted Ivar Stenberg at No. 2, whose 33 points in the SHL this season were the most by an 18-year-old since Daniel and Henrik Sedin in 1998-99. San Jose then dealt William Eklund to Ottawa to acquire the No. 9 pick, using it on defenseman Keaton Verhoeff.
Buffalo threw the first major curveball on the board, selecting defenseman Daxon Rudolph at No. 4 overall. The floor quickly evolved into a seller’s market as teams moved established players for high draft capital. The Anaheim Ducks traded Mason McTavish to St. Louis, Utah sent JJ Peterka to Boston, and the Vegas Golden Knights shipped Pavel Dorofeyev to the NY Rangers.
Swedish prospects had a historic showing, with seven selected in the opening round to tie an all-time NHL record set in 2009. The league also enforced a strict penalty on the Vegas Golden Knights, who officially forfeited their second-round pick at 63rd overall for flagrant violations of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Media Regulations.