The NHL has released the current order of selection for the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft, with the Toronto Maple Leafs holding the No. 1 pick ahead of the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks.
The league announced the order for the draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, where Round 1 is scheduled for June 26 at 7 p.m. ET and Rounds 2-7 are scheduled for June 27 at 11 a.m. ET.
Toronto Leads The 2026 NHL Draft Board
NHL.com noted that Toronto owns the first pick for the first time since 2016, when it selected Auston Matthews. It is the Maple Leafs' third No. 1 pick, following Matthews and Wendel Clark in 1985.
San Jose is listed at No. 2 for the second straight year, while Vancouver holds the No. 3 pick. NHL.com said that is the Canucks' highest selection since they took Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin with the Nos. 2 and 3 picks in 1999.
The league described the order as current, which matters before a draft week that can still bring trades. For now, the public board starts with Toronto, San Jose, Vancouver, Chicago and the New York Rangers in the top five.
Blues, Flames And Rangers Carry Extra Draft Capital
Seven teams have multiple first-round picks, according to NHL.com. St. Louis has three first-rounders at Nos. 11, 15 and 29, while San Jose, Vancouver, the Rangers, Calgary, Seattle and Washington each have two.
Calgary owns nine picks in the top 100, the most in the league. The Rangers have 11 total selections, including two in the first round, one in the second and four in the third.
The Blues have 12 total picks, the most of any NHL team. The Flames, Predators and Rangers are next with 11, followed by Vancouver with 10.
Vegas Forfeiture Leaves One Empty Slot
The order also includes a forfeited second-round pick. NHL Public Relations said the Vegas Golden Knights forfeited pick No. 63 after the league announced a penalty for flagrant violations of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Media Regulations.
Montreal is listed with the final pick at No. 224, a selection acquired from Carolina in last year's Cayden Primeau trade. The Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes are scheduled to make their first selection at No. 31.
The useful part of the release is not a mock-draft guess. It gives teams, agents and fans the working map for Buffalo before the first trade call or podium walk changes the order again.