The Toronto Maple Leafs will make the first pick in the 2026 NHL Draft after the league's first-round order was finalized following the Stanley Cup Final, NHL.com reported Monday.
The draft will be held at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round is scheduled for June 26 at 7 p.m. ET, with rounds 2-7 set for June 27 at 11 a.m. ET.
Toronto Leads The NHL Draft Order
Toronto won the NHL Draft Lottery and holds the No. 1 pick. The San Jose Sharks won the second lottery drawing and will select second, followed by the Vancouver Canucks at No. 3 and the Chicago Blackhawks at No. 4.
The New York Rangers round out the top five. Calgary, Seattle, Winnipeg, Florida and Nashville complete the top 10 in the official order posted by NHL.com.
The first 16 selections were set by the May 5 lottery. That keeps the top of the board separate from the playoff-based slots that filled in after the postseason closed.
Playoff Results Fill The Back Half
NHL.com said the 12 teams eliminated in the first two playoff rounds were placed into picks 17-27. Teams that did not win their division were ordered by inverse regular-season points, followed by the Buffalo Sabres as the only division winner eliminated in that group.
Montreal holds the No. 28 pick as the team that lost in the conference finals with the fewest regular-season points. The final four slots then run through traded picks, the Stanley Cup finalists and Ottawa's penalty pick.
Calgary will pick No. 30 with Vegas' first-round selection, acquired in the Noah Hanifin trade in March 2024. Carolina, after winning the Stanley Cup, holds No. 31. Ottawa receives No. 32 as part of a modified penalty connected to the 2021 Evgenii Dadonov trade.
Trades Give St. Louis Three First-Round Picks
The St. Louis Blues have three first-round selections: their own pick at No. 11, No. 15 from the Detroit Red Wings and No. 29 from the Colorado Avalanche via the New York Islanders.
Several other teams also enter the first round with multiple picks. NHL.com listed the Flames as one of six teams with two first-rounders, while San Jose, Vancouver, the Rangers, Seattle and Washington also hold extra selections through earlier trades.
That trade layer is what makes the order more than a lottery list. Toronto controls the opening decision, San Jose has two first-round entries, St. Louis has three, and the final slots now reflect the completed Stanley Cup bracket.