The 2026 NHL Entry Draft is officially in the books, giving all 32 teams a fresh crop of prospects and plenty of reasons to be excited about the future. While it will take years to know how this draft class ultimately turns out, the moves made over draft weekend have already sparked plenty of debate around the league.
From surprising picks and draft-day steals to blockbuster trades and bold strategies, every team approached the weekend with a different vision. Some organizations added a potential franchise player, while others prioritized specific roster needs or stockpiling future assets.
Although no one can predict how these decisions will age, some teams left draft weekend in a stronger position than others. Here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers from the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Winners: Toronto Maple Leafs
Following a disastrous season that saw the Maple Leafs miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade, Toronto landed the one player every team coveted: Gavin McKenna. The consensus No. 1 prospect was selected first overall by new general manager John Chayka, giving him the perfect cornerstone to begin reshaping the franchise.
As if the moment needed any more attention, longtime Leafs fan Justin Bieber had the honour of announcing Toronto’s first-overall selection. For one of the NHL’s most popular teams, it was a fittingly high-profile introduction to what fans hope is a brighter future.
McKenna won’t solve every problem overnight, but few prospects enter the NHL with this level of hype. For an organization desperate to turn the page, landing a potential superstar is exactly the fresh start Toronto needed and the first major building block of the Chayka era.
Losers: Chicago Blackhawks
Before the first pick was even made, the Blackhawks had already made one of the boldest moves of the offseason. Rather than using the fourth overall selection to add another elite prospect, Chicago traded the pick to the Sabres in exchange for defenceman Bowen Byram.
There’s no denying Byram makes Chicago better today, but the Blackhawks are still in the middle of a rebuild. Passing on the chance to draft another blue-chip prospect in one of the deepest classes in recent memory felt like an aggressive move for a team that’s not yet ready to contend.
If Byram becomes a long-term cornerstone on the blue line, the trade could age well. For now, though, many believe Chicago gave up too much future value in an effort to accelerate its timeline.
Winners: St. Louis Blues
The Blues entered the draft with a clear plan and executed it well. Rather than simply stockpiling prospects, St. Louis used its surplus of first-round picks to acquire 23-year-old centre Mason McTavish from the Anaheim Ducks.
While giving up the 15th and 29th overall picks was a hefty price, the team landed a player who has already established himself at the NHL level and still has plenty of room to grow. And they still managed to make two first-round selections, drafting Carter Lawrence at No. 11 and Maddox Dagenais at No. 16, ensuring the prospect cupboard remained well stocked.
Instead of waiting years for multiple prospects to develop, they balanced the future with the present by adding a young top-six centre while still bringing in high-end draft talent. For a team looking to take the next step, it was one of the most productive weekends of any organization.
Losers: Tampa Bay Lightning
Without a first-round pick for the sixth time in the past seven drafts, Tampa’s 2026 class lacks the high-end talent that many other organizations added over the weekend. Their first selection didn’t come until the second round, leaving the Lightning largely on the sidelines while much of the league stocked up on blue-chip prospects.
The Lightning did trade up in the second round to select forward Oleg Kulebiakin, then followed that up with Slovak defenceman Tomas Kralovic in the third round. Both players have intriguing upside, but neither was considered among the top prospects available at their respective draft positions, with several analysts viewing Kulebiakin as a reach.
To be fair, Tampa Bay has built a reputation for developing overlooked prospects into NHL contributors, so it would be foolish to write this class off completely. On paper, however, the Lightning’s haul lacks star power and received some of the lowest draft grades of any organization.
Winners: Calgary Flames
Not every draft class is measured by prospect rankings. Sometimes, it’s about the story, and few were better than Calgary selecting Joe Iginla. The son of franchise icon Jarome Iginla, Joe was taken 19th overall, creating one of the most memorable moments of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
The younger Iginla has already established himself as a legitimate NHL prospect in his own right, so this was not simply a sentimental selection. Still, the family connection makes it impossible to ignore the significance of the pick.
Joe now has the opportunity to write his own chapter with the Flames. While expectations will be high, his arrival gives Calgary fans something every rebuilding team values: hope, excitement and a feel-good story they can rally behind.