2026 NHL Draft Thread

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by stemit14

I don’t know the rule but it seems strange if that was the case. A team making savvy trades to have multiple top pics is different than a team finishing at the bottom of the league for multiple years and picking at the top of the draft IMO.

Like I said, I don’t know the rule but it seems like the lottery win should be linked to the team that the pick originates from rather than the team that trades for it.

I agree, I think the league just did it to seemingly spread out the talent across multiple teams. Which we know doesn’t realllly happen anyways when you’ve got the no tax teams get everyone eventually

[CKPThunder]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Going off what Tankathon says - the first lottery winner decides the 1st overall pick and if a non-top 10 team wins the lottery - that team's pick. So the top 6 aren't locked in in your scenario - just the 1st pick and the 6th pick.

That is why the worst team has much better odds than everyone else.

If anyone could move up to 1st - the worst overall team would only have 18.5% chance of 1st pick. But they also get 1st overall if the 12th-16th place teams win the lottery - so they jump up to 25.5%

Thank you again PeteMoss.

So now my question is, if the Flames are 5th worst by the end of the year but before the lottery. What scenario occurs for the Flames to end up with the third overall pick?

I still can't wrap my head around how that could be possible. What would have to happen for the Flames to move up 2 spots?

[PeteMoss]

12th place team wins the 1st lottery - they lock in pick 2.

Worst team locks in pick 1.

Calgary wins 2nd lottery - pick 1 and 2 are locked in, so Calgary gets 3

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I know the Florida pick is top 10 protected but if it wasn’t and they won the lottery, the pick would go to Chicago. Would that count as lotto win for the Panthers even though they don’t get the benefit of it?

https://media.nhl.com/public/news/14767

Limit on Teams Winning a Lottery Draw

No single team will be able to advance in the Draft order by reason of winning a Lottery Draw more than two (2) times in any five (5) year period. This limitation will not affect a Club’s ability to retain its presumptive Draft position in any Draft Lottery, nor would it preclude the possibility of the Club moving down in Draft Order to the extent other Clubs advance by reason of winning the Lottery Draws. For purposes of clarity, the limitation would attach to the team, not the specific pick.

[Matty81]

If you won the lottery but didn't move up, just kept your slot, does that still count towards the two wins in five years? I'm wondering if Chicago is banned from winning this year

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Matty81

If you won the lottery but didn't move up, just kept your slot, does that still count towards the two wins in five years? I'm wondering if Chicago is banned from winning this year

No I don't think that counts. It only counts if you win and move up.

[Samonadreau]

Thats interesting that we would rather have a 1-11 pick win first lottery then a 12-16.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

Thats interesting that we would rather have a 1-11 pick win first lottery then a 12-16.

I'd rather no one behind us win anything.

It's our turn to win

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

No I don't think that counts. It only counts if you win and move up.

This is correct. If you win and stay in the same place, it doesn't count against your limit and you are eligible again the next year.

A couple of years ago, when the 32nd-place team won the first lottery pick and the 31st-place team won the second, it didn't affect anyone's eligibility for future lotteries. I recall that being mentioned in reportage at the time.

[CKPThunder]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

12th place team wins the 1st lottery - they lock in pick 2.

Worst team locks in pick 1.

Calgary wins 2nd lottery - pick 1 and 2 are locked in, so Calgary gets 3

Thanks again. I was not aware other spots could be locked in after the first lottery. So if the 16th team wins the lottery and moves up to the 6th spot, does that lock in the top 6 spots at that time?

[Fan69]

In summary of dozens of posts we have less chance of picking one or two than we dont.

Right now i am actually comfortable being outside the top two. Now dont get me wrong i would be happy to take the local kid but even more so to get stenberg.

However i am happy to pick anywhere about six and under. Reid is serious competition for Verhoeff. Happy with either.

However would still prefer a forward. At three four i think any of the top guys could be there. If we landed at five or six i wouldnt be heartbroken to get Malhotra who is impressing more and more. I am still high on Lawrence he is one of the youngest players in the draft then also have Bjork. After that far more questions.

Get in the top six, whoever it is, is probably one or two on our prospect list.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Feb.7th: Earlier in the season, I lamented the fact that LW Ryan Brown (5'11",176lbs) was struggling with his production on a poor team, the Sarnia Sting, who have been one of the OHL's worst (and lowest-scoring) teams all year. Luckily for him, he was traded to the London Knights in late December, about a week and a half before the trade deadline. In 34 games with the Sting, Brown posted 6 goals and 23 points, but his numbers have caught fire with the Knights- 11 tallies, to go with 19 points in 15 tilts with his new club. It was a little slow-going to start in London, with Brown only posting 3 points in his first 7 games, but he has amassed 16 in his last 8. He's a little older than most of his peers in this draft-class, sporting an Oct.6th, 2007 birthdate, and had an excellent D-minus-1 season with Sarnia (41 points in 68 contests), so bigger things were expected of him this year, so it's nice to see him being able to deliver. Though the Knights are 8th in the standings, and jockeying for position in the playoff race, Brown is still being given 2nd-line duty on a talent-laden squad. Strangely enough, he was not included in Central Scouting's Mid-Term List, but was given a "C" in their Preliminary Rankings- indicating a possible 2nd, or 3rd-round pick.

I like this kid. Brown brings dogged determination, boundless energy, and unrelenting motor to every game- despite his lack of size, he outworks larger opponents to win pucks, gets his nose dirty in the hard areas of the ice, and plays a gritty, physical game. With difference-making speed to beat opponents wide, win races to loose pucks, and separate from pursuers, he pushes supreme pace, forces blueliners back on their heels, and splits defensive pairings by rocketing up the middle of the ice. Brown is not without skill though, and possesses the stickhandling ability to maintain control of the puck in small-areas, and owns a collection of slick one-on-one moves to evade checks while weaving through traffic. He is a solid contributor to transition, able to carry through clean exit and controlled entry, but usually expedites his team's traversal through the neutral zone with quick-touch give-and-go's, or short-area connective passing. Once installed in the offensive-third, he has a number of weapons at his disposal, but he seems to be leaning into a heavy shooting approach with the Knights; his shot is hard, precise, deceptive, and capable of beating goalies from distance, but he also has pillow-soft hands in-close, to go with a nose for the net. Brown finds lanes to dip in-and-out of the slot, sniffs out open pockets of space in coverage below the dots, and will go to the net to battle for rebounds. With Sarnia, he was known more as a crafty playmaker with creativity and high-end vision to spot teammates through layers, with the passing skill to connect crisply and accurately, using deception as a facilitator. As if that wasn't enough, he is also a quality defensive player whose competitive disposition makes him an in-your-face disruptor, who works hard on the backcheck to cause turnovers. Brown only has 2 PIM with London, but his lack of discipline in taking needless penalties has been a problem in the past, that doesn't seem to be an issue these days. He has to keep getting bigger and stronger, and work on his consistency, but I would say he's a good candidate to be picked in the 3rd, or 4th-round.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Feb.7th: Minnesota-native LW Dylan Dean (6'1",181lbs) was drafted in the second-round of the 2023 WHL US Prospects Draft, 23rd-overall, by the Edmonton Oil Kings, and was signed to a developmental agreement last summer. He started his rookie season off well, putting up 13 points in 16 games (24 PIM), before missing nearly a month and a half due to an injury suffered in early-November. Dean's first game back was on December 14th, and he was held pointless in the first 2 games of his return, then followed that up with 5 points in his next 6 games, ending on January 7th. Since then, he has only registered 4 points in his last 10 games, and I think it might be due to his having to compete for minutes with newcomers Jaxon Fuder, and Aaron Obobaifo, who were both pre-deadline acquisitions. Right now, Dean sits at 13 goals and 22 points in 34 games (with 43 PIM), which projects to 34 in 52. Central Scouting has him at #96 for North American Skaters on their Mid-Term List.

Dean is pacey and physical, which is facilitated by his powerful stride, and he is a menace on the forecheck- causing havok and dishing out big hits while forcing turnovers and uncontrolled play. While he can't be characterized as a speed-demon, he skates quite well, keeping up with the pace of enemy attackers, winning foot-races, and stealing time and space away from rival challengers. Dean's edges are strong, giving him sharp lateral quickness to sidestep pressure, evade checks, and slice through the middle of the ice. A hard-nosed, gritty winger, he works the boards with intensity, motor, and power, goes to the net hard to clean up garbage, and wins battles in the greasy areas of the ice, bringing energy and compete to his team. He plays on the edge, sometimes going over it, gets involved in post-whistle scrums, and has been known to drop the gloves once in a while. Dean isn't without offensive skill though, as he exhibits keen spatial awareness, high IQ, and sublime playmaking instincts; though he has been labeled as being more of a passer in the past,13 of his 22 points so far are goals, exhibiting a great set of mitts around the net, as well as a decent shot. He does the bulk of his work in close proximity to the net, with most of his shots coming from below the hash-marks; he seems fine with scoring ugly goals, and has no fear in driving the net, parking in front to pounce on loose pucks and screen the goalie, or cutting to the middle for chances in-close. If the offensive game doesn't translate, he could always settle in to a checking role in the next level, as he shows signs of a smart, detailed defensive game in all three zones. I like this kid, but he may have to wait until the later rounds to be picked, if he can't get his production up to where it was before his injury.