2026 NHL Mock Draft Simulator

Tap Re-Simulate to run RotoWire's 2026 NHL Mock Draft Simulator and generate a new first round in seconds. Every team's pick is selected from a weighted pool of real prospects — weighted by consensus rank, team needs, and tier — so the same names show up where they should without locking you into the same outcome twice.

The simulator runs on the official post-lottery 2026 NHL Draft order. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the No. 1 pick on May 5 and will almost always take Penn State winger Gavin McKenna. After that, things get interesting. 

Bookmark RotoWire's NHL odds while you're here.

How the 2026 NHL Mock Draft Simulator Works

Each pick uses a windowed candidate pool that widens as the draft moves later. The No. 1 overall pick draws from the top two prospects on the board, weighted heavily toward the consensus top guy. By the time you hit the back half of the round, the window opens to a dozen names — which is where the surprises live.

Team needs factor in too. If the Vancouver Canucks take a forward at No. 3, the simulator is far less likely to hand them another forward at No. 15. Goalies are downweighted across the board because the 2026 class is widely viewed as a below-average year at the position — NHL Central Scouting itself flagged it — so you'll rarely see a netminder go in Round 1.

For up-to-date NHL player news and NHL Injury Report info, head to RotoWire's NHL Lineups page.

2026 NHL Draft Prospects in the Simulator Pool

The simulator draws from a pool of 50 verified 2026 draft-eligible prospects, sourced from NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, The Hockey Writers, Daily Faceoff, Tankathon, and Elite Prospects. Each player carries a consensus rank, projected ceiling, NHL comp, and a 200-game probability estimate. Tap any pick in the simulator output to see the full scouting note.

Mapping out your wagers for the week? Check out the latest Sportsbook Promo Codes to get special offers and make the most of your bets.

Top 2026 NHL Draft Prospects

Gavin McKenna is the closest thing this class has to a generational forward, and the Leafs aren't agonizing over alternatives at No. 1. The Penn State freshman is the heavy favorite to come off the board first. After that, the picture opens up: Ivar Stenberg (Frölunda HC), Chase Reid (Sault Ste. Marie OHL), and Carson Carels (Prince George WHL) all rotate through the top five depending on how San Jose, Vancouver, and Chicago value forwards versus defensemen.

Keaton Verhoeff — the North Dakota freshman who jumped to college early — is the highest-ceiling defenseman in the class and a top-six fixture. Caleb Malhotra (Brantford OHL), Daxon Rudolph (Prince Albert WHL), and Nikita Klepov (Saginaw OHL) round out the typical top 10.

Goalies in the 2026 NHL Draft

Don't expect to see many goalies in the simulator's first round, and that's by design. The 2026 goalie class doesn't have a clear first-round lock the way 2025 had Joshua Ravensbergen and Pyotr Andreyanov. Brady Knowling of the USNTDP is the consensus top goalie and the most likely to sneak into the late first if any do. Tobias Trejbal (Youngstown USHL) and the 6-foot-7 Yegor Rybkin (Russia) round out the top three. Toggle the Goalies tab in the simulator to see profiles of the projected top netminders — even when none are drafted.

After a careful assessment of the articles, tips and calculators located on RotoWire, you can begin wagering on hockey odds at the top-rated NHL betting sites in the US.

Run It Again

Every simulation produces a different Round 1, but the names that should be there are. Hit Re-Simulate as many times as you want, watch how the consensus rank chips light up green for steals and red for reaches, and see which board fits your team's draft strategy best. The 2026 NHL Draft is June 26–27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo — plenty of time to run a few dozen mocks before then.