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The 2026 NHL Draft order is beginning to take shape. Check out the full first-round order and information on rounds 2 through 7.

The 2026 NHL Draft has begun to take shape. Tuesday’s NHL Draft Lottery provided fans with plenty of excitement. The Toronto Maple Leafs were the big winners, taking home the first-overall pick.

The rest of the lottery set up the first-round order from 1 to 16. The results from the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs and regular-season standings will determine the final order in the first round.

So, let’s begin by looking at the picking order for the first 16 selections in the opening round.

1^st Round Selection Order 2026 NHL Draft

1. Toronto Maple Leafs

2. San Jose Sharks

3. Vancouver Canucks

4. Chicago Blackhawks

5. New York Rangers

6. Calgary Flames

7. Seattle Kraken

8. Winnipeg Jets

9. Florida Panthers

10. Nashville Predators

11. St. Louis Blues

12. New Jersey Devils

13. New York Islanders

14. Columbus Blue Jackets

15. St. Louis Blues

16. Washington Capitals

It’s worth pointing out that the Vancouver Canucks had the best chance to win the top pick for the 2026 NHL Draft. However, that situation did not materialize, leaving them third. The Blackhawks and Rangers also fell in the draft order by two spots.

Another note: The Florida Panthers retained their 2026 first-round pick. They had a top-10 protected selection that was part of the Seth Jones deal with the Blackhawks. However, the Panthers dismal season ensured they kept that pick.

First Round Selections 17-32

The remainder of the selections in the opening round of the 2026 NHL Draft will be determined as teams exit the playoffs based on their regular-season standings. Playoff teams that did not win their division get the first lot of picks.

Thereafter, division winners get the next lot of picks, based on regular-season points. Picks 29-30 go to the Conference Final losers. Picks 31-32 go to the Stanley Cup finalists.

17. Los Angeles Kings

18. Washington Capitals

19. Utah Mammoth

20. San Jose Sharks

21. Philadelphia Flyers

22. Pittsburgh Penguins

23. Boston Bruins

24. Vancouver Canucks

25. Montreal Canadiens

26. Seattle Kraken

27. New York Rangers

28. Calgary Flames

29. Buffalo Sabres

30. Carolina Hurricanes

31. St. Louis Blues

32. Ottawa Senators

It’s worth pointing out that the Ottawa Senators are locked into the 32^nd overall in the 2026 NHL Draft pick after getting their first-rounder back earlier this season. The Senators received clemency from the NHL after the team had originally forfeited its pick because of a botched trade.

The league reluctantly agreed to allow the Senators to retain their first-rounder, locking it into the final spot in the first round. The Senators cannot trade it, so they must use it.

As such, the projected Stanley Cup winner, the Colorado Avalanche, will get the 31^st selection. That pick, nevertheless, belongs to the St. Louis Blues.

What to read next:

Rounds 2 through 7

As for the remaining rounds in the 2026 NHL Draft, regular-season standings determine that order. However, trades have changed picks so much that it’s tough to keep track of everything.

Fortunately, Tankathon has done a great job of tracking the full draft order for all seven rounds.

There will be 224 picks in total. That works out to 32 picks per round multiplied by seven total rounds. Of course, that order is subject to change. It’s not uncommon to get draft-day deals in which teams swap multiple picks.

So, stay tuned because there could still be plenty of changes, particularly with some teams potentially weaponizing their 2026 NHL Draft picks.