Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 7
Scott Wheeler publishes first 2026 NHL mock draft
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 7

Scott Wheeler publishes first 2026 NHL mock draft

4 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 7
  • His projected first round starts with Toronto taking Gavin McKenna, San Jose Chase Reid, Vancouver Caleb Malhotra and Chicago Ivar Stenberg after Tuesday's lottery.
  • Wheeler said he built the mock by texting agents, scouts and team staff, weighing team needs, organisational preferences, consensus views and likely contingencies for each pick.
  • He plans two more mock drafts before draft night, one around the combine and another in the week of the draft, as he finalises his top-100 board.
Is Gavin McKenna's elite skill worth the top pick, or do his defensive flaws make another prospect a smarter choice?
How will the NHL combine impact prospects whose physical readiness is already being questioned?
Which projected late first-round pick has the underlying analytics to become this draft's biggest steal?