2026 NHL Draft

NHL Draft 2026: What’s each team’s biggest positional need for the future?

Michael Misa, Matthew Schaefer and Anton Frondell were the top-three picks in the 2025 NHL Draft. Jeff Vinnick / NHLI via Getty Images

Today, we discuss each NHL organization’s biggest internal need as we look at the prospect pipelines across the league entering the 2026 NHL Draft. “Biggest need” in this context is not strictly about what is missing on the NHL roster right now. This is an exercise in projecting five years down the road, focusing on what teams have — and glaringly lack — in their farm systems.

When evaluating these pools, we always look at the premium positions first. Centers and defensemen are the hardest pieces to find and are always the top priority. Goaltenders follow, with wingers bringing up the rear.

Anaheim Ducks: Defenseman

The Ducks have assembled a tremendous amount of high-end talent, and it got even deeper down the middle after drafting 6-foot-6 center Roger McQueen 10th in 2025. Between Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke, Mason McTavish and McQueen, the forward group is overwhelmingly talented. While they have graduated some good young defensemen recently, their prospect pool still lacks a premium, dynamic puck-mover on the blue line.

Boston Bruins: Defenseman

Boston has been adding a lot of young forwards lately. The Bruins drafted playmaking center James Hagens at No. 7 last year, acquired Fraser Minten in the Brandon Carlo trade and drafted massive pivot Dean Letourneau in 2024. Their system remains extremely light on the back end. A top-four caliber defenseman is undeniably the biggest organizational need.

Buffalo Sabres: Goaltender 

Buffalo used its 2025 first-round pick to add massive 6-foot-6 defender Radim Mrtka to a system that has already graduated high-end defensemen like Owen Power. The Sabres don’t have a clear need in their skater group given the development of their young forwards, so looking toward the net makes the most sense, especially given the so-so development of Devon Levi.

Calgary Flames: Center 

Calgary took a massive swing on the blue line by drafting Zayne Parekh in 2024. While the Flames added forwards Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter in the first round of the 2025 draft, they still need more help down the middle long-term and will be tempted by Caleb Malhotra or Viggo Björck if either is available at the No. 6 spot, given their projections as future top-six centers.

Carolina Hurricanes: Defenseman 

The Hurricanes have a promising young group of forwards in the NHL, with Bradly Nadeau also on the way. They’ve picked some defensemen high in the second round, in Scott Morrow and Dominik Badinka, but Morrow was dealt, and Badinka’s development has gone just OK. Adding a quality defenseman would be ideal for them.

Chicago Blackhawks: Scoring winger

The Blackhawks added another massive piece down the middle by drafting Anton Frondell third in 2025. With Connor Bedard and Frondell at center and Artyom Levshunov on defense, they have successfully addressed the hardest positions in the sport to find legit players. The strategy now needs to shift toward finding high-end skill. There’s an obvious candidate to fill that spot in Ivar Stenberg if he gets to No. 4. The question is, will he?

Colorado Avalanche: Center

Colorado’s prospect pool is extremely thin right now. The Avalanche truly need everything, but after dealing Calum Ritchie to the Islanders, if I had to pick one position they have little in terms of quality prospects, it would be down the middle.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Defenseman

Columbus boasts one of the better young centers in the game in Adam Fantilli, and overall, there’s no true weakness in this system. The Blue Jackets drafted big defenseman Jackson Smith and goalie Pyotr Andreyanov in 2025’s first round, which helps, but if I had to nitpick, it would be for Columbus to continue to add at the defense position.

Dallas Stars: Skill

Wyatt Johnston has graduated into a star center, and Lian Bichsel gives the Stars a massive, physical presence on the blue line who projects to make a lot of NHL stops. However, after dealing Logan Stankoven, the prospect pool lacks high-end, dynamic game-breakers up front. They drafted Cameron Schmidt, but they still need skilled forwards who can break shifts open and create offense out of nothing.

Detroit Red Wings: Center

Detroit has an elite puck-mover in Axel Sandin Pellikka, who has the poise and shot to run a top power play. Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and 2025 first-rounder Carter Bear bring heavy, competitive play to the wings. With Dylan Larkin likely on the move this summer, it becomes the most pressing need long-term for this organization.

Edmonton Oilers: Defenseman

Up front, the Oilers have Ike Howard and Matt Savoie, who could provide secondary scoring. The blue line, however, is a different story. The defensive prospect depth is incredibly thin, and finding a defenseman who can skate at an NHL level and make a reliable first pass is a glaring necessity.

Florida Panthers: Defenseman

Florida has mortgaged a lot of its future to win now. The Panthers have a few decent young forward prospects, but they haven’t picked a defenseman in the top two rounds since 2021.

Los Angeles Kings: Forward

The Kings have a high-end offensive talent on the blue line in Brandt Clarke. They added to that defensive depth by taking Henry Brzustewicz in 2025. With Quinton Byfield graduating to the NHL and Liam Greentree dealt to the Rangers, their system otherwise doesn’t have any legit skill left up front that you can confidently project to the league.

Minnesota Wild: Defenseman

Minnesota has some quality center prospects in Danila Yurov and Charlie Stramel. The Wild moved Zeev Buium in the Quinn Hughes trade, though, and they have a significant lack of legit defense prospects as a result.

Montreal Canadiens: Center

Montreal has amassed incredible skill on the wings. Juraj Slafkovský brings a special combination of size and strength, and Ivan Demidov possesses elite, game-breaking puck skills. After trading their 2025 first-round picks to the Islanders, the Canadiens still need to find a premium, high-end center prospect with the vision and playmaking to consistently distribute the puck to their elite wingers.

Nashville Predators: Skill

Nashville came into the 2025 draft needing everything, and took a massive step forward by selecting forwards Brady Martin and Ryker Lee, plus defender Cameron Reid. The Predators have a lot of excellent two-way players in their system, but they could use more guys who can break a shift open and score goals.

New Jersey Devils: Forward skill

Luke Hughes is a dynamic, explosive skater on the blue line, and the Devils added a premium goaltending prospect in Mikhail Yegorov. With the back end and crease looking strong, New Jersey needs to focus on adding high-end skill and finishing talent to its forward pipeline.

New York Islanders: Goaltender

The Islanders won the lottery and completely reshaped their blue line by selecting Matthew Schaefer at No. 1, followed by Kashawn Aitcheson later in the first round. Having already bolstered their center depth with Calum Ritchie and Danny Nelson, they also have strong wing prospects in Victor Eklund and Cole Eiserman. The next step is finding a premium goaltending prospect to eventually succeed Ilya Sorokin.

New York Rangers: Center

Gabe Perreault is an exceptionally intelligent winger with high-end offensive sense, and E.J. Emery is an athletic, competitive defender. The Rangers’ system has pieces on the flanks and the back end, but the middle of the ice remains a major need. They need a play-driving center. Will they get one at No. 5, or opt for one of the premium defense prospects?

Ottawa Senators: Center

Carter Yakemchuk gives the Senators a high-skill, attack-first defenseman with a bullet shot, and they added Logan Hensler to the blue line in 2025. While they have youth on the back end, their forward pipeline is thin. Finding a legit center, or really any forward who can score, is the most pressing issue for this organization prospect-wise.

Philadelphia Flyers: Defenseman

The Flyers in the 2025 draft added elite power winger Porter Martone and a huge pivot in Jack Nesbitt. With Matvei Michkov already in the fold and a good young forward group in general, the clear need for their system is a defenseman, because, other than Oliver Bonk (who had a so-so first pro season), there isn’t a ton coming at that position.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Defenseman 

Pittsburgh picked three forwards in the 2025 draft, including Ben Kindel, who played in the NHL right away. Harrison Brunicke is a quality defense prospect, but the Penguins are lacking a true premium puck-mover in their system.

San Jose Sharks: Defenseman

When you draft Macklin Celebrini and then follow it up a year later by adding Michael Misa with the No. 2 pick, you have secured the middle of the ice for the next decade. While Sam Dickinson is a very good defense prospect, the Sharks need to continue stockpiling high-end, mobile defensemen to consistently get the puck to their dynamos up front. It’s a very good draft for them to be looking at defensemen. The question is whether they take a forward or a defenseman with the No. 2 pick.

Seattle Kraken: Defenseman

The Kraken have built incredible depth down the middle, drafting Jake O’Brien in 2025 to add to a group that already features Berkly Catton and Matty Beniers. Having used so much draft capital up front, Seattle’s clear biggest need is finding puck-moving, mobile defensemen. The No. 7 pick should line up well for the Kraken to secure one.

St. Louis Blues: Defenseman