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BUFFALO- The 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft is almost here, set for June 26 at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, and front offices across the league are getting their draft boards ready, like yesterday. After the Stanley Cup Playoffs finished for the second round, plus the May Draft lottery was done too, the first 27 picks were set. That order creates the usual, rough “battle lines” feel for possible draft-day surprises and big, early deals.
The lottery storyline went to the Toronto Maple Leafs , who jumped to grab the No. 1 overall spot. That gives them the chance to draft the dynamic Penn State forward Gavin McKenna. In general, getting into the top tier means you need serious resources, like astronomical amounts. But right now, a pretty high-leverage market is starting to form, and it looks pushed by a few teams that have the exact assets and the urgency that forces movement upward.
League insiders and analysts are circling around three teams that could be the most likely to press a trade-up push as draft night gets closer.
St. Louis Blues: Turning draft capital into a weapon
The St. Louis Blues have become the name most people mention when talking about a major leap on draft day. General Manager Doug Armstrong has one of those rare situations where the organization has a lot of asset wiggle room. After a fairly active trade stretch , they’ve built an impressive stash. One headline deal moved captain Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders in exchange for a package that included Colorado’s first-round selection. Another deal sent Justin Faulk to Detroit for Justin Holl , Dmitri Buchelnikov, and a first rounder. Because of that, the Blues currently “brandish” three different first-round picks. They’ve got their own pick at No. 11 , Detroit’s selection at No. 15, and the Avalanche’s late first-round pick too.
According to insiders, St. Louis is pretty motivated to bundle those assets into a premium offer just to reach the top five. The likely target is the San Jose Sharks’ No. 2 overall pick. The Sharks could just stay put and go for an elite Swedish winger in Ivar Stenberg. Still, there are rumors that St. Louis is working hard to get San Jose to slide back a bit. The pitch could be their multi-pick package, or it could include big-ticket roster names, like Jordan Kyrou or Colton Parayko, depending on how willing the Sharks are.
Chicago Blackhawks: From rebuild mode into roster upgrades
The Chicago Blackhawks are a huge wild card here, and they could shake up the very top of the board and even though they walked into the lottery with the second-best odds to take the No. 1 pick, Chicago dropped two spots and now sits at No. 4 overall. General Manager Kyle Davidson has said they want to move the franchise out of a strict rebuild, and put real roster help around superstar Connor Bedard.
A lot of mock drafts connect Chicago with elite center Caleb Malhotra at No. 4, but lately there’s more chatter that the Blackhawks might package their fourth selection with added draft capital, maybe even prospects, to climb into the top two or three. If they do that, they could guarantee they land a true, top-tier defenseman, one of those anchors on the back end, such as Sault Ste. Marie defenseman Chase Reid. That, in turn, would support Bedard, while also making the team more likely to stay competitive during their longer term window, not just hoping for it.
Washington Capitals: Sitting back with multiple top-20 picks
The Washington Capitals are another club that’s set up to trigger a draft day shakeup with more than one first round pick and Washington currently has their own selection at No. 16, plus the No. 18 overall pick, which they obtained from the Anaheim Ducks in a notable deadline day swap. That swap came in exchange for veteran defenseman John Carlson.
With two picks sitting inside the top twenty, General Manager Chris Patrick has the right “currency” to tempt teams in the 8-to-12 range, especially if those teams want to slide back while still stacking depth. A move into the top three still feels extremely unlikely for Washington, just math wise. But trading up into the back half of the top ten would put them in a position to target premium blue-line prospects or high-ceiling centers, and that could help lead their post-Alex Ovechkin era, whenever that fully kicks in.
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