Would you take Caleb Malholtra over Stenberg?

If Stenberg is there they HAVE to take him, he’s clearly the best player available. Malhotra is a talented young kid but the runway in front of him is longer, he came on late offensively but he hasn’t done it over a longer stretch of time. The Canucks would be foolish to pass on Stenberg but if they can move down in the draft slightly and get paid by someone in the 4-5-6 spots as well as getting Malhotra, it’s not the worst case scenario in my opinion.

From “The Athletic”…

NHL Mock Draft 2026: Pronman, Wheeler and Bultman play GM and pick Round 1.

By Corey Pronman, Scott Wheeler and Max Bultman
May 27, 2026

A few years ago, we decided to test out a new idea: In place of our typical predictive mock, let’s build a mock where we are the general managers for each team and have to make the decisions ourselves based on our own lists and weighing our given team’s needs.

Today, for a fourth year in a row, it’s back by popular demand. Our editor randomized the order, and Max Bultman joined so that prospect writers Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler couldn’t anticipate where the other was going to go based on their knowledge of each other’s lists.

After the draw, Pronman selected first, Bultman second and Wheeler third.

Here’s how they drafted the first round from the helm of their draft tables.

Note: This mock exercise was completed before the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference final. The St. Louis Blues, who hold Colorado’s first-round pick, will select 29th. The Calgary Flames, who hold Vegas’ first-round pick, will select either 30th or 31st, depending on the result of the Stanley Cup Final.

1. Toronto Maple Leafs: Chase Reid, RHD, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
Reid is, by the slimmest of margins, the best player on my board. The Maple Leafs are in a tough situation, though. They’re in win-now mode despite being a bottom-five possession team this season, so they have a lot of work to do to get back to contending. I think Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg and potentially Alberts Smits could provide more immediate help. I don’t think any of them make an impact in the NHL next season, though. I’m not even sure it’s a smart bet to count on anyone in this draft truly moving the needle by two years out. Reid has the best chance of anyone in this draft to become an impact player at a premium position, even if that’s no sure thing. In the draft, you have to take the long view, not knee-jerk to fill short-term roster holes, and I would bet on the 6-foot-3, highly skilled and mobile two-way defenseman who has at least a chance to become a No. 1 D.

People will argue don’t go against the grain here, it will get you fired, but odds are in Toronto, you’re getting fired quickly anyway, so may as well do what you think is best for the franchise. — Pronman

2. San Jose Sharks: Carson Carels, LHD, Prince George (WHL)
The surprise with the No. 1 pick here puts San Jose in an interesting spot. The Sharks have the opportunity to take McKenna (or Stenberg) and add an exciting young forward prospect to an already talented pool up front. But does adding to what’s already an organizational strength really move the needle more than a do-it-all defenseman?

Reid was probably the ideal candidate, but Carels is a smooth skater, tough to play against, and probably hasn’t gotten enough credit for his offense in the WHL this season. I don’t think he’s that different from Jake Sanderson in his draft year. That’s a highly compelling profile that would really round out the Sharks’ build. As tempting as McKenna is on talent, taking the all-situations D at this spot makes San Jose a better team for the long-term. — Bultman

3. Vancouver Canucks: Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State (NCAA)
The Wheeler-led Canucks no longer feel like they lost the lottery as we get our No. 1-ranked player at No. 3 here. This organization is starving for a star, and McKenna remains the brightest star in this class. We’re not going to pontificate about position or beat him up for his imperfections; this is the draft’s biggest talent. — Wheeler

4. Chicago Blackhawks: Alberts Smits, LHD, München (DEL)
Smits is my No. 2-ranked player, but he fits here not only on talent but also seamlessly into Chicago’s depth chart, which has a lot of good young defensemen but could use a premier name on the left side. Smits projects as a heavy-minutes, two-way defender who can play on both special teams. I would be tempted to take Stenberg here for Chicago, who need more high-end skill to surround Connor Bedard with. Between Bedard, Stenberg, Frank Nazar and Roman Kantserov, it would be a very small top six, though. Given I think the two players are rather close on pure ability, my lean is to take Smits for all the above reasons. — Pronman

5. New York Rangers: Ivar Stenberg, LW, Frölunda (SHL)
There could be some temptation for the Rangers to chase a center here, which is a major need in their system. But they need top talent, period, and Stenberg is the top talent available. He had a monster year for a draft-eligible in the SHL, similar to what the Sedins produced at the same age. Stenberg may be on the smaller side, but he’s highly skilled, intelligent and competitive, and that has top-line winger written all over it. — Bultman

6. Calgary Flames: Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford (OHL)
The Flames jump on the No. 1 center in the draft, a player they can build around and their potential No. 1 center of the future. Malhotra and Cole Reschny give Calgary two legit two-way prospects down the middle. — Wheeler

7. Seattle Kraken: Keaton Verhoeff, RHD, North Dakota (NCAA)
I’m ecstatic for our organization to get Verhoeff here. A 6-foot-4, right-shot defenseman who can skate and pass pucks up the ice and projects as a big-minutes NHL D on both special teams is exactly what the Kraken pipeline needs, and he was the best player available on our board, too. — Pronman

8. Winnipeg Jets: Viggo Björck, C, Djurgården (SHL)
Björck may be on the smaller side for a center, but we’ve seen Logan Stankoven and Zach Benson be major difference-makers in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and Björck has the tools to do the same. He’s a high-motor, high-skill pivot who can play hard minutes, and because of his pro experience, may be able to get to Winnipeg fairly quickly, too. — Bultman

9. Florida Panthers: Daxon Rudolph, RHD, Prince Albert (WHL)
Coming off a stellar draft season, Rudolph has firmly established himself in the top D group. He has the size, handedness and legit offense and gives the Panthers their first stud D prospect since they took Aaron Ekblad No. 1 all the way back in 2014. — Wheeler

10. Nashville Predators: Wyatt Cullen, LW, U.S. NTDP (USHL)
It’s a near tie between Cullen and Malte Gustafsson on our list. Typically, we would lean toward Gustafsson; the tall, mobile puck-moving profile in a top four is very valuable, and they don’t have a ton of that in Nashville. The Predators have used a lot of draft capital in recent years, though, on hardworking two-way profiles that can drive play. They have nobody in the system who is a game-breaker with the puck and comfortably projects into a top six. Cullen would become the most dynamic player in the pipeline. It’s a tough decision, but Nashville decides to use this pick to add skill. — Pronman

11. St. Louis Blues: Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor (OHL)
This pick comes right around where the last top centers and D are available, and Gustafsson and Tynan Lawrence are certainly tempting at premium positions. But the true power forward is becoming just as hard to find in the modern game, and Belchetz blends huge physical traits with legit offensive ability. That’s a worthwhile upside swing while still keeping a projectable floor. — Bultman

12. New Jersey Devils: Tynan Lawrence, C, Boston University (NCAA)
This decision came down to two players who are very close on my board right now: Lawrence and defenseman Ryan Lin. The Devils’ abundance of good young D (Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, Anton Silayev, Seamus Casey) pushed me in Lawrence’s direction. The Devils don’t have a legit C prospect, and Lawrence, a teammate of Devils prospects Mikhail Yegorov and Conrad Fondrk at BU, gives them one. — Wheeler

13. New York Islanders: Malte Gustafsson, LHD, HV71 (SHL)
I have slight hesitations about going this way because the Islanders drafted two left-shot defensemen in the first round last year. But their farm system is too thin, and Gustafsson too good, to be overly swayed by that variable, even if I would be tempted to take a forward here. A potential long-term top four with Gustafsson, Matthew Schaefer and Kashawn Aitcheson could be the envy of the division. — Pronman

14. Columbus Blue Jackets: Oscar Hemming, LW, Boston College (NCAA)
Hemming is a big, hard-to-play-against forward who can bring offense in multiple ways, both by getting to the hard areas and with a powerful shot from distance. He has good touch for a big man and is the kind of player who can help the Blue Jackets get over the hump in late-season hockey. — Bultman

15. St. Louis Blues: Ryan Lin, RHD, Vancouver (WHL)
The Blues’ pool could use a center more than a D or wing (especially after taking Belchetz), but I think there’s a ledge between Lin and that next tier of centers. And the Blues’ D prospects (Adam Jiricek, Theo Lindstein, etc.) don’t look or play like Lin. I like him a lot for them here. — Wheeler

16. Washington Capitals: Oliver Suvanto, C, Tappara (Liiga)
Suvanto is barely behind a winger or two on our board as the pure BPA, but Washington has drafted a winger in the first round four years in a row, and eventually, the Capitals need to address depth down the middle. Suvanto is a highly competitive and skilled center who may not be the most dynamic, but could potentially have an Anton Lundell-type trajectory. — Pronman

17. Los Angeles Kings: Alexander Command, C, Örebro (J20 Nationell)
The Kings need everything, but especially need a center, and get a well-rounded one in Command, a riser in this class with slick hands who can make plays or score around the net. — Bultman

18. Washington Capitals: Elton Hermansson, RW, MoDo (SHL)
The Capitals have drafted a lot of wingers of late, but with the way the draft has played out, there’s a gap between the top available wings and the next-best centers and D for me here. With their second pick, I like taking a cut on the skilled Hermansson from a position of strength as a result. — Wheeler

19. Utah Mammoth: Casey Mutryn, RW, U.S. NTDP (USHL)
The Mammoth select the big, fast, physical, highly versatile Mutryn. He’s not only our BPA, but he also slots in well into a deep depth chart given his abilities to play on both special teams and potentially fit anywhere in Utah’s lineup in a few years. — Pronman

20. San Jose Sharks: Adam Novotný, LW, Peterborough (OHL)
San Jose considers doubling down on D here to keep building up the blue line, but after getting our defensive building block early, we’ll add some firepower up front with Novotný, a sturdy-built offensive winger who can really shoot it and play around the net, too. — Bultman

21. Philadelphia Flyers: Nikita Klepov, LW, Saginaw (OHL)
My BPA here is Klepov, the OHL’s leading scorer this year and a commit to Porter Martone’s alma mater, Michigan State. He’s an average-sized winger, but the Flyers prioritized size with their two firsts and four seconds last year, and I don’t think it’s something they need to be chasing for their pool now. They’ve also chased centers to a fault at times for me. Klepov injects some skill into their pool. — Wheeler

22. Pittsburgh Penguins: Gleb Pugachyov, LW, Torpedo (VHL)
Pugachyov, to me, is a similar player to Hemming, but is likely going to fall to this range of the draft because he plays in Russia. He’s a huge power winger who’s one of the draft’s most punishing physical players, while also having the speed and hands to create chances at the next level. At 22, I’m willing to roll the dice on the unique profile here. — Pronman

23. Boston Bruins: Adam Goljer, RHD, Dukla Trencin (Extraliga)
The Bruins’ pipeline is pretty light on defenders, so we’ll address that with a projectable righty out of the Slovak pro ranks. Goljer is a fluid skater with size and some offense, and could become a second-pair type in the future. — Bultman

24. Vancouver Canucks: JP Hurlbert, C/LW, Kamloops (WHL)
There are two routes I considered here with the Canucks’ second pick: skilled but frustrating wingers like Marcus Nordmark or Mathis Preston, or projectable, pro-styled centers like Ilia Morozov and Jack Hextall. But neither route felt like the right one for an organization that already has one of the former in Jonathan Lekkerimäki and one of the latter in Braeden Cootes. Hurlbert became the middle ground between the two. He checks the skill box and could potentially check the positional one after playing a lot of both this year (though the consensus view is that he’s a pro winger). — Wheeler

25. Seattle Kraken: Jack Hextall, C, Youngstown (USHL)
The Kraken have drafted a lot of centers, although you can never have too many due to not everyone panning out or some moving to wing. Hextall would be a strong two-way option, potentially for the middle of their lineup, who may not be elite offensively but can drive play and play on both special teams. — Pronman

26. New York Rangers: Ilia Morozov, C, Miami (NCAA)
After grabbing Stenberg early, now the Rangers get their center in Morozov, an impressive athlete at 6-foot-3 who plays hard and has good hands as well. The big center had very respectable production as one of the youngest players in college hockey this year, and when you combine that with his projectable pro traits, this is a nice get for New York late in the first round. — Bultman

27. Buffalo Sabres: Xavier Villeneuve, LHD, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
The core of the Sabres’ blue line is big, and they’ve got another one on the way in Radim Mrtka. That makes them fertile ground for a talent like Villeneuve as a contrast. Not only is he one of my BPAs here, but this is also the range where he really starts to make sense as a worthwhile swing. The Sabres are a team, with their still-young group up front and on the back end, that can afford to take it. — Wheeler

28. Calgary Flames: Brooks Rogowski, C, Oshawa (OHL)
Calgary addresses its center depth issues by adding two pivots now in this draft. Rogowski is one of the best pure athletes in the class, a 6-foot-7 center who can skate and showed decent offense over the course of the season. He projects as a potential third-line center in the NHL. — Pronman

29. Montreal Canadiens: William Håkansson, Luleå (SHL)
The Canadiens have a bit of everything at this point, so they take the hulking left-shot defenseman in Håkansson, adding a different flavor blueliner from the playmakers they already have in place. Håkansson will make his impact at the other end, killing plays and winning battles to let the Canadiens’ skill get back to work. — Bultman

30. Carolina Hurricanes: Marcus Nordmark, LW, Djurgården (J20 Nationell)
I’ve always appreciated the Canes’ willingness to take swings that others won’t, and Nordmark might be the biggest representation of that in this class. In that spirit, I’d start to consider taking that swing on his talent and hope he can figure out the rest at this point in the draft, at the end of the first round/beginning of the second, when the talent gap starts to widen between him and the remaining prospects. — Wheeler

31. St. Louis Blues: Tobias Trejbal, G, Youngstown (USHL)
The Blues cap off a productive first round by getting the best goalie in the draft. Trejbal is tall, athletic, intelligent and was highly productive this season in junior. I debated someone like Liam Ruck here, but the Blues have a lot of wingers, as previously mentioned, and don’t have a second-round pick, making it difficult to acquire the twins together if we wanted to. — Pronman

32. Ottawa Senators: Liam Ruck, RW, Medicine Hat (WHL)
Ottawa isn’t in an ideal position to unite the twins either, but we’ll still take a shot on the WHL’s second-leading goal scorer in Liam, who can not only shoot the puck but also gets himself to good scoring areas. And now we begin plotting how to move into the second round for Markus. — Bultman

Corey Pronman
Senior Writer, NHL Prospects

Scott Wheeler
Staff Writer, NHL

Max Bultman
Staff Writer, Red Wings