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NHL Draft Trades Shake Up Rosters
27 Jun
Summary
- Nine trades executed during the 2026 NHL draft night.
- San Jose Sharks identified as major winners, securing top prospects.
- Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Ducks face significant roster changes.
The 2026 NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo proved to be a night of significant activity, featuring nine trades and 18 picks changing hands. Several teams made bold moves, including the Vegas Golden Knights trading Pavel Dorofeyev and the Anaheim Ducks sending Mason McTavish to the St. Louis Blues.
The San Jose Sharks were hailed as major winners, acquiring highly-touted prospects Ivar Stenberg and Keaton Verhoeff, along with defender Ryan Lin. This haul is expected to form the future core of the Sharks' organizational turnaround.
Conversely, the Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Ducks faced considerable upheaval. The Red Wings dealt promising young goaltender Sebastian Cossa, while the Ducks traded away key players Mason McTavish and Olen Zellweger, although they did gain significant cap space.
Other notable teams included the New York Rangers, who added prolific scorer Pavel Dorofeyev and top prospect Alberts Smits, and the Utah Mammoth, who acquired goaltender Sebastian Cossa and forward Ethan Belchetz, positioning themselves for future success.
Surprises also marked the draft, with Daxon Rudolph falling to the fourth overall pick for the Buffalo Sabres and Jaxon Cover, an inline skater from the Cayman Islands, being selected by the Ottawa Senators in the first round.
