Following the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, the Kraken will pick seventh when the 2026 NHL Draft begins on June 26. (How did Seattle end up here, and how does the Lottery even work? Check out our pre-Lottery primer.)

Last summer the Kraken selected Jake O’Brien at No. 8 overall–a pick that is looking like a sound investment so far. O’Brien has amassed 116 total points across 68 regular- and post-season OHL games.

Could the Kraken find a similar high-end producer this year? Or is this the season Seattle finally drafts a defenseman in the first round? There is a relatively high degree of uncertainty in the prospect hierarchy this year as we enter the final pre-draft stages. There is also some uncertainty in the Kraken’s approach with assistant general manager Ryan Jankowski overseeing the amateur scouting process for the first time.

Let’s take a look at how the first 10 picks of the draft could play out.

2025 NHL Mock Draft – Top 10

1. Toronto Maple Leafs: Gavin McKenna | Left Wing | Penn State Univ. (NCAA) 

Games played: 35, Goals: 15, Assists: 36, Points/game: 1.46
NHL Central Scouting: 1 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 83.9

From the jaws of disastrous defeat—their top pick potentially going to the bitter rival Boston Bruins if the ping pong balls had bounced differently—the Maple Leafs snatched victory, winning the draft lottery.

With the departure of Mitch Marner, the Maple Leafs fell from a top-10 offense and power play in 2024–25 to a middling team in both categories in 2025–26. The Leafs need an injection of youth and scoring. Gavin McKenna is the most talented player in this draft and a perfect tonic for Toronto.

McKenna lit up the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers before enrolling at Penn State for his draft season. While he had some quiet stretches (and an off-ice incident) during his freshman year, McKenna finished the year with 51 points. This was the fourth-most among draft-eligible college players in the last 20 years, behind only Adam Fantilli, Macklin Celebrini, and Jack Eichel.

McKenna doesn’t have dynamic straight-line speed, but he can manipulate and beat defenses with his skating, possession, and passing in-zone. He creates space for himself and his teammates with the ease of a star.

Nitpicking his game, scouts fault him for floating around the perimeter too often. But even if he doesn’t improve in this area, the extremity of his skill level is unlikely to be denied. Mitch Marner or early-career Connor Bedard are reasonable comparisons, even if McKenna doesn’t fully hit his ceiling. He’s likely to slot into an NHL lineup right away.

2. San Jose Sharks: Ivar Stenberg | Left Wing | Frölunda HC (SHL)

Games played: 43, Goals: 11, Assists: 22, Points/game: 0.77
NHL Central Scouting: 1 (Euro Skaters) | Data Score: 79.9

The San Jose Sharks will again pick in the top two after winning the second lottery drawing. Ivar Stenberg is the no-brainer pick here. Internal depth charts should not matter. There have been rumblings from analysts that other players are in the mix at No. 2 overall, but I would be surprised. There is a clear drop-off in talent level after Stenberg.

The younger brother of 2023 first-round pick Otto Stenberg, Ivar projects as a first-line winger down the road and is the most NHL-ready forward in the draft to help a team this coming season. Even in a draft with McKenna, Stenberg is the hottest prospect entering the draft.

Stenberg’s 2025–26 season in the SHL was the single best statistical season in the two-year sample I assembled for thousands of draft-eligible players. Stenberg compiled the third-most points ever by a draft-eligible SHL player, outpacing players like Elias Lindholm, Nicklas Bäckström, Leo Carlsson, and William Eklund, just to name a few.

Scouts credit a strong offensive package of possession, shot, and passing skills, matched by high-end hockey IQ. While one might expect a weaker defensive or puck-battle profile, he receives strong grades in those areas as well.

San Jose could be a contender for the next decade.

3. Vancouver Canucks: Caleb Malhotra | Center | Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

Games played: 67, Goals: 29, Assists: 55, Points/game: 1.25
NHL Central Scouting: 6 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 44.5

After an exodus of impact skill, Vancouver needs high-end talent. The Canucks entered the draft with the best lottery odds and the best shot at acquiring one of the two impact wingers in this draft. Unfortunately, Vancouver fell out of the top two slots.

All is not lost, though. There have been murmurs from national insiders that Vancouver really likes center Caleb Malhotra, and with good reason. Malhotra may have done more to help himself in his draft season than any other player. Coming into the season, Tynan Lawrence was viewed as the consensus top center, and Malhotra was a bit of an afterthought coming off a mid-range season in the BCHL. His play was trending up in the BCHL playoffs for Chilliwack, though, and he took a giant leap in his draft season in the OHL with Brantford.

Malhotra flashes everything you could want from a center: defense, physicality, transition-driving possession ability, and passing and finishing skill in the offensive zone. Still, he has a limited CHL résumé. Will a team like Vancouver, drafting in the top five, trust a one-year evaluation over everything else? It’s a choice you’d rather make in the teens than that high. Still, the siren song of a center is strong.

4. Chicago Blackhawks: Carsen Carels | Left Defense | Prince George Cougars (WHL) 

Games played: 58, Goals: 20, Assists: 53, Points/game: 1.26
NHL Central Scouting: 3 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 55.7

Like Vancouver, Chicago falls two positions in the draft order, and the picks in front of them leave the Blackhawks in a tougher spot. I suspect Chicago would have liked to see any of the three top forwards still available here, but that’s not how the board falls for them. Part of me wonders if this could result in the first true surprise of the draft, with the Blackhawks reaching a bit further down the board for a forward.

Carson Carels would likely be viewed as the best player available. While the Blackhawks still have Kevin Korchinski coming as a left-shot defenseman, the right-side depth chart is a bigger logjam, with both Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel looking like long-term pieces.

Carels’ 1.26 points per game this season is the highest mark by a draft-eligible WHL defenseman since Scott Niedermayer in the 1990–91 season. The 6-foot-2 left-shot defenseman also has the advantage of youth (born June 23, 2008) compared with the other prospects listed here.

When I’ve watched Carels, I’ve formed the impression of a very solid all-around player. He can defend with physicality, initiate the rush, and flash skill in the offensive zone. But I tend to view his upside as closer to a first-pair defenseman rather than a true “No. 1.” Similar to Chase Reid, I don’t see physically dominant tools or top-end upside. And since I’d put Carels’ offense slightly behind Reid’s, he’s likely to rank slightly behind Reid as a top-10 prospect for me personally. It’s close though.

5. New York Rangers: Chase Reid | Right Defense | Soo Greyhounds (OHL) 

Games played: 45, Goals: 18, Assists: 30, Points/game: 1.07
NHL Central Scouting: 2 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 54.3

The Rangers could use an impact center in their system, but the supply just is not there at this point in the draft. Tynan Lawrence projects as a solid professional center, but his draft season has raised questions about whether he will bring above-average offense.

The Rangers could also use an impact, potential No. 1 defenseman, and that’s what Chase Reid could be. Reid stands out to me as the most dynamic offensive presence from the blue line in the draft. The 6-foot-2 righty is a strong skater and puck-driving catalyst. He has the offensive IQ and passing ability to lead a power-play unit and is progressing enough defensively to take difficult matchups.

On the other hand, Reid brings track record and upside questions. He has produced since he’s been in the OHL, but the résumé is short; he played 18 games of his 2024–25 season in the NAHL, which rarely produces high draft picks. And even if you’re buying the OHL production (I am), Reid may not have the pure physicality to dominate at the NHL level.

Reid gives the Rangers something they don’t have in their system and could be the heir to Adam Fox in the Big Apple.

6. Calgary Flames: Keaton Verhoeff | Right Defense | Univ. of North Dakota (NCAA)

Games played: 36, Goals: 6, Assists: 14, Points/game: 0.56
NHL Central Scouting: 4 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 48.8

The Calgary Flames have shown an inclination toward drafting strong “data” profiles in recent years. This raises the possibility that the Flames go a bit off the board here and pick a forward like J.P. Hurlbert, Nikita Klepov, or maybe Ethan Beltchetz—players a data-oriented team may value in this range of the draft, but most public analysts have in the 10-to-20 range.

Though defenseman Daxon Rudolph has often been discussed a little lower, he has arguably the best overall data profile remaining at this point. Ideally, the Flames may prefer to add a left-shot defenseman to their existing prospect pool, but the only left-shot defenseman who could go in this range, Alberts Smits, brings more immediate impact and a lower offensive ceiling—two factors that don’t fit the Flames’ timeline or needs.

All told, Keaton Verhoeff, another right-shot defenseman, may be the player who appeals here. If there was a threat to McKenna’s status as the No. 1 overall pick coming into the season, many thought it would be Verhoeff. Verhoeff, a 6-foot-4 right-handed blueliner, played his draft season at the University of North Dakota after a very strong run both offensively and defensively for the Victoria Royals in the WHL.

Verhoeff’s offensive production flattened a bit in the second half of his draft season, and his skating and four-way mobility drew some criticism from scouts. This has dropped him down most boards, but I wonder if some of this is unwarranted—the result of seeing the inevitable struggle at a higher competition level before the draft rather than after. Generally, I’m in favor of junior players pushing themselves like Verhoeff did, and it was not calamitous. He may be trending toward a solid pro rather than an All-Star at the moment, but there are still abundant offensive and physical tools to be excited about. He’s a worthy upside swing toward the end of the top 10 in this draft.

7. Seattle Kraken: Alberts Smits | Left Defense | Jukurit (Liiga)

Games played: 38, Goals: 6, Assists: 7, Points/game: 0.34
NHL Central Scouting: 2 (Euro Skaters) | Data Score: 32.5

Ideally, the Kraken would prefer to see one of the second-tier players (Malhotra, Reid, or Carels) fall here, but that does not happen in this scenario.

If given the opportunity, I’m curious to see how the team values Verhoeff. The team has used first-round picks on other players with strong, early breakouts and arguably underwhelming draft seasons (like Shane Wright and Eduard Sale). That said, Verhoeff is off the board here too.

The Kraken would likely be best served seeing if they can move the pick to obtain a proven NHL player. If the Kraken do pick here, it could come down to two defensemen: Rudolph and Smits.

Smits is the inverse of Carels and Reid. I’ve seen him dominate peer-level competition at the World Juniors for Latvia. He has high-level pro experience in both the top German and Finnish leagues, and he has the physicality to impose his will on a game at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. It’s easier to see a “No. 1 defenseman” outcome if everything clicks.

On the other hand, he does not have high-end offensive production, and I wonder if he will be afforded the opportunity to tap into it at this stage. He has already found so much success as a defense-oriented professional. Generally, I’m not a fan of taking a defensive defenseman high in the draft because the overall impact on NHL team success is limited compared with a dynamic offensive presence. That said, Smits appeals for the Kraken because he could step in (whether immediately or after some time in the AHL) to fill a void on the left side and on the penalty kill with Jamie Oleksiak’s projected departure.

If I were making the choices for Seattle, I’d also give consideration to Klepov or Hurlbert here (likely leaning toward the former player). Lawrence would be a solid investment, but I don’t see a path for him as a middle-six center in this system. He could be the pick if other system centers are moving out in an offseason trade. If Smits is the pick, I’d try to bring him to Coachella Valley to begin the year and give him as much power-play time as possible early in an effort to tap into latent offensive potential.

8. Winnipeg Jets: Tynan Lawrence | Center | Boston University (NCAA)

Games played: 18, Goals: 2, Assists: 5, Points/game: 0.39
NHL Central Scouting: 7 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 48.2

The next-best player still on the board is likely Rudolph, but teams tend to value forwards—particularly centers—in the top 10. I find it a little difficult to believe that the run of blue-liners would reach five straight.

Winnipeg could use a solid young center, and most would view Lawrence as the next-best pivot on the board. Lawrence is a strong skater with a good shot who does a lot of the “little things” well. He has strong hockey IQ and solid fundamentals, both offensively and defensively, at the center position. This gives him a relatively high “floor.” The question is: will he ever deliver the offensive impact to be a reliable top-six piece?

9. Florida Panthers: Wyatt Cullen | Left Wing | NTDP (USHL)

Games played: 40, Goals: 16, Assists: 29, Points/game: 1.13
NHL Central Scouting: 13 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 49.3

The Panthers hope this is the team’s one shot at a high-end pick in this Cup-contending window, so they take a swing on upside here. Wyatt Cullen has been a riser late in the draft process, and I would not be surprised if the helium continued to build as we approach the draft, making this pick look slightly less surprising than it might at first blush. The top player on this year’s U.S. National Team Development Program roster, Cullen led all players with 1.8 points per game at the 2026 U18 World Championship.

Belchetz, Klepov, and Hurlbert also have significant upside and could warrant a pick in this range. Viggo Bjork is an intriguing fit in Florida, too.

10. Nashville Predators: Daxon Rudolph | Right Defense | Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

Games played: 68, Goals: 28, Assists: 50, Points/game: 1.15
NHL Central Scouting: 5 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 51.1

Daxon Rudolph often gets lost in the shuffle when discussing the top defense prospects in this class, but he shouldn’t be. Rudolph brings excellent offensive production for a 6-foot-2 righty. His 78 points are the most by a draft-eligible WHL defenseman since the 2001–02 season (he played 10 more games than Carels). His 28 goals are the second-most in that same timeframe, behind only Carter Yakemchuk in 2023–24.

I’d put him behind Reid as an offensive player and behind Carels in terms of overall impact, but he projects as a top-four, two-way defenseman. The Predators have a strong system, but the one thing Nashville doesn’t have is a bankable right-shot defenseman. This makes Rudolph a good fit.

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Who do you see the Kraken drafting at No. 7 overall? Leave your picks in the comments below or on X @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey or on BlueSky @deepseahockey or @soundofhockey.com.