Starting with the Flames, they owned the sixth overall pick and the 30th overall pick. Prior to their first selection, there were a handful of surprises, namely the Buffalo Sabres selecting Daxon Rudolph fourth overall.

That left the Flames two options when their first pick rolled around, either Carson Carels or Chase Reid, the latter being seen as the best player available. In the end, the Flames went with the former, Carels, a left-shot defenceman who spent the 2025-26 season with the Western Hockey League’s Prince George Cougars.

Carels is committed to the University of North Dakota and will join fellow Flames prospect Cole Reschny. Last season Cade Littler and Abram Wiebe played there, but Wiebe went professional and Littler transferred to Arizona State.

The Flames drafted another player heading to college next season, Jack Hextall. Last season with the United States Hockey League’s Youngstown Phantoms, he scored 20 goals and 58 points in 59 games, and is committed to Michigan State University.

San Jose Sharks

The highest a Pacific Division team picked were the San Jose Sharks, who owned the second overall, ninth overall, and 21st overall picks in the first round.

Unsurprisingly, Gavin McKenna went first overall, leaving the Sharks with winger Ivan Stenberg. Those two were the two consensus best picks, and he should be able to jump into their top six almost immediately.

With the ninth overall pick, they selected defenceman Keaton Verhoeff, who was seen as one of the top defencemen entering this draft. Playing with North Dakota last season as a 17-year-old, he scored six goals and 20 points in 36 games. Drafting Verhoeff also fills a need for defencemen.

Then with the 21st overall pick, they selected another right-shot defenceman, Ryan Lin. Last season with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, he scored 14 goals and 57 points in 53 games.

Simply put, an already exciting Sharks team is going to get more exciting next season. In a few years, they’ll be serious contenders. What a rebuild they’ve had.

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks had the next-highest pick in the draft, using the third overall selection to draft Caleb Malhotra. His dad, Manny Malhotra, may be the new coach of the Canucks, but C. Malhotra was deserving of this selection.

Last season with the Ontario Hockey League’s Brantford Bulldogs, he scored 29 goals and 84 points in 67 games, then 13 goals and 26 points in 15 games. He’s a strong two-way centre who’ll slot in nicely in the Canucks’ top six in the coming years.

Additionally, the Canucks drafted Adam Novotný 24th overall. Last season with the Ontario Hockey League’s Peterborough Petes, the Czech forward scored 34 goals and 65 points in 58 games.

Seattle Kraken

The final Pacific Division team to select in the top 10 were the Seattle Kraken. In their six drafts, they’ve selected in the top 10 five times, but this draft was the first time they’ve ever selected a defenceman with their first overall.

As noted previously, Reid was seen as the third-best prospect available in this draft, and the best defenceman. However, he fell to seventh before the Kraken finally called on his name. It’s the first time in franchise history that the Kraken have selected a defenceman with a first round pick.

Edmonton Oilers

All the playoff teams picked outside the top 10, but the Edmonton Oilers were the lone team in the division not to select a player on Friday. They traded their 2026 first at the 2025 trade deadline for Jake Walman, with that pick eventually being traded to the Sabres for Michael Kesselring.

In fact, the Oilers didn’t do anything, as they made no trades, despite the impending Darnell Nurse trade. Maybe tomorrow.

Their first pick of the draft is set to be the 52nd overall.

Anaheim Ducks

The team that beat the Oilers in the first round of the playoffs were the Anaheim Ducks, who had two picks on Friday.

Before the 2026 trade deadline, the Detroit Red Wings sent their first round pick to the St. Louis Blues for Justin Faulk. That pick was then traded to the Ducks for Mason McTavish. With the 15th overall pick, the Ducks selected Nikita Klepov. Last season with the Saginaw Spirit, he scored 37 goals and 97 points in 67 games.

Their other pick, the 28th overall selection, was involved in two trades on Friday. Originally belonging to the Montréal Canadiens, the Vegas Golden Knights traded down for it. They then traded down again for the 29th overall pick, getting a 2027 third and 2026 fourth in the two trades.

The Ducks used this pick to select Swedish winger Marcus Nordmark, who won Sweden’s U20 cup alongside Flames prospect Theo Stockselius. Last season with Djurgårdens IF U20, Nordmark scored 14 goals and 38 points in 25 games, then six goals and 23 points in 11 playoff games.

Los Angeles Kings

After being swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs, the Los Angeles Kings were initially set to pick 17th overall. However, they traded down two spots, acquiring a 2026 third in the process.

With the 19th overall selection, they selected Swedish winger Elton Hermansson. Last season in Sweden’s second-tier, he scored 11 goals and 21 points in 38 games.

Vegas Golden Knights

Lastly, the Golden Knights selected 29th overall, using the pick to select right-shot defenceman Juho Piiparinen. Last season, the Finnish defenceman mainly played with Tappara Tampere, picking up three assists in 28 games as a 17-year-old.

The Golden Knights traded their 2026 first round pick in the Noah Hanifin deal, so how’d they get their hands on a first rounder? Well, they happened to make one of the biggest trades on Friday.

Notable trades

During the draft, the Golden Knights sent soon-to-be restricted free agent Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers for the Dallas Stars’ first round pick, a 2026 third, and the New York Rangers’ 2028 first round pick. They then traded down twice before eventually picking 29th overall.

Shortly before the beginning of the draft, the Mammoth sent JJ Peterka to the Boston Bruins in exchange for the Bruins’ first round pick in 2026 (23rd overall) and the Florida Panthers first-round pick in 2018.

That pick was later flipped, as they sent it to the Detroit Red Wings for Sebastian Cossa, giving the Original Six team a pick on Friday. The Wings’ pick was sent away at the deadline, with the St. Louis Blues acquired it in a package for Justin Faulk. It was then traded on Friday to the Ducks for Mason McTavish.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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