Overview
- Toronto selected Penn State winger Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 pick Friday, giving the Maple Leafs a high-end goal scorer to build around.
- The San Jose Sharks used multiple first-round selections to take Ivar Stenberg at No. 2, Keaton Verhoeff at No. 9 and Ryan Lin at No. 21, a haul widely described as the night’s biggest win for prospect depth.
- Vancouver took centre Caleb Malhotra at No. 3, Calgary drafted two-way defenseman Carson Carels at No. 6, Seattle picked Chase Reid at No. 7, and Montreal moved up to select Gleb Pugachyov at No. 26.
- Several draft-night trades reshaped rosters — including Pavel Dorofeyev moving to the New York Rangers — and league coverage says a busy, cap-driven trade market remains likely this summer.
- Prospect development paths will influence how quickly teams reap rewards, with players like Carels and Verhoeff headed to college programs and others expected to require CHL, KHL or minor-league minutes before reaching the NHL.