NHL draft tracker updates as Toronto holds first overall pick

Toronto held the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft for the first time since it selected Auston Matthews in 2016, putting the Maple Leafs at the center of a draft board that had already been reshaped by the May 5 lottery, playoff results and trades. The draft ran June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, and the tracker was updated on June 27 as Day Two began at 10:00 a.m. CT.

The top of the board showed how draft capital has become the league’s most flexible currency. The first 16 selections were locked in by the lottery, but the rest of the order kept moving as clubs dealt picks to chase immediate help or add more swings at the future. NHL.com noted that the first-round order changed considerably after the Stanley Cup Final, a reminder that the draft was as much about asset management as player selection.

San Jose was the clearest example of a team still collecting pieces. The Sharks held the No. 2 pick for the second straight year after taking Michael Misa in 2025, and that continuity at the top of the draft reflected a longer rebuild rather than a one-night reset. The Athletic’s post-round read said San Jose “bolster[ed]” an already impressive young core, a sign the organization is building depth around its prospects instead of spending heavily for short-term fixes.

Pittsburgh used its capital differently. The Penguins announced they would make five selections, including three in the first two rounds, and turned that volume into one of the draft’s most notable stories. They took Liam Ruck at No. 22 in the first round, then followed by selecting his twin brother, Markus Ruck, at No. 39. Kyle Dubas called Liam Ruck after the pick, underscoring how aggressively Pittsburgh was working the board rather than sitting still.

The tracker also carried the cost of discipline. On May 15, the Vegas Golden Knights forfeited a 2026 second-round pick for violations of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Media Regulations, a penalty that directly altered the draft board. That loss stood out in a draft where some teams were adding picks, some were protecting them, and others were paying for missteps while Toronto, San Jose and Pittsburgh each used the order to signal a different version of control.