The Detroit Red Wings are roughly one day away from making the 13th pick - assuming Steve Yzerman doesn’t trade it either right before or at some point during the draft. Assuming everything remains the same between now and Friday night, let’s look at how the first 16 picks, the lottery picks, will play out.
This one’s a mixture of a few different mock drafts I’ve seen, but I also went with instinct. So, you may see some names end up in familiar faces, but I threw a few curveballs at you to keep things interesting.
1 - New York Islanders: Matthew Schaefer, D/Erie
If I were an Islanders fan, I’d rather see Michael Misa go here and build around a future star forward. But Matthew Schaefer could stack this team’s blue line if the Isles keep Noah Dobson.
2 - San Jose Sharks: Michael Misa, C/W/Saginaw
Michael Misa and Macklin Celebrini will be the NHL’s next dynamic duo if he falls to San Jose. And, for once, an absolute tank for the last few years will be more than worth it. The Sharks will be just fine.
3 - Chicago Blackhawks: James Hagens, C/Boston College
James Hagens’ stock has fallen in a few mock drafts, but I’m not buying it. Plus, he could team up with Connor Bedard on the same line should Bedard move to winger. Or, if Bedard stays at center, Hagens would anchor another line. There’s too much potential here.
4 - Utah Mammoth: Caleb Desnoyers, C/Moncton
How the Mammoth kept the fourth pick following the JJ Peterka trade, I’ll never know. But since they got it, they may as well keep stacking their prospects pool with an NHL-caliber talent who boasts an interesting blend of playmaking and scoring.
5 - Nashville Predators: Anton Frondell, C/Djurgardens
I can see why Anton Frondell can go as early as third overall - he fared better than most of us would’ve thought last season with Djurgardens. So, the Preds are getting an excellent deal here should he drop. If not, there’s nothing wrong with James Hagens or Caleb Desnoyers, obviously.
6 - Philadelphia Flyers: Radim Mrtka, D/Seattle
I thought about putting a forward here, but why not add a punishing blueliner to the fray? You got a star forward brewing with Matvei Michkov, and you just traded for Trevor Zegras. So, add a towering, intimidating talent like Radim Mrtka, and you’re set.
7 - Boston Bruins: Brady Martin, C/Soo
I spent a few minutes debating whether I wanted to put Brady Martin or Porter Martone here. I ended up rolling with a center, even if Martone’s production was hard to pass up. Still, the Bruins can do no wrong regardless of who they pick.
8 - Seattle Kraken: Jackson Smith, D/Tri-City
He’s got outstanding length and decent size already, plus a two-way game. The Seattle Kraken have a good group of youngsters brewing at forward, but I’d like to see a future quarterback on the power play and kicking off sequences enter the system.
9 - Buffalo Sabres: Porter Martone, RW/Mississauga
The Sabres have a lot of explaining to do after botching the JJ Peterka trade, and stopping Porter Martone’s freefall is one way they can regain credibility. Martone spent the 2024-25 season at Mississauga putting up point after point after point, and it won’t be long before he’s doing the same in the NHL.
10 - Anaheim Ducks: Carter Bear, C/W/Everett
Someone’s taking a chance on Carter Bear, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he goes earlier than this. If Bear was healthy all season, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation, and he’d be a surefire top-10 pick. Still, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if the Ducks called Bear’s name here.
11 - Pittsburgh Penguins: Roger McQueen, F/Brandon
Another one with injury issues, Roger McQueen’s sheer size and power-forward potential won’t make him drop much further than 10th overall, if that. And if I have back-to-back picks like the Penguins? Oh, I’m taking him.
12 - Pittsburgh Penguins: Kashawn Aitcheson, D/Barrie
Roll with a forward at No. 11, then turn around and take a blueliner at No. 12. And at this point in the draft, there isn’t one better than Kashawn Aitcheson. I mean, 26 goals from a defenseman? The Penguins are getting a steal here.
13 - Detroit Red Wings: Jake O’Brien, C/Brantford
Can someone say, playmaker? While Jake O’Brien needs to grow into his 6’2, 170-lb frame, 66 helpers last season will turn some heads in Hockeytown. This is someone fans will want in their team’s prospects pool, whether he helps the Wings win games in time, or can be traded in a blockbuster move.
14 - Columbus Blue Jackets: Victor Eklund, LW/Djurgardens
If Victor Eklund falls to the Blue Jackets like he did in this scenario, consider it a steal. Eklund’s someone whose size could make teams think twice about drafting him. But he plays bigger than his 161-lb build suggests, and he’s productive.
15 - Vancouver Canucks: Cole Reschny, F/Victoria
A versatile playmaking forward, Cole Reschny is someone who can easily get a fanbase optimistic again. Canucks fans need someone they can get behind, and Reschny would give them plenty of reasons to think that the dark days from a season ago are behind them.
16 - Montreal Canadiens: Cameron Reid, D/Kitchener
Because why not draft another future playmaker for the blue line? The Habs had success with Lane Hutson, so what could happen if they had Hutson on the first pairing and, in time, someone like Reid on the second?
