- Seven of the top 11 picks from the 2026 draft are off to college and cannot sign entry-level deals
- Only 11 first-rounders signed ELCs this summer, and Gavin McKenna is the one sure thing
- Read below for all six rookies with a real shot at an opening-night roster
Very few 2026 draft picks are going to open the season in the NHL, and college hockey is the reason.
Seven of the top 11 selections from June are headed to the NCAA, according to Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff. College players cannot hold an entry-level contract, so most of the lottery is gone before camp even opens. Just 11 first-rounders signed ELCs this summer, and some of those, including Anaheim’s Marcus Nordmark and the Islanders’ Malte Gustafsson, are headed to European clubs.
Six names are left with a real shot.
| Pick | Player | Team | Fallback |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gavin McKenna, LW | Maple Leafs | None, he is staying |
| 2 | Ivar Stenberg, LW | Sharks | Sweden |
| 5 | Alberts Smits, LHD | Rangers | Jukurit, Finland |
| 8 | Viggo Bjorck, C | Jets | Manitoba Moose |
| 15 | Nikita Klepov, RW | Ducks | Saginaw, OHL |
| 24 | Adam Novotny, LW | Canucks | Peterborough, OHL |
McKenna is the only one nobody argues about. Toronto took him first overall out of Penn State and needs his hockey sense in the top six. Ellis expects him to line up with either Auston Matthews or John Tavares right away, with Matthew Knies holding the No. 1 left wing job until McKenna pries it loose.
Take a look at his first skate in a Maple Leafs sweater:
Ivar Stenberg went second to San Jose with a full SHL season and World Juniors gold on his resume. His projection has Stenberg leaving camp as a middle-six winger. Put him on Macklin Celebrini’s wing and he is a legitimate Calder Trophy threat.
Alberts Smits is the defenseman to watch. New York took the 6-foot-3 Latvian fifth overall, and he already has World Junior, World Championship and Olympic minutes on his ledger. He is chasing the third-pair left side spot held by Matthew Robertson.
Viggo Bjorck might be the most telling case of the six. The Jets center already left Djurgarden, so it is Winnipeg or the Manitoba Moose with no European escape hatch. European kids almost never pick the AHL, and Winnipeg would not have arranged it that way without believing he can stick.
Here are the terms on his three-year entry-level deal:
Nikita Klepov led the OHL with 97 points and flipped a Michigan State commitment to sign with Anaheim. If the Ducks clear veteran money to sign Cutter Gauthier, they will need cheap offense, and Klepov gets a top-six audition.
Adam Novotny is the longest shot. Vancouver’s 24th overall pick scored 30 goals as a Peterborough rookie and is in Petes camp now, which is where he is expected to stay.
Camps open next week. McKenna is the only one of the six whose absence on opening night would count as news.
