NHL Draft begins tonight in Buffalo, Leafs have first pick

The NHL Draft begins tonight in Buffalo, with the Toronto Maple Leafs holding the first overall pick amid a frenetic offseason of trades that has overshadowed the annual selection of prospects. The first round is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET at KeyBank Center and will be broadcast on ESPN in the United States and Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada.

Toronto, which missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020, is widely projected to select Penn State forward Gavin McKenna with the top selection. McKenna is considered a dynamic offensive talent with elite puck skills. The draft's intrigue begins with the second pick, held by the San Jose Sharks, where a debate is expected between Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg, a complete and cerebral player, and Chase Reid, a 6-foot-2 defenseman with top-pairing potential. The Vancouver Canucks, picking third, are seen as needing a foundational center, with Boston University commit Caleb Malhotra a potential fit if Stenberg is unavailable.

The draft comes after a week of significant player movement, reflecting a league-wide "win-now" mindset as teams jockey for position ahead of a shrinking free-agent market. One of the most notable trades...