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Maple Leafs Draft McKenna; Sharks, Blues Make Key Trades

6/26/2026

30 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Maple Leafs Draft

Toronto Maple Leafs used the No. 1 overall pick to select left-winger Gavin McKenna.
San Jose Sharks selected Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg at No. 2 after trading William Eklund to Ottawa.
Florida Panthers traded the ninth overall pick and two first-rounders to Ottawa, which selected William Eklund with the ninth pick.
St. Louis Blues traded Jordan Kyrou to Washington for the 16th pick, giving them four first-round selections.

Summary

Canadiens Trade Pick

Montreal Canadiens are considering trading their 28th overall pick for an established NHL player.
Management says the pick may be moved because immediate roster upgrades outweigh a long-term prospect’s value.
San Jose Sharks, who own three first-round picks including the ninth, are targeting blue-line help such as Keaton Verhoeff.
Both clubs illustrate a league-wide trend of using high draft slots as trade leverage for immediate needs.

History

Historical Context

After selecting Eric Lindros first overall in the 1991 draft, the Quebec Nordiques faced his refusal to play and, on June 30 1992, arbitrator Larry Bertuzzi upheld a deal sending him to the Philadelphia Flyers for Ron Hextall, Mike Ricci, Chris Simon, Steve Duchesne and $15 million. The assets helped Quebec become the Colorado Avalanche, winning the 1996 Stanley Cup and reshaping NHL draft-trade strategies.

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Maple Leafs Draft

Toronto Maple Leafs used the No. 1 overall pick to select left-winger Gavin McKenna.
San Jose Sharks selected Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg at No. 2 after trading William Eklund to Ottawa.
Florida Panthers traded the ninth overall pick and two first-rounders to Ottawa, which selected William Eklund with the ninth pick.
St. Louis Blues traded Jordan Kyrou to Washington for the 16th pick, giving them four first-round selections.

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