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What will Columbus Blue Jackets do in 2026 NHL Draft? Well, its that time again.
The Stanley Cup belongs to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The NHL has doled out its postseason accolades.
Now theres offseason trade activity buzzing as the 2026 NHL Draft awaits June 26-27, starting the busiest portion of the leagues summer schedule.
The Blue Jackets havent done much since re-signing center Charlie Coyle in April, but theres plenty of time for things to start happening in Columbus.
Until something materializes for the Jackets, its a good time to take a glance at whats ahead with this years draft.
How to watch the 2026 NHL Draft The first round will be televised on ESPN and ESPN+ at 7 p.m.
on June 26, while the second day, rounds 2-7, will be carried by NHL Network and ESPN+ starting at 11 a.m.
June 27.
How will the 2026 NHL Draft be conducted? The NHLs 2026 NHL Draft headquarters is at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, but teams will make picks remotely from the leagues 32 markets.
It's the second straight year the draft has been conducted this way.
While some top prospects are expected to attend the draft in person, most players selected during the two-day event will watch things unfold on television.
Who is the top prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft? Most draft analysts consider Penn State forward Gavin McKenna, who can play center, to be the top player available.
Hes projected to go first overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs, which will give that Original Six franchise a replacement for dazzling playmaker Mitch Marner just one year after losing him in a sign-and-trade deal with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Ivar Stenburg, a highly skilled Swedish winger, is expected to go second overall to the San Jose Sharks if the Maple Leafs dont pull a surprise and pick him first.
Columbus Blue Jackets picks in 2026 NHL Draft Blue Jackets president/general manager has again made it known that his first-round pick, 14th overall, is available through trade.
That also holds true for the Jackets other six picks on the second day, but Waddell currently has his full assortment of seven picks.
Heres where theyre slotted: - 14th overall (first round) - 43rd overall (second round) - 94th overall (third round) - 101st overall (fourth round) - 142nd (fifth overall) - 182nd (sixth round) - 206th (seventh round) Columbus Blue Jackets exploring trade market This is the second straight year the Blue Jackets are heading into the draft with the 14th overall pick.
Its also the second straight year that Waddell would prefer to include that pick in a trade that returns an established NHL player for the Blue Jackets, preferably a top-six forward.
On its own, the 14th pick almost certainly isnt enough to accomplish that goal.
Packaged with other picks, a prospect and/or an NHL player could get the job done.
Theres also a chance Waddell uses his picks, including 14th overall, to move up in the first round and secure a prospect the Blue Jackets covet.
Columbus Blue Jackets needs at 2026 NHL Draft The Blue Jackets have selected quite a few large defensemen with good skating ability in their past two drafts, including speedy left-hander Jackson Smith with the 14th overall pick a year ago.
They could stand to add more power forwards and centers to their developmental system, but dont be surprised if another defenseman or two join the organization.
Malte Gustafsson, a strong 6-foot-4 defenseman from Sweden, might still be available with the 14th overall pick, along with Ryan Lin, a smaller offensive defenseman with a right-handed shot.
Ethan Belchetz, a 6-5 power forward with skill, isnt likely to drop where the Blue Jackets are currently slotted in the first round but might be worth the price of a trade to move up.
Oscar Hemming, a 6-4 Finnish left wing from Boston College, is also projected to go in the range where the Jackets are picking.
Columbus Blue Jackets draft history Here are all the Blue Jackets picks from the past five drafts: 2025 - First round, 14th overall D Jackson Smith, 6-4, 199 (WHL) - First round, 20th overall G Pyotr Andreyanov, 6-0, 207 (Russia) - Third round, 76th overall D Malte Vass, 6-3, 195 (Sweden) - Fifth round, 160th overall C Owen Griffin, 5-10, 160 (OHL) - Sixth round, 173rd overall D Victor Raftheim, 6-4, 181 (Sweden) - Seventh round, 198th overall C Jeremy Loranger, 5-9, 161 (BCHL) 2024 - First round, 4th overall C Cayden Lindstrom, 6-4, 199 (WHL) - Second round, 36th overall D Charlie Elick, 6-3, 194 (WHL) - Second round, 60th overall G Evan Gardner, 6-0, 175 (WHL) - Third round, 86th overall D Luca Marrelli 6-2, 181 (OHL) - Fourth round, 101st overall D Tanner Henricks, 6-3, 192 (USHL) - Sixth round, 165th overall D Luke Ashton, 6-6, 231 (BCHL) 2023 - First round, 3rd overall C Adam Fantilli, 6-2, 205 (NCAA) - Second round, 34th overall F Gavin Brindley, 5-8, 173 (NCAA) - Third round, 66th overall F William Whitelaw, 5-9, 173 (USHL) - Fourth round, 98th overall D Andrew Strathmann, (USHL) - Fourth round, 114th overall C Luca Pinelli, 5-9, 176 (OHL) - Fifth round, 156th overall G Melvin Strahl, 6-3, 163 (Sweden) - Seventh round, 194th overall F Oiva Keskinen, 6-0, 180 (Finland) - Seventh round, 224th overall F Tyler Peddle, 6-1, 205 (QMJHL) 2022 - First round, 6th overall D David Jiricek, 6-4, 204 (Czech) - First round, 12th overall D Denton Mateychuk, 5-11, 188 (WHL) - Second round, 44th overall C Luca Del Bel Belluz, 6-1, 185 (OHL) - Third round, 96th overall F Jordan Dumais, 5-8, 174 (QMJHL) - Fourth round, 109th overall F Kirill Dolzhenkov, 6-6, 234 (Russia) - Fifth round, 138th overall G Sergei Ivanov, 5-11, 165 (Russia) - Seventh round, 194th overall F Oiva Keskinen, 6-0, 180 (Finland) - Seventh round, 203rd overall F James Fisher, 6-2, 170 (HS-Mass.) 2021 - First round, 5th overall F Kent Johnson, 6-0, 170 (NCAA) - First round, 12th overall C Cole Sillinger, 6-0, 202 (USHL) - First round, 25th overall D Corson Ceulemans, 6-2, 198 (AJHL) - Third round, 69th overall D Stanislav Svozil, 6-1, 182 (Czech) - Fourth round, 101st overall D Guillaume Richard, 6-2, 170 (USHL) - Fifth round, 132nd overall D Nikolai Makarov, 6-1, 190 (Russia) - Fifth round, 133rd overall F James Malatesta, 5-9, 193 (QMJHL) - Sixth round, 165th overall F Ben Boyd, 6-3, 202 (QMJHL) - Seventh round, 197th overall F Martin Rysavy 6-3, 218 (Czech-2) Dispatch Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at [email protected].