The 64th NHL draft will be held on June 26–27, 2026, at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. With the first overall pick of the draft going to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Canadian sportsbooks are at the ready with the sharpest NHL Draft odds. The 2026 draft candidates are a mix of defensemen, forwards and a strong crop of goalies, but most of the draft gossip and speculation is focused on Canadian and Penn State forward Gavin McKenna, who is widely predicted to be the first pick of the 2026 NHL draft.
2026 NHL Draft Betting Odds
Click on the odds to place a bet! These odds were last updated on Jun 13, 2026:
| NHL Draft Market | Odds from bet365 | Odds from Sports Interaction |
|---|---|---|
| Gavin McKenna to be drafted first | -1200 | -834 |
| Any player but Gavin McKenna drafted first | +650 | +500 |
🏒 NHL Draft Odds: First Overall Pick
Out of all the markets, the “NHL Draft First Overall Pick” is by far the most popular. Essentially, with this particular market, you’re betting on who will be drafted first overall. There’s not much more to it. Most, if not all, the sportsbooks are offering Gavin McKenna to be selected numero uno, at very steep odds, with some oddsmakers not taking action on the pick altogether. Although the market is popular, there isn’t much value in 2026.
🏒 NHL Draft Odds: First Player Drafted
The easiest way to look at this market is like it’s a moneyline. You’re betting on who gets drafted first out of the two options. Right now, a very popular matchup both the squares and sharps are targeting is:
- Benjamin Kindel (+170) to get drafted before Sascha Boumedienne (-220)
Essentially, if we sided with the sharps and grabbed Kindel, and he gets drafted at any point before Boumedienne, no matter the round he gets drafted in, we’d win our bet. If Boumedienne gets the nod before our boy Kindel, tough stuff, we’re eating an L.
| Draft Matchup | Player A Odds | Player B Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Kashawn Aitcheson vs. Jackson Smith | -130 | +100 |
| Benjamin Kindel vs. Sascha Boumedienne | +170 | -220 |
| Lynden Lakovic vs. Justin Carbonneau | -115 | -105 |
🏒 NHL Draft Odds – Position Betting
When you bet on “NHL Draft Position,” you’re wagering on whether the player will go higher or lower than a particular selection in the draft. For example, let’s say you bet on Chase Reid to be drafted Under 4.5 at the 2025 NHL Draft. This means:
- Reid has to be drafted 4th overall or earlier for your bet to win.
- If he gets selected at 5th overall or later, you’d lose your bet because the draft position is higher than 4.5.
In terms of value, books like to keep things pretty sharp, so you might not find varying prices with Desnoyers unless a book wants to give out a five-cent discount to outdo a competitor. We usually like to monitor three books for this market: bet365, Sports Interaction, and BET99.
bet365 has a reputation for being a sharper book that changes lines quickly to adjust when profitable gamblers place bets. If bet365 is hanging a chalky number on the Over/Under for a player’s draft position and Sports Interaction offers a more reasonable price, you might want to look deeper into the play. The same can be said for the other markets we’ll discuss.
Matt’s NHL Draft Betting Picks & Predictions
If you’re looking for the top picks & predictions on this upcoming selection special, I’ve got you covered, fam. Check out my expert NHL Draft betting picks below and boost your bankroll with these moneymaking predictions.
Previously published in Sports Betting Dime, The Hockey Writers, Prospects by Sports Illustrated, and FanSided, Matt has expert knowledge of all major North American sports as well as the best ways to bet on them.
NHL Draft Pick: Gavin McKenna to Go First Overall in the Draft (-1200)
Having long been one of the most talked about and highly praised prospects in hockey ever since lighting it up with the Medicine Hat Tigers back in 2023, Gavin McKenna is primed to be selected first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft.
While there’s plenty of other elite talent available in this year’s draft class, such as Ivar Stenberg and Keaton Verhoeff, none have shown the same elite potential that McKenna has to this point.
As a generational offensive prospect, McKenna has all the tools to blossom into a point-per-game player in the Show, helping take his new team to greater heights as he looks to live up to the hype surrounding him.
At -650, there’s not a ton of value in backing McKenna, but it’s a safe bet that can help you build up your bankroll before laying down even more NHL Draft bets.
Gavin McKenna to Go First Overall
2026 NHL Draft Betting Quick Facts
- Ice hockey players born between January 1, 2006, and September 15, 2008, are eligible for the 2026 NHL entry draft.
- Undrafted, non-American players born in 2005 are also eligible for this draft
- There are a total of seven rounds in the draft
- 2024 draftees who were not signed to an NHL team are also eligible to re-enter this year’s draft
- The NHL Draft order is determined by: the draft lottery (weighted towards teams with the worst record), teams’ regular season records, and teams’ playoff results
Best NHL Draft Betting Sites in Canada 🍁
Here are a few of the top NHL sportsbooks that we know and trust to give you the best NHL Draft betting experience.
1. bet365
When “market-setting” sportsbook bet365 rolls out its lines, other books usually follow suit or try to one-up this operator. Along with offering everything that you’d expect a sportsbook to shill out for the NHL Draft (such as draft position, the first player drafted, and overall pick markets), you can catch some nice numbers in bet365’s specials market.
bet365 also offers some of the best odds on the 2026 NHL Draft. See for yourself what makes bet365 stand out from the competition today and take all your NHL draft betting action to this top-notch oddsmaker.
⭐ NHL Draft Betting Highlights:
- Top NHL Draft odds
- Fast payouts
- Wide range of draft betting markets
2. Sports Interaction (SIA)
Sports Interaction (SIA) will be more or less offering the same betting selection as the other books on this list for NHL Draft betting odds. They can lay some competitive prices in the draft position markets, but that’ll require you to monitor market changes as we get closer to the draft.
In 2026, SIA has some fantastic special markets, including team-specific draft props. As a proud Canadian sportsbook, you won’t find many better places to bet on this year’s draft than at Sports Interaction.
⭐ NHL Draft Betting Highlights:
- Competitive NHL Draft odds
- Reliable and quick payouts
- User-friendly interface with diverse betting options
3. BET99
BET99 has a dynamite overall bet selection for this year’s draft. Usually, they’ll be one of the first to have markets out during the start of the NHL Draft Combine. BET99 is one of the best sportsbooks when it comes to the variety of futures props offered to users.
With specials including the exact draft order of the top draft selections, you can predict the correct order of who gets picked from the second overall to the fourth overall pick, with some eye-catching odds. BET99 also offers draft position and first player drafted markets. Plus, they’ll boost some special markets that vary from province to province.
⭐ NHL Draft Betting Highlights:
- Strong NHL Draft prop and futures selection
- User-friendly site with live betting and streaming
- Competitive odds for major hockey events
Last 10 Number One NHL Draft Picks ⏱️
| Player | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew Schaefer | Defense | 2025 |
| Macklin Celebrini | Centre | 2024 |
| Connor Bedard | Centre | 2023 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | Left Wing | 2022 |
| Owen Power | Defense | 2021 |
| Alexis Lafrenière | Left Wing | 2020 |
| Jack Hughes | Centre | 2019 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | Defense | 2018 |
| Nico Hischier | Centre | 2017 |
| Auston Matthews | Centre | 2016 |
| Connor McDavid | Centre | 2015 |
NHL Draft Betting Tips
Now that you know where to place your bets and a few of the best wagers to make, let’s take your NHL Draft betting skillset to the next level with our NHL Draft betting tips.
🤓 Do Your Research
An obvious but often overlooked bit of advice is that you’ll need to do your research. When it comes to betting on the 2026 NHL Draft, we’d recommend checking out mock drafts from draft insiders and hockey experts, reviewing team needs from across the league, and brushing up on any trends from the past few drafts.
All of this will provide you with a significant boost when crafting your NHL Draft wagers and can be the difference between winning and losing your next bet placed.
🛒 Shop Odds & Lines
Whenever you place a bet on any sport, you need to make sure you’re going to get the best bang for your buck. If you’re willing to put your hard-earned money on the line, you may as well get the best possible return for your wager. Compare the odds & lines offered by each of the top online sportsbooks and see which is offering the best overall value on the market you wish to wager on. Once you’ve found the oddsmaker with the juiciest line, hammer it and sweat out your bet. Pro tip: you can sign up with more than one sportsbook!
✋ Bet Responsibly
Last but not least, if you’re planning on betting on the NHL Draft, make sure that you’re doing so responsibly. Responsible gambling can help bettors keep their habits fun, with a decreased risk of landing in financial trouble or with a gambling problem. The top online sportsbooks provide bettors with several helpful responsible gambling tools so that they can limit their spending and keep sports betting fun.
Replay: 2026 NHL Draft Odds
It’s going to be a long few months before we can wager on any NHL games, so why not score one last big win on the NHL by betting on this year’s NHL draft odds? Be sure to head to any of the top NHL betting sites found within this article, sign up, and place your next winning wager using our expert picks or by formulating your own using our helpful betting tips.
NHL Draft Odds FAQs
The 2026 NHL Draft takes place on June 26th. The first round of the draft will conclude on the 26th, with rounds 2-7 transpiring on June 27th.
Yes, you can bet on the NHL Draft odds found at any of the top sportsbooks in Canada. Check out our helpful NHL Draft betting guide above, find the best betting sites and odds to wager on, and throw down your NHL draft bet today.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have the first pick in the NHL Draft in 2026 and are widely predicted to select Gavin McKenna.