Now that the 2026 NHL Draft has concluded, it is time for everyone’s favorite article: draft grades!The only way I can fairly and reasonably go about this exercise is to assign grades based on which team added the most by way of draft picks to the organization. I don’t account for players acquired by trade, how well a player fits into the organization, or whether I think a team reached or got potential value on a pick. This is a ranking showing who got the most talent in the draft, divided by tiers represented by a letter grade. Teams are listed by their grade, but teams with the same grade are listed alphabetically.I realize this basically becomes highly correlated to draft slot and the number of picks. Your method may vary, and I realize there are other ways to analyze a draft performance. This is how I do it. This is not a ranking of how good your favorite team’s scouts are. I am just trying to explain whether the organization did or didn’t make their farm system better this weekend.This file has a brief synopsis of the draft classes, but there are individual team files for all 32 clubs linked in this article for a more detailed breakdown of each draft haul.As predicted, Gavin McKenna goes No. 1The Athletic Hockey ShowToronto Maple Leafs: A+Toronto landed the grand prize in Gavin McKenna. He’s an ultra-dynamic winger whose vision, skills and game-breaking abilities make him the draft’s highest upside prospect. They had a great Day 1, and Day 2 was also excellent for them. They got two players I was very passionate about in Måns Gudmundsson and Patriks Plumins, as well as a bunch of other players like Alexander Bilecki and Ethan MacKenzie I think are real prospects. They could have multiple Day 2 guys play games to go with McKenna’s impact potential.Read the full analysis of the Maple Leafs’ draft class here.San Jose Sharks: AAt No. 2, the Sharks took Ivar Stenberg, a brilliant, play-driving winger. Keaton Verhoeff at 9 gives them a towering 6-foot-4 right-shot defender with massive upside, and Ryan Lin at 21 is a highly intelligent, mobile defenseman. They had immense draft capital and capitalized on it. I see three everyday NHL players from this group, including potential impact players in Stenberg and Verhoeff.Read the full analysis of the Sharks’ draft class here.Calgary Flames: A-Calgary walked away with a premium defenseman in Carson Carels at 6. His elite physical play to go with strong offense could make him a great top-four defenseman. Late in the first, the Flames grabbed Jack Hextall, a smart, competitive center who projects well as a middle-six forward even if he isn’t the flashiest skater. I really like Chase Harrington and Tobias Trejbal for them on Day 2 as well. This draft could become a very important part of their rebuild.Read the full analysis of the Flames’ draft class here.Vancouver Canucks: A-Vancouver made a big splash by taking its new head coach’s son Caleb Malhotra at 3. He possesses high-end skill and compete and projects as a quality top-six center. Adding a highly competitive winger in Adam Novotný late in the first makes this a fantastic haul. The Canucks kept building depth early on Day 2 by adding Brooks Rogowski and Niklas Aaram-Olsen. I like both of them, particularly Rogowski. I see two everyday NHLers coming out of this class and possibly three.Read the full analysis of the Canucks’ draft class here.Seattle Kraken: B+No. 7 pick Chase Reid is a very talented defenseman with a lot of offensive and athletic tools. He has the speed, hands, vision and shot to generate chances and he projects as a major minutes NHL defenseman who can run a first power play. Second-rounder Casey Mutryn gives the Kraken a high-motor forward to complement him. Seattle walks away with two likely pros.Read the full analysis of the Kraken’s draft class here.Los Angeles Kings: BThe Kings bet big on Elton Hermansson at 19. He’s a winger with high-end offensive tools. Adding Liam Lefebvre and Adam Goljer in the second round gives them decent depth down the middle and on the blue line, respectively, with Lefebvre having a very projectable motor. I could see two NHL players coming from this group.Read the full analysis of the Kings’ draft class here.Buffalo Sabres: B-Buffalo addressed its blue line in a major way by taking Daxon Rudolph at 4. He’s a premier defensive talent in this class and has high-end offensive tools. At 20, Ilia Morozov gives the Sabres a big, competitive center who plays a very direct, heavy style. Olivers Murnieks has a good chance to play the bottom six minutes, too. I see two legit NHL players here, with Rudolph having top-pairing upside.Read the full analysis of the Sabres’ draft class here.St. Louis Blues: C+The Blues restocked the middle of the ice in a big way. No. 11 pick Tynan Lawrence has an elite motor and speed, though his offense became a question as the year went. Maddox Dagenais, the pick at No. 16, brings tremendous size and physicality and a heavy shot. If both hit, that’s their middle-six center depth sorted. I see two NHL players from their draft class.Read the full analysis of the Blues’ draft class here.Anaheim Ducks: B-Anaheim had a fascinating draft, loading up on highly skilled wingers in Nikita Klepov at 15 and Marcus Nordmark at 28. Klepov is a dynamic offensive talent. Getting Mathis Preston in the middle of the second round is a classic swing on upside; he’s an undersized winger who had a tough draft year but possesses massive pure skill and pace. The Ducks also grabbed Jayden Kurtz in the second, adding a mobile defender to the system. The future of this class comes down to whether these skill guys hit. I expect one or two of these players to become regulars.