Canucks lose Draft Lottery; will select third overall in the 2026 NHL Draft

As is the Vancouver Canucks luck in draft lotteries, they lost both draws at the NHL Draft Lottery and will select third overall in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Canucks fans had to suffer through the previous two years, during which they went from Pacific Division Champions to just missing the playoffs, then fell to the bottom of the NHL standings by a mile. Vancouver wrapped up 32nd place on April 2, with seven games remaining on their schedule. So the news that they’ve fallen to third overall is upsetting for many fans.

Here are the full results with where every team will be picking in June’s draft:

1. Toronto Maple Leafs
2. San Jose Sharks
3. Vancouver Canucks
4. Chicago Blackhawks
5. New York Rangers
6. Calgary Flames
7. Seattle Kraken
8. Winnipeg Jets
9. Florida Panthers
10. Nashville Predators
11. St. Louis Blues
12. New Jersey Devils
13. New York Islanders
14. Columbus Blue Jackets
15. St. Louis Blues (Detroit Red Wings)
16. Washington Capitals

There is no consensus at the top of the 2026 NHL Draft class. There are a pair of wingers, Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg, who are projected to hear their name early. Following them, there is a crop of four defencemen. Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff, Carson Carels, and Alberts Smits.

It is considered a relatively weaker centre draft class; however, one of the draft’s highest risers is centreman Caleb Malhotra. The 17-year-old left-shot centreman had a breakout season, where he scored 29 goals and 55 assists for 84 points in 67 regular season games for the Brantford Bulldogs in his OHL debut season. Following Malhotra are Viggo Björck, Tynan Lawrence and Oliver Suvanto as projected first-round pick centremen.

The Canucks have picked third overall four times (Henrik Sedin, Dennis Ververgaert, Don Lever, and Jocelyn Guevremont) in franchise history. They have never selected first, but have picked second overall four times (Daniel Sedin, Petr Nedved, Trevor Linden, and Dale Tallon), fourth overall four times (Bryan Allen, Jim Sandlak, Bill Derlago, and Jere Gillis), and fifth overall three times (Elias Pettersson, Olli Juolevi, and Rick Vaive).

Regardless of them falling in this draft order, whoever they pick at third overall will be the highest-ranked prospect in the Vancouver Canucks system.