NHL Draft is here: Your guide to mock drafts and potential blockbuster trades

The NHL Draft is here, with live updates and a 7 p.m. ET streaming draft show aimed at guiding fans through prospects, trades, and last-minute deal scenarios. The Athletic’s hockey team will host prospect experts Corey Pronman, Scott Wheeler, Max Bultman, and Chris Peters from its Chicago studios. Coverage is set to unfold from the draft in downtown Buffalo, where an early cheat sheet frames the top 10 order and Pronman’s latest mock results. The article says the No. 1 pick is effectively locked, with Penn State’s Gavin McKenna projected to go to the Leafs. It also notes a fast-moving trade market, highlighting major deals from the past five days, including the Panthers acquiring Brady Tkachuk from the Senators for multiple first-round selections and additional picks. The competitive context centers on teams reshaping rosters before draft boards finalize.