Day 2 of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft took place on Saturday with prospects being picked in Rounds 2-7. You can view all of the picks from Rounds 1-7 at the NHL Draft Tracker.

From what I understand, the probability of a pick one day playing in the NHL seems to decline during the second round, so there will be a lot more misses than hits from Day 2 picks. Minus the hard-hitting analysis, I'll list a few of the more interesting picks, starting with bloodlines:

Markus Ruck (2^nd round, #39, Pittsburgh) – The Ruck twins have been reunited! After the Penguins selected Liam Ruck with the #22 pick on Friday, the Pens selected Markus with pick #39. As someone who watched a ton of games involving the Sedins, I hope the Ruck twins make the show. Their enthusiasm is contagious. Plus, they are from my home province of BC (their hometown of Osoyoos is worth checking out, especially during the summer).

👉 had to do it to em 👈 pic.twitter.com/EeTEg7B0kv

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) June 27, 2026

Joe Iginla (3^rd round, #65, Calgary) – The son of Jarome Iginla joins the team that his dad is most associated with. All three of Iginla's kids have now been drafted either to the NHL or the PWHL.

Parker Trottier (6^th round, #189, Montreal) – Grandson of Bryan Trottier. Man, I'm getting old.

Alexander Karmanov (7^th round, #201, San Jose) – At 7-1, Karmanov is the tallest player drafted in NHL history. He also weighs 273 lbs! Imagine him skating down the ice.

At 201st overall the Sharks have selected 7'1" Alexander Karmanov, the tallest player EVER drafted in the NHL 😳

(via @HockeyAgent1) pic.twitter.com/Pc5t3j5lGo

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 27, 2026

Tyler Deakos (7^th round, #224, Montreal) – Deakos is officially Mr. Irrelevant because he was the last player picked in the draft. (Actually, it's quite an accomplishment to be drafted by an NHL team. Just having a little fun, since I've used that term in fantasy drafts too.)

The Journey writer and DobberProspects editor Victor Nuno was at the draft. He provides his analysis on the draft from a fantasy perspective in his Journey article this week. If you have a draft coming up in your fantasy league for draft-eligible prospects, his article is worth reading. Lots of great insight.

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The Carolina Hurricanes have traded for John Carlson's rights from the Anaheim Ducks, exchanging the Ducks Kyle Masters and pick #192 at the draft (Noah Kosick) for the privilege of exclusive negotiating rights with Carlson prior to July 1. Unlike with Darren Raddysh and Toronto, the Hurricanes do not have a deal in place with Carlson. The veteran defenseman is reportedly looking for a minimum two-year contract worth $10 million per season. The Hurricanes have around $11 million in cap space presently, but they may be able to put Seth Jarvis ($7.42 million cap hit) on LTIR to start the season.

I won't dive too far into this signing, since we're talking about something that might happen as opposed to something that will happen. However, this move for Carlson seems less like Carolina filling a gaping hole and more like a strong team getting even stronger. There have been rumors that rookie Alexander Nikishin is on the trade block. Nikishin is an RFA, and perhaps he and the Canes are far apart on a new contract.

For fantasy purposes, I'm wondering what a Carlson addition would do to Shayne Gostisbehere's value. Over his past three seasons (two with Carolina), Gostisbehere has scored a minimum of 18 power-play points. Carlson logs more 5-on-5 minutes than Gostisbehere, so Carlson would be brought in for more than just the power play. Ghost Bear seems safe, but you don't know for sure until you see it.

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The Maple Leafs continue to renovate their defense, trading Brandon Carlo to St. Louis for two third-round picks. This trade should have almost no relevance to fantasy leagues, as Carlo has never reached 20 points in a decade-long career. By trading Carlo, the Leafs free up $3.485 million in cap space for other possible transactions. You may remember that Carlo was acquired from Boston in 2024-25 for Fraser Minten and a first-round pick, so new GM John Chayka appears to be quickly cutting his losses. The 29-year-old Carlo will provide experience to the Blues' blueline.

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In a minor deal but with some interesting names, the Boston Bruins traded forward Fabian Lysell to the Colorado Avalanche for forward Ivan Ivan. Lysell has been a prospect for some time, as he has now spent four seasons in the AHL and did not appear in an NHL game in 2025-26. Ivan, who is known more for his name than anything, has been in the AHL for three seasons, appearing in nine NHL games in 2025-26. We'll see if a change of scenery can lead to better NHL fortunes for one or both players.

Another minor deal saw the Rangers trade forward Adam Edstrom to the Predators for Massimo Rizzo and pick #148 in the draft. The 6-7 Edstrom played 35 games for the Rangers in 2025-26, recording five points.

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Saturday wasn't as busy a day for trades as I thought it would be, so I'll take this opportunity to discuss potential changes in fantasy value to players who could be on the move. I doubt we've seen the last of the major trades this offseason, especially in this new "player empowerment" era.

Connor Hellebuyck

Rumored destinations: Buffalo, Carolina, Florida

These are all teams that have either been at the top of the league recently or are on the rise, while the Jets seem more destined for the mushy middle. At any one of those destinations, Hellebuyck seems like a top-5 goalie. What about if he stays in Winnipeg? I think he's still top-5 there too, but that might not be as much of a sure thing.

Zach Werenski

Rumored destinations: Dallas, Philadelphia, San Jose, Toronto

The team should not matter for the sake of Werenski's floor, since the Blue Jackets have not been a playoff team for six consecutive seasons. Maintaining 25+ minutes per game should not be a problem with Philly or Toronto or San Jose, but icetime could drop on a deeper Dallas defense. On the flip side, he will have better scoring options on the top power play in Dallas to offset that. San Jose is a team on the rise and seems like a great destination too.

Dylan Larkin

Rumored destinations: Florida, Minnesota, Vegas

GM Steve Yzerman has confirmed that Larkin's agent has requested a trade, which seems inevitable even if Yzerman says he will take his time. Minnesota would be a perfect fit, as their one glaring weakness is at center. However, Larkin might be bumped down to a 2C in Florida or Vegas, although he should also have quality linemates on those teams. Unless the acquiring team buries him down their lineup, a trade likely wouldn't have a significant negative impact on his value. In the case of Minnesota, a trade could even boost his value.

Jason Robertson

Rumored destinations: Not Seattle or St. Louis

Robertson would likely be dealt to an American team above the playoff bar or with playoff aspirations. Teams like Carolina, Florida, and Vegas are fairly tight against the cap, though. Maybe it's an up-and-coming team with lots of cap space like Anaheim or San Jose, especially if they decide to expedite their rebuild. Robertson has the scoring numbers to be a top-liner no matter where he goes. The only way I'd see his value drop is if he agrees to a sign-and-trade with a team that isn't as strong as he thinks.

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