The 2026 NHL Draft finished this past weekend, and it started a debate about the decentralized format the league is now fixed to. 

While the NHL made its own changes to improve on a rough debut in Los Angeles last year, not everyone believes that the fixes actually made a difference. Hockey agent Allan Walsh was among those to deliver a brutal verdict.

"The decentralized draft is a self-inflicted disaster for the NHL," he wrote on X on June 27. "The Draft used to be a unique event with a mystical atmosphere bringing together the entire hockey world to one place for a special weekend. Almost everyone I speak to hopes it goes back to an in person draft."

He discussed a frustration that many players shared when teams voted to keep the new format in the first year of 2025.

In the old model, executives, scouts, agents, media, and prospects all came together in one arena.

Under the decentralized structure, this kind of gathering no longer happens. The front offices now work from their home cities, while top players still need to attend the draft venue in person. 

According to TSN Hockey insider, Darren Dreger's report on March, 2025, teams voted 26-6 in favor of the change. With teams finding the travel taxing and the schedule too packed to properly focus on roster planning, the NHL decided to shake up the event. Privacy concerns surrounding potential deals were also a major factor.

While the new format reduced travel costs for teams, it increased expenses for the NHL because of the technology needed to run the draft from 32 different locations.

The league scrapped the "Hockey House" feature, which was a setup with LED screens meant to help with team introductions. Due to technical problems and underwhelming content, they couldn’t continue. It then shifted to the larger KeyBank Center in Buffalo, and it went notably smoother. 

However, the results on the board offered the people plenty to talk about despite the new format.

Draft weekend for the NHL

One of the biggest trades of the weekend was when Utah Mammoth winger JJ Peterka was traded to the Boston Bruins for multiple first-round picks. The New York Rangers added Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights, and the St. Louis Blues acquired Mason McTavish from the Anaheim Ducks.

The Pittsburgh Penguins selected the twin brothers Liam and Markus Ruck in the first and second rounds, respectively.

The team that was the most talked about was the Toronto Maple Leafs. They held the first overall pick, and their new general manager, John Chayka, selected Gavin McKenna. He is the top prospect in his class. Toronto acquired 10 total picks through a series of moves, which were spread across multiple rounds.

The Athletic awarded the Leafs an A+ grade. This was the franchise to receive the highest marks across the board.

While the picks were made, did you miss the in-person draft? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar