2026 NHL Draft - 5 Names You'll Remember From Buffalo

Pre-draft analysis twenty-two days before the second decentralized NHL Draft in history - and a name that scouting firms have not yet included among the thirty-two first-round picks. Five players from my projection will be among the first fourteen picks on June 26 at the KeyBank Center; two sleepers that only the consolidated board is quietly writing about today - and one of them has a Slovak passport.

Author: Martin Cibak - 2004 Stanley Cup Champion (Tampa Bay Lightning), CIBAK HOCKEY IQ co-founder and Chief Hockey Officer.

Date: June 4, 2026.

Related to the article: NHL Scouting Combine 2026 - Who Will Europe Pick in Buffalo (Part 02).

Twenty-two days until the draft opens

KeyBank Center, Buffalo. Commissioner Gary Bettman will open the second decentralized NHL Draft in history on June 26, 2026 - and the first to be held indoors at a hockey arena. Last year's draft took place in Los Angeles at the Peacock Theatre; Buffalo marks the first time this format has been held in an actual league arena. This is the city's fourth time hosting the event, following 1991, 1998 (Marine Midland Arena, #1 Vincent Lecavalier for Tampa), and 2016 (KeyBank Center, #1 Auston Matthews for Toronto). [1]

The team tables remain in their home cities; in Buffalo, only the commissioner's podium, the media, and the drafted players with their families will be physically present. The NHL first tested this model during the pandemic summer of 2020 and confirmed it as permanent last year in Los Angeles. [2]

And the Toronto Maple Leafs enter this picture with a ticket you cannot say no to. In this year's lottery, they had the fifth-best chance - 8.5% - and they pulled that "one in twelve" ball. The San Jose Sharks are second, the Vancouver Canucks third, the Chicago Blackhawks fourth, and the New York Rangers fifth. [3]

The decentralized format has brought scouting closer to the organizations. The second wave of picks has benefited the teams - and in this second wave is a Slovak passport.

#1 - Gavin McKenna (LW, Penn State, NCAA)

McKenna is not a question mark; McKenna is a sure thing. In the 2025-26 season, he tallied 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 35 games for Penn State in the Big Ten and became the first freshman in conference history to lead the regular season in scoring. NHL Central Scouting ranked him first among North American skaters in its final rankings. [4]

The standout performance of his season came on the evening of February 20, 2026, against Ohio State: eight points, as Penn State won 11-4. No one in men's NCAA Division I had achieved such a performance since Bob Joyce of North Dakota, who recorded nine points on January 23, 1987. Thirty-nine years without an eight-point game - and McKenna achieved it as an 18-year-old freshman. [5]

In NHL.com's mock draft from late May, McKenna goes first overall to Toronto. His strongest competitor from junior hockey, Nikita Klepov of the Saginaw Spirit, won the OHL scoring title with 97 points in 67 games, but McKenna played the entire season against men. A whole different level. [6]

McKenna goes first overall. If you have a sure thing at No. 1, you take it. That is not philosophy, that is management.

#2 - Ivar Stenberg (LW, Frolunda HC, SHL)

Stenberg is the reason why I am confident that Europe will send a winger into the top 3 in this draft. In Frolunda, he racked up 33 points in 43 games (11 + 22) during the 2025-26 season - the highest total for an 18-year-old player in the SHL since Daniel Sedin (42 points) and Henrik Sedin (34) in the 1998-99 season. This comparison is cited by Daily Faceoff in its final scouting profile. [7]

At the 2026 U20 World Championship, he led the Swedish offense with four goals and ten points in seven games. In the final against the Czech Republic, he scored a goal and added two assists in a 4-2 victory - Tre Kronor claimed gold for the first time in fourteen years, having last won in 2012. NHL Central Scouting ranked him at the top of the international rankings. [8]

San Jose drew the No. 2 pick in the lottery - and by all accounts, they will make a selection that complements the wing duo of Macklin Celebrini and William Eklund. The SHL is not a youth league; it is men's professional hockey with playoffs played under the pressure of packed arenas. [9]

Stenberg is going at No. 2. In Gothenburg, they groomed him the same way they groomed the Sedin twins two decades ago - and that is not a metaphor.

#3 - Alberts Smits (D, Jukurit -> EHC Munchen)

Smits is a story every Slovak parent of a hockey-playing child should take note of. In 2021, at the age of thirteen, he left Latvia without his family and went on his own - first to Finland, later to the German DEL. Six feet three inches, 205 pounds, he was drafted as an eighteen-year-old defenseman. [10]

During the main part of the 2025-26 season, he played in the Liiga for Jukurit Mikkeli, where he tallied 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists) in 38 games. From February 25, 2026, he finished the season on loan at EHC Munchen - he played five league games and ten in the DEL playoffs for the German club. NHL Central Scouting ranked him second among international skaters, right behind Stenberg. [11]

At the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Smits was the only Latvian representative who was part of this year's draft class. Two assists in four games, averaging 18 minutes and 44 seconds of ice time. The coach did not put him on the ice out of pity - he put him out there when the Latvians needed to maintain pressure in their own zone. [12]

Latvia has fewer than 10,000 registered hockey players and worse infrastructure than we do - and yet it is currently producing a defenseman for the top-5 draft. This is the result of managed export, which I discussed in previous installments of this series.

#4 - Viggo Bjorck (C, Djurgardens IF, SHL)

Bjorck is a player who still divides scouts into two camps. The first camp focuses on his height - 5'10", 172 pounds. The second camp looks past the measuring tape and starts reading the stats. In the SHL, he racked up 15 points (6 + 9) in 42 games - the highest total for a player under 18 in the entire season. In the final NHL Central Scouting rankings, he moved up from fifth to fourth place. [13]

Five days after his 18th birthday, he earned playing time as Djurgarden's first-line center in the SHL playoffs. One goal, two assists, 23 minutes in a game decided in overtime (3-2). Before Bjorck, only six players in SHL history had recorded three or more playoff points before turning 18: Rasmus Dahlin (twice), Kevin Fiala, Marco Kasper, Alexander Steen, Ivar Stenberg, and Theodor Westergard. [14]

Bjorck is a triple risk. But if that triple pays off - you have Zach Benson in a better package.

#5 - Oliver Suvanto (C, Tappara, Liiga)

Suvanto has the youngest birthdate in my top five: September 3, 2008. He is being drafted at age 17. In Liiga, he played 48 games for Tappara Tampere and recorded 11 points (2 + 9) - for a player under 17, that is not an out-of-this-world number until you look at the historical context. [15]

In the Liiga, Aleksander Barkov, Patrik Laine, and Kaapo Kakko have managed to do this before their 17th birthdays in the last two decades. The fourth name on that list is Suvanto. NHL Central Scouting ranked him one spot higher than Bjorck - third among international skaters. [16]

McKeen's Hockey sees him as the first Finnish first-round pick from Tappara since Patrik Laine's draft in 2016. Tappara is no academic greenhouse - it is the reigning Liiga finalist. [16]

Two sleepers - names that will spark discussion in September

Sleeper #1 - Tomas Chrenko (C, HK Nitra, Tipos Extraliga)

Chrenko is the reason I am writing this installment of the series in Slovak. In the 2025-26 season, he played 44 games for HK Nitra in the adult Tipos Extraliga and recorded 31 points (9 + 22). At the U20 World Championship, he added five goals and eight points in five games. Center, right-handed, 5'11", 170 lbs. [17]

TSN/Craig Button ranks him 31st overall, NHL Central Scouting ranks him 24th among European skaters, and the consolidated board places him around 41st. Most scouts see him on the border between the first and second rounds. [17]

The last Slovak selected in the first round of the NHL Draft was Dalibor Dvorsky - the St. Louis Blues picked him 10th overall in 2023. Before him were Simon Nemec (second overall pick by the New Jersey Devils) and Juraj Slafkovsky (first overall pick by the Montreal Canadiens) in 2022. Three Slovaks in the first round over four consecutive drafts would be a fair statistic - Chrenko could add to that. [18]

Sleeper #2 - Jakub Frolo (C/LW, Ilves U20, Finland U20 SM-sarja)

Czech forward, born December 5, 2007. He recorded 40 points (10 goals, 30 assists) in 37 games for Ilves U20 in the Finnish U20 league. 6'1", 194 lbs - physical attributes for the first four rounds; strengths: hockey vision, strength in the corners, second power-play unit. [19]

Frolo is a typical "middle-round" prospect. The club that signs him on Sunday will be smiling in three years.

This is the fifth pick. And the name no one is expecting today - Chrenko, Nitra, Slovakia.

Top 5 Prediction - Defensemen Draft?

Take a close look at the position column. In my projection, there are three defensemen in the top 5. In the 2018 NHL Draft, Rasmus Dahlin was the overall first pick, but the second defenseman from the top ten - Quinn Hughes for Vancouver - was not selected until the seventh pick, Adam Boqvist for Chicago at the eighth, and Evan Bouchard for Edmonton at the tenth. Four defensemen in the top ten, but only one in the top five. [20]

Three defensemen in the top 5 has not happened in the last twenty drafts. If my mock is right, Buffalo will go down in history as the draft of defensive pairs.

Decentralized draft = better chances for the second wave. And that second wave has a Slovak passport.

On June 26, I will be glued to my phone - and to X

Throughout Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27, I will be on X commenting on every pick for which I have analytical context. No PR, no cliches. Hockey, data, a Slovak perspective.

And for the 14-year-old kid in Liptov reading this today: the draft is not far off for you. Smits left Latvia at 13 and went on his own. Stenberg grew up in the Frolunda academy starting at 12. Suvanto made it to the Liiga before he turned 17. The path opens up sooner than you think - and the speed at which you step onto it is up to you.

Martin Cibak
2004 Stanley Cup Champion (Tampa Bay Lightning)
CIBAK HOCKEY IQ co-founder and Chief Hockey Officer

Sources and Verification

Every numerical and factual data point in the text has been independently verified from at least three sources.

1. NHL.com - 2026 NHL Draft at KeyBank Center, Buffalo, June 26-27, 2026; the first arena in a decentralized format. https://www.nhl.com/news/2026-nhl-draft-to-be-held-in-buffalo
2. NHL.com - 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theatre in LA - the first decentralized draft in the league's history. https://www.nhl.com/news/2025-nhl-draft-to-have-revamped-look-decentralized-event-virtual-reality-room
3. NHL.com - The Toronto Maple Leafs won the 2026 draft lottery with an 8.5% chance. https://www.nhl.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-win-2026-nhl-draft-lottery
4. NHL.com - 2026 NHL Central Scouting final North American draft rankings: McKenna #1, 51 points in 35 games. https://www.nhl.com/news/final-central-scouting-2026-north-american-draft-rankings-released
5. College Hockey News - McKenna's 8-point night on February 20, 2026, marks the first such performance in NCAA Division I since Bob Joyce on January 23, 1987. https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2026/02/21_McKennas-8-Point-Night-Most.php
6. NHL.com - 2026 NHL Draft Mock: McKenna #1 Toronto; Klepov 97 points in the OHL. https://www.nhl.com/news/mock-2026-draft-gavin-mckenna-to-toronto
7. Daily Faceoff - Stenberg scouting: Frolunda SHL 33 pts./43 GP; comparable to Sedin 1998-99. https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/ivar-stenberg-2026-nhl-draft-profile-scouting-report
8. IIHF - 2026 U20 World Championship Final: SWE-CZE 4-2; Stenberg: 1 goal, 2 assists; Sweden's first U20 gold since 2012. https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2026/wm20/news/71559/swe_cze
9. NHL.com - Final 2026 NHL Central Scouting international rankings: Stenberg #1, Smits #2, Suvanto #3, Bjorck #4. https://www.nhl.com/news/final-central-scouting-2026-international-draft-rankings-released
10. Daily Faceoff - Smits named the best Latvian prospect in history; left Latvia at age 13 (2021). https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/who-is-alberts-smits-latvias-best-nhl-draft-prospect-ever-2026-world-juniors
11. The Hockey Writers - Smits profile: Jukurit Liiga 38 GP / 13 points, on loan to EHC Munchen since Feb. 25, 2026. https://thehockeywriters.com/alberts-smits-2026-nhl-draft-profile/
12. NHL.com - Smits 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics: 2 A / 4 GP, ice time 18:44. https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-draft-notebook-alberts-smits-looking-to-make-impact
13. EliteProspects - Viggo Bjorck, Djurgardens IF SHL 2025-26: 5'10"/172 lbs, 6 G + 9 A / 42 GP. https://www.eliteprospects.com/news/2026-nhl-draft/film-room-viggo-bjorcks-hockey-sense-is-worth-betting-on-at-the-2026-nhl-draft
14. The Hockey Writers - Bjorck's SHL playoff debut: 1 goal + 2 assists, 23 minutes, six U18 players ahead of him. https://thehockeywriters.com/breaking-down-viggo-bjorcks-historic-shl-playoff-debut/
15. EliteProspects - Oliver Suvanto, Tappara Liiga 2025-26: born September 3, 2008, 48 GP, 2 G + 9 A. https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/925061/oliver-suvanto
16. The Hockey Writers - Suvanto profile: Tappara's first-round pick in 2016, following Laine. https://thehockeywriters.com/oliver-suvanto-2026-nhl-draft-profile/
17. The Hockey Writers - Tomas Chrenko profile: HK Nitra 31 points in 44 games; U20 World Championship 5 goals and 8 assists in 5 games; TSN #31, NHL CS #24 EU, overall #41. https://thehockeywriters.com/tomas-chrenko-2026-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/
18. Hockey-Reference - 2023 NHL Entry Draft: Dalibor Dvorsky #10 St. Louis Blues. https://www.hockey-reference.com/draft/NHL_2023_entry.html
19. The Hockey Writers - Jakub Frolo profile: Ilves U20 40 points (10 G + 30 A) in 37 U20 SM-sarja games. https://thehockeywriters.com/jakub-frolo-2026-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/
20. Hockey-Reference - 2018 NHL Entry Draft: Dahlin #1, Quinn Hughes #7, Boqvist #8, Bouchard #10. https://www.hockey-reference.com/draft/NHL_2018_entry.html

CIBAK HOCKEY IQ - Confession Series - Episode 06 - Published on June 4, 2026.