In a couple of months this upcoming offseason in the summer of 2026, the Los Angeles Kings and general manager Ken Holland in the front office will decide who they will pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
In this past week, the 2026 NHL Entry Draft lottery order was decided for the first round's first 16 picks in the order for the league this upcoming summer in the next upcoming couple of months in the NHL. Now that the order for the 2026 entry draft lottery is decided, with the Toronto Maple Leafs striking gold and picking first overall to get forward Gavin McKenna from the Penn State Nittany Lions, it's time to project the mock drafts for this upcoming summer in the 2026 offseason.
The Maple Leafs and the San Jose Sharks in the Pacific Division in the West, along with the Vancouver Canucks at third overall, will pick in the top spots in the draft lottery in the first round in 2026, which was determined for the order this past week on Tuesday night.
We know that Holland and the Kings' front office management personnel have the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 draft this upcoming offseason in the summer in a couple of months in 2026. The Kings exited in the first round of the postseason in the playoffs in this past month vs. Colorado in the West a couple of weeks ago.
Various experts and talking heads in the media online have given their thoughts and predictions for this upcoming first round of the draft in the lottery this upcoming summer in 2026 this offseason.
It is officially mock draft season in the NHL.@coreypronman projects the top-32 picks, with Gavin McKenna going No. 1.https://t.co/BonBlJvygp pic.twitter.com/tgiEjD5hJS
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 11, 2026
The Athletic projected the Kings to select the potent MoDo winger Elton Hermansson in the first round of this mock draft in the first round of 2026. Hermansson would bring size and puck movement to the active roster lineup in the zone offensively for the Kings to help score the puck and get more playmaking in transition for the team in the West going into the future.
The upside is immense with Hermansson, but so is the risk with this type of pick in the first round of the draft in the league. The Kings and Holland in the front office picking Hermansson could either age nicely for the active roster lineup offensively in the zone, or leave the fans wondering if there was a better option available.
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