NHL Draft
Buffalo Sabres to host 2026 NHL Draft
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The Buffalo Sabres will host the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft at KeyBank Center on June 26-27, marking the fourth time the city has welcomed the event and the first in its decentralized format. NHL Central Scouting's midseason rankings highlight Gavin McKenna as the top North American skater and Ivar Stenberg as the leading international prospect. The draft returns to Buffalo a decade after Auston Matthews was selected first overall there in 2016.
A new analysis of NHL draft history from 1963 to 2023 reveals high success rates for top picks but sharp drops as selection position increases. First overall selections boast a 95.1% chance of playing at least one NHL game, while later picks face steeper odds. The study highlights notable players and round-by-round trends to underscore the role of scouting and luck in drafting.
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The NHL and Buffalo Sabres announced that Buffalo will host the 2026 NHL Draft, marking the fourth time the city has done so. This event follows previous drafts in 1991, 1998, and 2016, placing Buffalo second only to Montreal in NHL draft history. Commissioner Gary Bettman highlighted the city's strong hockey culture as a key reason for the selection.