Blue Jackets to pick 14th overall in 2026 NHL Entry Draft – Hockey Writers –

The Columbus Blue Jackets entered Tuesday night’s NHL Draft Lottery with a slim chance of moving up in the draft. As expected, the ping pong balls did not bounce their way.

With the Toronto Maple Leafs winning the first pick and the San Jose Sharks winning the second pick, the Blue Jackets will officially pick 14th in the NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo. It was the second season in a row that the team would take 14th place. In 2025, they selected defenseman Jackson Smith.

The Blue Jackets entered the lottery with a 1.5% chance of moving up to the top ten. They haven’t won the lottery in franchise history to give them the chance to move up to the first or second overall pick.

Now What?

The big question now for the Blue Jackets will be how they handle things and know where to pick. Remember last season GM Don Waddell made history and said he was willing to part with their first round pick. Nothing ever happened.

That allowed the Blue Jackets to select Smith. He played his freshman season at Penn State and is expected to return to school for his sophomore season with the Nittany Lions. It appears that he is only a few seasons away from seeing NHL time.

Although the Blue Jackets will be ready to pick if that happens, one has to suspect that the team will take the same approach as last season. For the right player and situation, Waddell could be willing to part with the 14th pick this year.

There is only one problem with that. Depending on what you believe about this year’s group of prospects, the highest on the list doesn’t make it down to the 14th pick. That would mean more teams than the Blue Jackets would be willing to part with their first-round pick in the right situation.

Waddell and crew find themselves in a difficult situation. They know they want to add to their team. But with the small crop of UFAs available in free agency, a trade appears to be the logical way to acquire a high-impact player.

One thing to watch for in the 14th pick. If some hope starts to fall and teams see an opportunity to trade, that would be one area the Blue Jackets could take advantage of to get a player now.

The Blue Jackets are determined to make the playoffs in 2026-27. They brought in head coach Rick Bowness for another season to help bring the culture to a better place. They will certainly make a choice if needed. But knowing that player has years left to help the team now, there’s a good chance they’ll look to make an impact trade. The 14th overall pick would be a great piece in any potential trade.

The 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft will take place in Buffalo on Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27. The Blue Jackets hold a total of seven draft picks including one in each round.