Our 2026 NHL Draft Reactions!

It's been a, it's been an interesting week.

Obviously, Brady Tkachuk gets traded.

Uh, Tradey himself, uh, leaves the organization after they build around him for the last eight years as soon as the window starts to open.

And what do they do? They get the ninth overall pick, they get the 25th overall pick, they get a 2029 first rounder, and a 2030 second rounder.

Okay.

Steve Staios, it's time to get busy.

Okay? So what does he do? Makes a big trade right off the bat the day afterwards.

Trades for William Eklund and two other prospects for the ninth overall pick.

William Eklund, a guy who could jump right into the top six, 23 years old, fast, skilled, can keep up with Tim Stutzle.

I like it, okay? But then the thing is you make that move, but there still has to be a complimentary move to go with it because your team, obviously it's gonna be hard to kinda get back to ...

Like Brady Tkachuk's a great player.

You're not gonna replace him.

But you still wanna kinda get the team back to maybe the same level, if not bef- above where the team was at the week before.

So what do you do? You have to make another move.

I'm thinking they trade 25th overall.

Obviously they did not.

They do decide to draft, and they make a couple other moves.

Uh, Sam Irsin from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Come on, man.

Or-

That's nothing

... or, uh, the Philadelphia Flyers.

It is nothing, but hey, it's a goaltending, goaltending move.

Does he play backup next year?

No.