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# Kraken Receive No. 7 Pick in 2026 NHL Draft Lottery: What Now?
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/seattle-kraken-seventh-overall-pick-2026-nhl-draft-lottery/
- Published: 2026-05-06T17:22:22.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T06:11:43.000Z
- Author: Nick Lee
- Tags: News, NHL Draft, Kraken, Shane Wright, Matty Beniers

\[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1068"\]

![  Seattle Kraken general manager jason Botterill speaks to the media during an end of season press conference.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/screenshot-2026-05-06-101324-format-original.png)

Seattle Kraken general manager jason Botterill speaks to the media during an end of season press conference. \[/caption\]

The NHL lottery for draft picks 1 through 16 took place on Tuesday night, ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft on June 26 and 27\. The Seattle Kraken entered the lottery sixth in line, with a 7.5% chance at getting the No. 1 overall pick and an average projected draft position of 5.9\. 

‍For yet another season, Seattle got the short end of the lottery stick. The Toronto Maple Leafs nabbed the top pick, followed by the San Jose Sharks getting second overall. The Kraken did not hear their name called until No. 7\. They will pick seventh, which is one spot higher than their slot last year when they selected Jake O'Brien. 

‍Picking seventh means for another season, they are picking lower than their initial position in the final standings. However, this will actually be Seattle’s highest draft pick since taking Shane Wright fourth overall in 2022\. 

‍Still, they didn’t get the big leap many rebuilding teams dream of, and sliding one spot stings when you’re already in the middle of the lottery pack. 

It’s one thing to get a top seven pick. It’s another to get it right and make a franchise-altering selection. The Kraken have not shown yet that they can draft and develop their own picks to become the best version of themselves.

Seattle’s first ever draft pick, Matty Beniers at No. 2 overall in 2021, has been good at times but fairly underwhelming for a second overall pick. Wright has been disappointing as the franchise’s other top four pick, amounting to just 78 points in 169 games played. 

So, who might be on Seattle’s radar for pick No. 7 next month?

Let’s get this out of the way: Penn State’s Gavin McKenna will be long gone by then. As will winger Ivar Stenberg from Sweden. 

[Per ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/%5F/id/48666667/2026-nhl-draft-rankings-top-prospects-players-gavin-mckenna-ivar-stenberg-carson-carels?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com), the prospects ranked 6 through 10 are:

· Nikita Klepov, F, Saginaw (OHL)

· Keaton Verhoeff, D, North Dakota (NCAA)

· Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor (OHL)

· Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford (OHL)

· Adam Novotny, LW/RW, Peterborough (OHL)

‍Taking a skater with top-six forward potential is critical. More importantly, the Kraken need to improve their ability to develop their prospects. Hopefully, the organizational shakeup, which includes an audit, will produce results and improvements on the ice that allow young talent to be maximized.

From the aforementioned list of prospects, Malhotra would be a huge get for the Kraken at seventh. There is no guarantee he falls to that spot, however. But the Boston University commit is a two-way left-handed center who is highly competitive with a high hockey IQ. 

‍Whoever the Kraken take with the seventh overall pick, they need to have a strong plan as an organization to develop that touted prospect properly if they want to get out of the middle class and become a consistent contender.