TAMPA, Fla — The NHL draft will take place on Friday, but the Tampa Bay Lightning once again have no first-round picks in the 2026 NHL draft.
The Bolts' first-round pick in the 2026 draft was part of a 2025 three-team trade, which gave the Lightning Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde.
The Bolts have not had a first-round draft pick since 2023, when they selected Isaac Howard.
In the 2026 draft, the Lightning will have seven picks, three of those in round 5.
Here are the picks the Lightning have for the 2026 draft:
- Round 2 – 58 overall
- Round 3 – 90 overall
- Round 5 – 133 overall (from Toronto)
- Round 5 – 134 overall (from Seattle)
- Round 5 – 154 overall
- Round 6 – 186 overall
- Round 7 – 218 overall
Round 1 of the draft will start at 7 p.m., Friday, on ESPN. Rounds 2 through 7 will start at 11 a.m. on the ESPN app.
Nearly all Lightning games will be broadcast live on The Spot – Tampa Bay 66 (WXPX-TV) and will also be streamed here.
The Spot Tampa Bay 66 is the official broadcast partner of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Spot and Tampa Bay 28 are both owned by EW Scripps.
Florida brain tumor patient denied insurance coverage for surgery gets full reversal
A West Palm Beach man battling an aggressive brain tumor was denied insurance coverage for the surgery he needed to remove it, only to see his insurer reverse course in a dramatic turn that unfolded inside his hospital room while our investigative team was there interviewing him about the denial.
