10 former first-round NHL draft picks under pressure to take a step in 2026-27

For fans of NHL teams, nothing provides hope like the first round of the NHL Draft. It’s a day that might see your team add a foundational piece for the organization for years to come.

While some of those picks turn into exactly that, others never fulfill those hopes, with draft day being the highest level of excitement a fanbase might have for a player. In this article, we’ll explore 10 players who need to take a big step forward in the 2026-27 season to get back on the right track. 

Cayden Lindstrom, C/LW, Columbus Blue Jackets

On the surface, Cayden Lindstrom’s three-goal, 10-point freshman season was a major disappointment as the fourth-overall pick just a couple of years ago. The glimmer of hope comes in the form of a few games where, in his limited minutes, he looked like one of the bes