The 2016 NHL entry draft was the 54th draft for the National Hockey League. It was held on June 24–25, 2016, at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The first three selections were Auston Matthews by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Patrik Laine by the Winnipeg Jets, and Pierre-Luc Dubois by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

As of 2026, there are 51 active NHL players from this draft.

Eligibility Ice hockey players born between January 1, 1996, and September 15, 1998, were eligible for selection in the 2016 NHL entry draft. Additionally, un-drafted, non-North American players born in 1995 were eligible for the draft; and those players who were drafted in the 2014 NHL entry draft, but not signed by an NHL team and who were born after June 30, 1996, were also eligible to re-enter the draft.

Draft lottery Since the 2012–13 NHL season all fourteen teams not qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs have a "weighted" chance at winning the first overall selection. Beginning with the 2014–15 NHL season the NHL changed the weighting system that was used in previous years. Under the new system the odds of winning the draft lottery for the four lowest finishing teams in the league decreased, while the odds for the other non-playoff teams increased. Starting with this draft the first three picks overall will be awarded by lottery. The odds of winning the second and third draws increased on a proportional basis depending on which team won the previous draw. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets won the draft lotteries that took place on April 30, 2016, giving them the first, second and third picks overall. Toronto retained the top pick, while Winnipeg and Columbus moved up from the sixth and fourth spots, respectively. In the process, the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks were each knocked down two places from second and third to fourth and fifth overall, respectively, while the Calgary Flames dropped from fifth to sixth overall.

Indicates team won first overallIndicates team won second overallIndicates team won third overallIndicates teams that did not win a lottery + Complete draft position odds Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th Toronto 20.0% 17.5% 15.0% 47.5% Edmonton 13.5% 13.1% 12.5% 35.2% 25.8% Vancouver 11.5% 11.4% 11.3% 14.2% 37.8% 13.8% Columbus 9.5% 9.7% 9.8% 3.1% 27.3% 33.2% 7.4% Calgary 8.5% 8.8% 9.0% 9.1% 35.5% 25.5% 3.7% Winnipeg 7.5% 7.8% 8.2% 17.5% 39.3% 17.9% 1.7% Arizona 6.5% 6.9% 7.2% 27.9% 39.1% 11.7% 0.8% Buffalo 6.0% 6.4% 6.8% 39.2% 34.8% 6.6% 0.3% Montreal 5.0% 5.4% 5.6% 51.8% 28.6% 3.4% 0.1% Colorado 3.5% 3.8% 4.2% 64.0% 22.8% 1.6% 0.02% 3.0% 3.3% 3.6% 73.6% 15.9% 0.6% 0.003% Ottawa 2.5% 2.7% 3.0% 82.3% 9.3% 0.1% Carolina 2.0% 2.2% 2.5% 90.1% 3.2% Boston 1.0% 1.1% 1.3% 96.6%

Top prospects Source: NHL Central Scouting final (April 12, 2016) ranking.

Ranking North American skaters European skaters 1 Pierre-Luc Dubois (LW/C) Auston Matthews (C) 2 Matthew Tkachuk (LW) Patrik Laine (RW) 3 Alexander Nylander (LW) Jesse Puljujarvi (RW) 4 Jakob Chychrun (D) Rasmus Asplund (C) 5 Olli Juolevi (D) German Rubtsov (C) 6 Charles McAvoy (D) Carl Grundstrom (RW) 7 Logan Brown (C) Yegor Korshkov (RW) 8 Mikhail Sergachev (D) Filip Hronek (D) 9 Clayton Keller (C) Henrik Borgstrom (C) 10 Kieffer Bellows (LW) Linus Lindstrom (C) Ranking North American goalies European goalies 1 Evan Fitzpatrick Filip Gustavsson 2 Carter Hart Daniel Marmenlind 3 Tyler Parsons Veini Vehvilainen

Selections by round The order of the 2016 entry draft is listed below.

Round one

# Player Nationality NHL team College/junior/club team 1 Auston Matthews (C) United States Toronto Maple Leafs ZSC Lions (NLA) 2 Patrik Laine (RW) Finland Winnipeg Jets Tappara (Liiga) 3 Pierre-Luc Dubois (LW/C) Canada Columbus Blue Jackets Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL) 4 Jesse Puljujarvi (RW) Finland Edmonton Oilers Karpat (Liiga) 5 Olli Juolevi (D) Finland Vancouver Canucks London Knights (OHL) 6 Matthew Tkachuk (LW) United States Calgary Flames London Knights (OHL) 7 Clayton Keller (C) United States Arizona Coyotes U.S. NTDP (USHL) 8 Alexander Nylander (LW) Sweden Buffalo Sabres Mississauga Steelheads (OHL) 9 Mikhail Sergachev (D) Russia Montreal Canadiens Windsor Spitfires (OHL) 10 Tyson Jost (C) Canada Colorado Avalanche Penticton Vees (BCHL) 11 Logan Brown (C) United States Ottawa Senators (from New Jersey)1 Windsor Spitfires (OHL) 12 Michael McLeod (C) Canada New Jersey Devils (from Ottawa)2 Mississauga Steelheads (OHL) 13 Jake Bean (D) Canada Carolina Hurricanes Calgary Hitmen (WHL) 14 Charlie McAvoy (D) United States Boston Bruins Boston University Terriers (Hockey East) 15 Luke Kunin (C) United States Minnesota Wild Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten) 16 Jakob Chychrun (D) Canada Arizona Coyotes (from Detroit)3 Sarnia Sting (OHL) 17 Dante Fabbro (D) Canada Nashville Predators Penticton Vees (BCHL) 18 Logan Stanley (D) Canada Winnipeg Jets (from Philadelphia)4 Windsor Spitfires (OHL) 19 Kieffer Bellows (LW) United States New York Islanders U.S. NTDP (USHL) 20 Dennis Cholowski (D) Canada Detroit Red Wings (from NY Rangers via Arizona)5 Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL) 21 Julien Gauthier (RW) Canada Carolina Hurricanes (from Los Angeles)6 Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL) 22 German Rubtsov (C) Russia Philadelphia Flyers (from Chicago via Winnipeg)7 Russia U18 (MHL) 23 Henrik Borgstrom (C) Finland Florida Panthers HIFK JR. (FIN-Jr.) 24 Max Jones (LW) United States Anaheim Ducks London Knights (OHL) 25 Riley Tufte (LW) United States Dallas Stars Fargo Force (USHL) 26 Tage Thompson (C) United States St. Louis Blues (from Washington)8 Connecticut Huskies (Hockey East) 27 Brett Howden (C) Canada Tampa Bay Lightning Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) 28 Lucas Johansen (D) Canada Washington Capitals (from St. Louis)9 Kelowna Rockets (WHL) 29 Trent Frederic (C) United States Boston Bruins (from San Jose)10 U.S. NTDP (USHL) 30 Sam Steel (C) Canada Anaheim Ducks (from Pittsburgh via Toronto)11 Regina Pats (WHL) Notes

The New Jersey Devils' first-round pick went to the Ottawa Senators as the result of a trade on June 24, 2016, that sent a first-round pick and the Islanders' third-round pick both in 2016 (12th and 80th overall) to New Jersey in exchange for this pick. The Ottawa Senators' first-round pick went to the New Jersey Devils as the result of a trade on June 24, 2016, that sent a first-round pick (11th overall) to Ottawa in exchange for the Islanders' third-round pick in 2016 (80th overall) and this pick. The Detroit Red Wings' first-round pick went to the Arizona Coyotes as the result of a trade on June 24, 2016, that sent Joe Vitale, the Rangers' first-round pick and a compensatory second-round pick both in 2016 (20th and 53rd overall) to Detroit in exchange for the cap hit of Pavel Datsyuk and this pick. The Philadelphia Flyers' first-round pick went to the Winnipeg Jets as the result of a trade on June 24, 2016, that sent Chicago's first-round pick and a second-round pick both in 2016 (22nd and 36th overall) to Philadelphia in exchange for a third-round pick in 2016 (79th overall) and this pick. The New York Rangers' first-round pick went to the Detroit Red Wings as the result of a trade on June 24, 2016, that sent Pavel Datsyuk and a first-round pick in 2016 (16th overall) to Arizona in exchange for Joe Vitale, a compensatory second-round pick in 2016 (53rd overall) and this pick. Arizona previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 1, 2015, that sent Keith Yandle, Chris Summers and a fourth-round pick in 2016 to New York in exchange for John Moore, Anthony Duclair, Tampa Bay's second-round pick in 2015 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – Arizona will receive a first-round pick in 2016 if New York qualifies for the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs – was converted on April 4, 2016. The Los Angeles Kings' first-round pick went to the Carolina Hurricanes as the result of a trade on February 25, 2015, that sent Andrej Sekera to Los Angeles in exchange for Roland McKeown and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – Carolina will receive a first-round pick in 2016 if Los Angeles fails to qualify for the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs – was converted on April 9, 2015. The Chicago Blackhawks' first-round pick went to the Philadelphia Flyers as the result of a trade on June 24, 2016, that sent a first and third-round pick both in 2016 (18th and 79th overall) to Winnipeg in exchange for a second-round pick in 2016 (36th overall) and this pick. Winnipeg previously acquired this pick from Chicago as the result of a trade on February 25, 2016, that sent Andrew Ladd, Jay Harrison and Matt Fraser to Chicago in exchange for Marko Dano, a conditional third-round pick in 2018 and this pick. The Washington Capitals' first-round pick went to the St. Louis Blues as the result of a trade on June 24, 2016, that sent a first-round pick and Washington's third-round pick both in 2016 (28th and 87th overall) to Washington in exchange for this pick. The St. Louis Blues' first-round pick went to the Washington Capitals as the result of a trade on June 24, 2016, that sent a first-round pick in 2016 (26th overall) to St. Louis in exchange for Washington's third-round pick in 2016 (87th overall) and this pick. The San Jose Sharks' first-round pick went to the Boston Bruins as the result of a trade on June 30, 2015, that sent Martin Jones to San Jose in exchange for Sean Kuraly and this pick. The Pittsburgh Penguins' first-round pick went to the Anaheim Ducks as the result of a trade on June 20, 2016, that sent Frederik Andersen to Toronto in exchange for a second-round pick in 2017 and this pick. Toronto previously acquired this pick from Pittsburgh as the result of a trade on July 1, 2015, that sent Phil Kessel, Tyler Biggs, Tim Erixon and a conditional second-round pick in 2016 to Pittsburgh in exchange for Nick Spaling, Kasperi Kapanen, Scott Harrington, New Jersey's third-round pick in 2016 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – Toronto will receive a first-round pick in 2016 if Pittsburgh qualifies for the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs – was converted on April 2, 2016.

Round two