The 2018 NHL entry draft was the 56th draft for the National Hockey League. It was held on June 22–23, 2018, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

The 2018 NHL entry draft was the second of two professional sports drafts to be held in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex during the calendar year, as the Dallas Cowboys hosted the 2018 NFL draft in April.

The first three selections were Rasmus Dahlin by the Buffalo Sabres, Andrei Svechnikov by the Carolina Hurricanes, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi by the Montreal Canadiens.

The 2018 draft featured both the first player trained in the United Kingdom to be drafted in Liam Kirk, and the first Jamaican-born player drafted in Jermaine Loewen.

As of 2026, there are 57 active NHL players from this draft.

Eligibility Ice hockey players that were born between January 1, 1998, and September 15, 2000, were eligible for selection in the 2018 NHL entry draft. Additionally, undrafted, non-North American players born in 1997 were eligible for the draft; and those players who were drafted in the 2016 NHL entry draft, but not signed by an NHL team and who were born after June 30, 1998, were also eligible to re-enter the draft.

Draft lottery Since the 2012–13 NHL season all 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. The Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens won the lotteries that took place on April 28, 2018, giving them the first, second and third picks overall. The Buffalo Sabres retained the top pick, while Carolina moved up nine spots and Montreal moved up one spot. In the process, the Ottawa Senators and Arizona Coyotes moved down two spots from second and third overall, respectively, while the Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders each dropped one spot. 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 15th Buffalo 18.5% 16.5% 14.4% 50.6% Ottawa 13.5% 13.0% 12.3% 33.3% 27.9% Arizona 11.5% 11.3% 11.1% 13.2% 37.7% 15.2% Montreal 9.5% 9.6% 9.7% 2.8% 26.1% 34.0% 8.3% Detroit 8.5% 8.7% 8.9% 8.4% 34.5% 26.7% 4.3% Vancouver 7.5% 7.8% 8.0% 16.3% 38.9% 19.4% 2.1% Chicago 6.5% 6.8% 7.1% 26.0% 39.5% 13.1% 1.0% NY Rangers 6.0% 6.3% 6.7% 36.8% 36.0% 7.8% 0.4% Edmonton 5.0% 5.3% 5.7% 48.8% 30.7% 4.3% 0.1% NY Islanders 3.5% 3.8% 4.1% 60.5% 25.7% 2.4% <0.1% Carolina 3.0% 3.3% 3.6% 69.6% 19.4% 1.1% <0.1% Calgary 2.5% 2.7% 3.0% 78.0% 13.3% 0.4% <0.1% Dallas 2.0% 2.2% 2.4% 85.5% 7.8% 0.1% St. Louis 1.5% 1.7% 1.8% 91.8% 3.2% Florida 1.0% 1.1% 1.2% 96.7%

Top prospects Source: NHL Central Scouting final (April 16, 2018) ranking.

Ranking North American skaters European skaters 1 Andrei Svechnikov (RW) Rasmus Dahlin (D) 2 Brady Tkachuk (LW) Adam Boqvist (D) 3 Filip Zadina (RW) Vitali Kravtsov (RW) 4 Evan Bouchard (D) Martin Kaut (RW) 5 Noah Dobson (D) Adam Ginning (D) 6 Quinn Hughes (D) Jesperi Kotkaniemi (C) 7 Oliver Wahlstrom (RW) Grigori Denisenko (LW) 8 Joseph Veleno (C) Isac Lundestrom (C) 9 Barrett Hayton (C) Jacob Olofsson (C) 10 Serron Noel (RW) Filip Johansson (D) Ranking North American goalies European goalies 1 Olivier Rodrigue Lukas Dostal 2 Kevin Mandolese Jakub Skarek 3 Alexis Gravel Amir Miftakhov

Selections by round The order of the 2018 entry draft is listed below.

Round one

# Player Nationality NHL team College/junior/club team 1 Rasmus Dahlin (D) Sweden Buffalo Sabres Frolunda HC (SHL) 2 Andrei Svechnikov (RW) Russia Carolina Hurricanes Barrie Colts (OHL) 3 Jesperi Kotkaniemi (C) Finland Montreal Canadiens Assat (Liiga) 4 Brady Tkachuk (LW) United States Ottawa Senators Boston University (Hockey East) 5 Barrett Hayton (C) Canada Arizona Coyotes Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) 6 Filip Zadina (RW) Czech Republic Detroit Red Wings Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) 7 Quinn Hughes (D) United States Vancouver Canucks University of Michigan (Big Ten) 8 Adam Boqvist (D) Sweden Chicago Blackhawks Brynas IF (SHL) 9 Vitali Kravtsov (RW) Russia New York Rangers Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL) 10 Evan Bouchard (D) Canada Edmonton Oilers London Knights (OHL) 11 Oliver Wahlstrom (RW) United States New York Islanders U.S. NTDP (USHL) 12 Noah Dobson (D) Canada New York Islanders (from Calgary)1 Acadie–Bathurst Titan (QMJHL) 13 Ty Dellandrea (C) Canada Dallas Stars Flint Firebirds (OHL) 14 Joel Farabee (LW) United States Philadelphia Flyers (from St. Louis)2 U.S. NTDP (USHL) 15 Grigori Denisenko (LW) Russia Florida Panthers Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL) 16 Martin Kaut (RW) Czech Republic Colorado Avalanche Dynamo Pardubice (ELH) 17 Ty Smith (D) Canada New Jersey Devils Spokane Chiefs (WHL) 18 Liam Foudy (C) Canada Columbus Blue Jackets London Knights (OHL) 19 Jay O'Brien (C) United States Philadelphia Flyers Thayer Academy Tigers (USHS) 20 Rasmus Kupari (C) Finland Los Angeles Kings Karpat (Liiga) 21 Ryan Merkley (D) Canada San Jose Sharks Guelph Storm (OHL) 22 K'Andre Miller (D) United States New York Rangers (from Pittsburgh via Ottawa)3 U.S. NTDP (USHL) 23 Isac Lundestrom (C) Sweden Anaheim Ducks Lulea HF (SHL) 24 Filip Johansson (D) Sweden Minnesota Wild Leksands IF (Allsvenskan) 25 Dominik Bokk (RW) Germany St. Louis Blues (from Toronto)4 Vaxjo Lakers (SHL) 26 Jacob Bernard-Docker (D) Canada Ottawa Senators (from Boston via NY Rangers)5 Okotoks Oilers (AJHL) 27 Nicolas Beaudin (D) Canada Chicago Blackhawks (from Nashville)6 Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) 28 Nils Lundkvist (D) Sweden New York Rangers (from Tampa Bay)7 Lulea HF (SHL) 29 Rasmus Sandin (D) Sweden Toronto Maple Leafs (from Winnipeg via St. Louis)8 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) 30 Joseph Veleno (C) Canada Detroit Red Wings (from Vegas)9 Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) 31 Alexander Alexeyev (D) Russia Washington Capitals Red Deer Rebels (WHL)

Notes The Calgary Flames' first-round pick went to the New York Islanders as the result of a trade on June 24, 2017, that sent Travis Hamonic and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2019 to Calgary in exchange for a second-round pick in 2018, a conditional second-round pick in 2019 and this pick. The St. Louis Blues' first-round pick went to the Philadelphia Flyers as the result of a trade on June 23, 2017, that sent Brayden Schenn to St. Louis in exchange for Jori Lehtera, Washington's first-round pick in 2017 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – Philadelphia will receive a first-round pick in 2018 if the Blues' first-round pick is outside of the top ten selections – was converted on April 28, 2018. The Pittsburgh Penguins' first-round pick went to the New York Rangers as the result of a trade on June 22, 2018, that sent Boston's first-round pick and New Jersey's second-round pick (26th and 48th overall) both in 2018 to Ottawa in exchange for this pick. Ottawa previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on February 23, 2018, that sent Derick Brassard and a third-round pick in 2018 to Pittsburgh in exchange for Ian Cole, Filip Gustavsson and this pick. The Toronto Maple Leafs' first-round pick went to the St. Louis Blues as the result of a trade on June 22, 2018, that sent Winnipeg's first-round pick in 2018 (29th overall) and a third-round pick in 2018 (76th overall) to Toronto in exchange for this pick. The Boston Bruins' first-round pick went to the Ottawa Senators as the result of a trade on June 22, 2018, that sent Pittsburgh's first-round pick in 2018 (22nd overall) to the New York Rangers in exchange for New Jersey's second-round pick in 2018 (48th overall) and this pick. The Rangers previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on February 25, 2018, that sent Rick Nash to Boston in exchange for Ryan Spooner, Matt Beleskey, Ryan Lindgren, a seventh-round pick in 2019 and this pick. The Nashville Predators' first-round pick went to the Chicago Blackhawks as the result of a trade on February 26, 2018, that sent Ryan Hartman and a fifth-round pick in 2018 to Nashville in exchange for Victor Ejdsell, a fourth-round pick in 2018 and this pick. The Tampa Bay Lightning's first-round pick went to the New York Rangers as the result of a trade on February 26, 2018, that sent Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller to Tampa Bay in exchange for Vladislav Namestnikov, Libor Hajek, Brett Howden, a conditional first-round pick in 2019 and this pick. The Winnipeg Jets' first-round pick went to the Toronto Maple Leafs as the result of a trade on June 22, 2018, that sent a first-round pick in 2018 (25th overall) to St. Louis in exchange for a third-round pick in 2018 (76th overall) and this pick. St. Louis previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on February 26, 2018, that sent Paul Stastny to Winnipeg in exchange for Erik Foley, a conditional fourth-round pick in 2020 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – St. Louis will receive a first-round pick in 2018 if the Jets' first-round pick in 2018 is outside of the top three selections – was converted when the Jets qualified for the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs on March 25, 2018. The Vegas Golden Knights' first-round pick went to the Detroit Red Wings as the result of a trade on February 26, 2018, that sent Tomas Tatar to Vegas in exchange for the Islanders' second-round pick in 2019, a third-round pick in 2021 and this pick.

Round two