Scouching’s 2026 NHL Draft Rankings: The First… Draft

Written By Will Scouch

Good day to you and a very merry holiday season to all! We’re back for another season here at Scouching and we’ve been in full swing for months, hard at work compiling data, grinding video and talking with all you lovely people and it’s so good to be back on the grind. We’ve had hours of fun in the Scouching Subscriber Discord server talking, reviewing and analyzing players from all over the world and it’s become a real highlight of operating this business so thanks to all who participate! There’s no need to be shy, and we’re in there at least twice a week together.

The 2026 NHL Draft class is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing in my experience as an analyst. While I may hesitate to boil this all down to a “deep” class, whatever that may mean to you, I can pretty confidently say there are a lot of very interesting talents in a variety of complimentary roles that have very curious styles of play and upside. Seeing how this class turns out will be absolutely fascinating considering all the variables at play. There aren’t many truly high-end centres available, which teams will always clamour for, and if that trend holds, some very talented players might go later than we think. There is no shortage of excellent talent from Europe either, with a roaring comeback out of Finland after a weak season or two, a strong lineup of Swedes shuffled in among a fun U.S. National Team and a very strong crop of CHL players as that league. This draft class appears to be really, really special at the top in my books, featuring multiple players that would certainly threaten almost any player drafted in the last few years in various areas of the game. The promise of this group is impossible to ignore, but there are caveats with many. It’s fun, active class to watch with plenty to be curious about, and as the World Juniors approach, we’ll be lucky enough to see a number of these kids play against some serious international talent, reflecting just how much potential there is in this bundle of athletes.

Before we get into the list, it might be helpful to take the time to briefly outline my philosophy so you can get in my head a little bit and understand where I come from a little better when I see the game. If you take 10 different evaluators, you’ll probably get some differences in priorities and preferences, so knowing what you’re getting into should add to the experience. At my core, I focus on possession. Hockey is a game in two fundamental states. You have the puck, or you don’t. The ultimate goal should be to find players who are as good at gaining and maintaining possession in some way, getting the puck into a desirable location, and getting the dang thing into the net as much as possible. In my view, the priority should be in that order. You can’t have the third aspect without the second, and you can’t have the second without the first. As such, I see speed, tenacity, competitiveness, and quickness as key, both mentally and physically. I don’t care so much about how big you are, how good of a shooter you are, how hard you hit, I just care about what you do on the ice and if you’re moving the needle in the right direction. In my experience, the best young needle movers with regards to competitiveness, pace, and creativity are the ones of who are often hardest to find when they grow up big and strong to be NHL players one day. I value players who elevate who they play with more than anything. They’re dependable every shift, they're focused on the ultimate task of the game situation, and they think creatively to make baby steps happen that ultimately lead to scoring chances, and ideally some goals go in here and there.

I’ll also note that the positions listed (outside of the imaged lower tiers) are almost universally those from the games I’ve specifically watched and tracked of these players. A defenseman is listed by either handedness or the side of the ice they play on should it be the opposite to his natural shooting side (i.e., RSD is a left handed defender playing on the right side).

Tier 1 - The Stress Zone

  • I’ve taken quite a bit of flack for sticking my neck out on Preston this year, but I simply can’t throw the potential of a player like this aside. Preston is a truly special talent with the advantage of relative youth, and brings a style of play that should translate to the NHL effortlessly. His quickness, skill level, creative vision and finishing ability are truly elite, and while there are frustrations with consistency at times, when he’s on, he’s more on than anyone in the class. I am thoroughly convinced that the surroundings on Spokane this year are not a fit for a player like Preston. Plays go unfinished, breakouts go uncontrolled, and yet he still leads the team in scoring and in my view was the best forward in the CHL/NTDP series a few weeks back. Yes, he isn’t a centre, yes he’s not the biggest player in town, but he’s a player I’d want to draft and develop. The similarities between him and a young William Nylander are absolutely present, and many people had their doubts about Nylander in a similar fashion to Mathis Preston. This tier is a strong group of six truly special players that I could argue in any order, and while I’m not 100% sold on Preston being the first name I’d call, the upside is immense. It’s really, really close, but there’s a truly special combination of skill, speed and creativity that is hard to find. He has a competitive physical streak in him that I would love to see come out more, but at the end of the day, what’s there on almost every shift has impressed me immensely to this point, leaving Preston with a soft hold on my #1 slot as of today.

  • Another player who was floating around a little lower on my list before the CHL/NTDP series, Xavier Villeneuve was the brightest star on either roster to my eyes. At the least, he had the brightest moments of anyone. Villeneuve is a delightful offensive defenseman who is endlessly compared to Lane Hutson, even by the man himself, but I see more in Villeneuve’s game that is projectable than Hutson at this age. Hutson was a pick for me in the 20s that year, and in retrospect he should’ve been higher. Defensemen like that are rare, and in today’s NHL, shifty, skilled and deceptive play is a great way to generate offense. Villeneuve brings a more explosive set of feet, an even more creative mind, and a scoring area-drive that Hutson simply didn’t have at that age. The big concern at the time was Hutson’s rush and in-zone defending which needs to be at least adequate in order to get the offensive opportunity he thrives in. Villeneuve seems to have a bit of a better understanding of modern neutral zone defending for an offensive player like him, tracking player laterally, chasing after puck carriers, scooting across the ice forcing dump-ins and stick checks on a number of occasions. His physical play is questionable, and he can be turned around in close quarters but that is almost unanimous to almost every defenseman in this class. Early in the year it seemed Villeneuve was trying to do way too much on his own and take on a huge amount of risk, but he seems to have found a better comfort zone and has evolved into an offensive wizard. Some may question his projection considering his competition, but that CHL/NTDP series certainly featured plenty of opportunity for Villeneuve, and just like at last year’s U18 World Championship, I thought he thrived. It’s a close range, but he’s got the most “star” upside of any defenseman in this draft in my view.

  • It’s a testament to this group that I have Ivar Stenberg at #3 this year. You don’t have to twist my arm whatsoever to have him at #1, and I really considered it for a while before locking these in. Stenberg has been, to put it simply, frickin’ excellent in the SHL. That is not an easy thing to accomplish, but Stenberg has brought an elite combination of practical skill, energy, puck possession abilities and smarts that has filled the net in the toughest league outside the NHL. Stenberg may lack truly elite footspeed and physical intensity, but that’s about where the questions end. There is truly an elite complimentary winger here, and I mean that in the most positive way imaginable. He may not be a deadly transition threat on his carries, but he is devastatingly smart moving the puck and picking defenses apart, he has excellent vision on board cycles, he’s got a strong forechecking approach, and has been an absolute machine at generating scoring opportunities in the offensive zone through passing and net-front chaos. The thing I love the most about Stenberg though is his comfort through chaos. The NHL is a crazy, physical and fast league, and often times, the ones who can control a puck through that chaos are the ones who thrive. Pure skill gets beaten by practical skill, especially if the player isn’t an elite skater, and Stenberg might seem more capable and calm with sticks flying all around him than he is in open ice. He’s such a hard player to get a read on as an opponent, and such a difficult offensive presence to stop, and while he isn’t perfect, he’s elite at what he does well. If his top speed can increase, the sky is the limit. I love him, and I wish I could rank all of these guys #1.

  • It’s usually a pretty good sign when I go into watching a player with tempered expectations from the previous year and being completely blown away the next year. That was me with Lawrence at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup back in August. Lawrence and Preston were simply fantastic at that event, and for long stretches this year, Lawrence has held my #1 spot. He’s a natural centre, and the type of centre I value the most. The kind you win with. He’s energetic, physical, clever, uses his linemates effectively, and is simply exceptional in almost every area of the ice. His shot selection is questionable in my opinion, but there aren’t many players this year where I’ve sat back and gone “this guy just might win his team the game on his own”, and Lawrence is certainly the leading member. Strong on both sides of the puck with refinements to make in the offensive zone, Lawrence has the benefit of youth and strong surroundings to make great things happen this year while he’s on the ice. While he might be a bit of a tough sell for me to put at 1 over someone like Stenberg or Villeneuve, if you love centres, you’ll love Lawrence, and NHL teams love their centres.

  • McKenna slips in at 5, but there are absolutely areas of his game that would absolutely find him picked first in the draft. To put it simply, McKenna’s playmaking vision and execution are unparalleled. He’ll find seams in the offensive zone to exploit that might be as wide as two hockey pucks and he’ll find a way to thread that needle for an easy point on the board. His stride seems more fluid than last year with better acceleration and transition pace, and as I’ve said many times, the top of this class is extremely close. My whole thesis since August has been that there is a group at the top that can be discussed, rather than McKenna running away with it, and it seems others are starting to see what I’m seeing. McKenna is a heavily, heavily offensive leaning player, with a reliance on linemates to find him in the neutral zone, he’s a confident skilled player but lacks the explosiveness to power through defensive structures on the rush reliably relative to other elite players, and his shot selection is somewhat questionable. I do all of my work watching players at 5v5, and it absolutely doesn’t surprise me that McKenna is automatic on the powerplay, but that wasn’t unexpected. He’ll ideally spend way more time at 5v5, and I see key areas of the game where McKenna seems to be deficient. I need to be clear that I have no doubt that McKenna has a clear pathway to being a very valuable NHLer. Nobody has vision, skill and playmaking sense like McKenna does, at least not since Ivan Demidov, but my lens is always through “how can I beat this guy if it’s the Stanley Cup Playoffs”, and the names ahead have a shorter list of options than McKenna, which seems to be the tie-breaker in a class such as this. I expect a huge World Junior for McKenna, and eyeballs will be on him in the inevitable playoff performance(s) that will be a redemption story for him and the Canadians. In my book, I’m more interested in how his second half goes with Penn State, and if his 5v5 game evolves into something more projectable in more facets of the game. Still an elite talent and very well could be my #1 by season’s end, but right now, there are questions, and bigger questions than those of the players ahead of him. Others seem to be sniffing around the same read as I have, but I don’t think there is concern about what kind of a player McKenna could become.

  • Keaton Verhoeff has been a very difficult read for me this season. Similar to McKenna, there are areas of the game where Verhoeff is elite. Getting the puck off the boards with control, cleanly finding space in the offensive zone, working through chaos and absolutely rifling a hockey puck are all serious, meaningful and projectable strengths with Verhoeff. I’ve seen him as high as #1 on lists this year, and I can clearly see why. He’s young, huge, quite mobile and shows flashes of skill that very few others have had in combination. I get a bit spooked by his dependability breaking the puck out comfortably and cleanly, and his defensive imposition and physical play is surprisingly underwhelming for a player like him. That said, Verhoeff has always been a development case for me. There’s a strong chance he continues to grow and develop this year and finds an excellent comfort zone in the NCAA by the end of the season. Should that occur, he could find himself as high as #1 on my own list. The package of tools is hard to find, his future is visible in his style of play, and while some key areas are development focuses, patience will reward you if Verhoff is your guy.

Tier 2 - The Rock Solid Zone

  • Every time I watch this guy, I prepare myself to jump off the wagon, and he just seems to be getting better and better every SHL game I see of him. The data profile isn’t particularly amazing in aggregate, but he started the year clearly out of his element, and has become a really impressive part of his team’s two-way game. His skating has improved significantly since last season, and his hockey mind and skill level combine for a truly impressive possession player. He needs to get stronger, but he’s driving very, very good offensive zone results in a tough situation for a small winger. His smarts moving the puck are immense, and there’s a growing part of me that would be curious as to what he would look like skating up the middle of the ice as a transition-focused playmaking centre. Crafty, clever and exciting, Bjorck might fall way too far than he should this year, and if his quality of play continues to improve, he might become one of the best pickups out there.

  • Never in a million years did I think Alberts Smits would be in my top ten. Not too long ago he was a 17 year old defender I noted for the Latvian U18 team as one to watch closely thanks to the skating ability, size and passing ability he had in a pretty sizable workload. The first game tracked was a U20 game in Finland and it was simply a joke. Smits was absolutely shredding opposition with skill, confidence, attacking the net, and simply doing whatever he wanted. It was a non-option as a development environment, and it took about 4 hours in Liiga for Smits to become a top pair defenseman and often look the part. While Jukurit has struggled this season, I really struggle to see how Smits is a source of those struggles. He has a solid physical streak that I’d love to see more, and he makes strong defensive reads, getting plenty of practice doing so, and through it all his overall results remain excellent. Smits manages to achieve this with sublime awareness and pass accuracy, finding pathways out of chaos, confidence to carry the puck to safety and find linemates all over the ice, and staggering offensive zone confidence. To me there’s a lot of what people loved about Artyom Levshunov, but in a more intriguing tool package than I remember of Levshunov at the same age. Smits has had huge success generating production in Liiga as a defenseman and has become a major driver of Jukurit’s struggling offense and it’s easy to see why. He’s aggressive but covers his tracks well, uses linemates exceptionally well, and seems like an exciting bet on where the defense position may be headed.

  • I’ve seen Reid higher on other boards and I can absolutely see why. There were times where Reid was in my top tier this year, but the more I see, the more questions I have. He’s an explosive skater, especially with the puck on his stick, creating and exploiting gaps in opponents, weaving through traffic effortlessly, fending off pressure in the offensive zone, and being a constant threat for the Greyhounds no matter who he’s playing. His close quarters defending and calmness under pressure in the defensive zone can be questionable, with some shaky moments under heavy forechecks, and lacking truly high end footwork to track rushes reliably but I know I’m being nitpicky on Reid here. The margins are so thin in this group, but Reid is looking like another exciting bet on confident, possession-focused offense from a defenseman.

  • Another player who I never would’ve thought would end up this high (I still think I have him too high while writing this), Håkansson has simply looked absolutely rock solid in the most interesting way every time I’ve seen him. Excellent pass vision, staying calm constantly, with remarkable success clogging passing lanes and breaking opposing cycles in his own end, Håkansson has so many traits that modern defensive defensemen require in the NHL these days. I think there’s also some real offensive potential here though. Håkansson can walk an offensive blueline, find pockets of space and become a solid shooting threat but has just not been rewarded on the scoresheet. I’m looking forward to seeing him at the World Juniors and considering how stable, reliable and impressive he’s been as a (largely) everyday SHLer, more eyeballs might see what I see. There’s a bit of Moritz Seider there maybe, with the size, footwork, defensive stability and offensive upside that makes him such an impressive NHL defenseman, but I’m not ready to lean into that read yet. Håkansson is mature beyond his years, and the main question will be how much more he can extract out of himself in the coming years to make more of an impact on both sides of the puck.

  • Going into the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, I don’t think there was a soul alive that knew too much about Oliver Suvanto, let alone in the context of a potential top 10 NHL draft pick. He was in my notes constantly at that tournament with an impressive combination of size, skill and smarts that stuck out and reminded me of classic Finnish youngsters that we’ve seen in the past. The guy is barely eligible for this year’s draft , and is a school bus on ice. The guy looks like something out of a video game with how he resembles The Incredible Hulk out there. He’s hard to get on top of, and he’ll find a way out of trouble if you do get close. While he lacks footspeed, he reads oncoming pressure well and defers puck possession excellently, slipping passes through traffic, and showcasing excellent forechecking and playmaking potential. I’d love to see him a bit more inside driven with the puck and chasing scoring chances for himself a bit more, but as a defense-first, procedural defenseman that can elevate skilled wingers on his line, Suvanto brings huge upside if things go right. The three names ahead of him are all significantly older, and while Suvanto may not quite line up to at least two of them to my eye as he is, the jump in his development can’t be ignored. The guy was playing U18 hockey in Finland last year and wasn’t blowing the doors off, and now he’s an everyday Liiga guy with nothing but NHL projectability written all over him. In a draft somewhat light on centres, Suvanto may be one that gets locked in higher than where I have him, and I could honestly see the logic there with what he brings to the game. Strong, smart, and flashes of skill are good things to bet on and Suvanto has been a fantastic curiosity in this class at worst.

  • Speaking of curiousities, we have Malte Gustafsson. A Hlinka Gretzky standout, Gustafsson has bobbled around all levels of Swedish hockey for HV71, touching the SHL lineup at times and looking impressive if not a bit out of his element there. Gustafsson is a fascinating development case. Listed at 200lbs for a 6’4” defender, there may be some room to fill out more strength, but I’d really try to keep him relatively lean considering his potential. The mobility and footwork is impressive, and the skill level is absolutely awesome to watch at times. Opponents can get through him a bit too easily, which more strength should help with, but he’s got a ton of positive traits to play around with. Shifty skill, a good shot he can deploy from inside the blueline, and exceptionally efficient in transition to this point, Gustafsson seems to know how to move the puck and generate flashes of offense with the best in this class. He’s a bit of a ways away and this is around where the class gets really close, but at his best he’s been very impressive and the allure of what a player like him could look like in a few years is certainly enticing.

  • I go back and forth on Ethan Belchetz pretty much every single week. Recently the Discord server walked through games of Björck and Belchetz back to back and there was simply no comparison. While there is very little doubt that Belchetz will get reps, improve and find an NHL job, I do find him to be quite a limited player. What he does well, he does very, very well, but he requires a supporting cast to get him into good spots where he thrives. Don’t get me wrong, for a guy this big, he has impressive skill, great finishing ability, and very strong playmaking vision through traffic in the offensive zone, but I always weigh all-situations impact players more, and I just haven’t seen that in Belchetz just yet. I could easily see him well into my Top 10 by June though, with such a rare combination of abilities that are enticing, but not fully put together yet. The data package so far is positive for him, and there’s plenty of upside, especially when it almost doesn’t matter how he skates considering how good of a possession player he is, but his somewhat limited but valuable role is a tough nut to crack as of today.

Tier 3 - The Intrigue Zone

  • I have been called names when I bring this guy up as one of the best potential defensemen in the class but at this point in the draft, I would argue there are probably 20-30 players that shuffle into this range, and I don’t think any have higher upside than Svensk. In terms of mobility and speed, he is probably the highest-end defenseman in that discipline in this entire class. Svensk absolutely flies in all directions with skill to match, going from 2nd division Finnish U20 last season to SaiPa, to the World U18s, to 35% involvement in his U20 team’s offense, to Liiga, Svensk has forced his way up the ladder for years and I have always been thrilled watching him play. He can be aggressive and open up space defensively at bad times, and that admittedly is a tough discipline to balance when you’re such a great skater, but I absolutely adore what he brings to the table. So far this season, Svensk has shown excellent defensive zone cycle breakup data thanks to his quickness and how he’s able to transport the puck, with almost flawless carrying data, and a tremendous amount of potential as an offensive leaning two-way defender that could be lethal on a power play one day.

  • Casey Mutryn has been the captain of the US NTDP this year and it’s plainly easy to see why. I hate boiling players down to this, but Mutryn seems like a player you just win with. He’s got size, speed, a good amount of skill but a highly physical style of play that should project to higher levels seamlessly. At times I’ve had him ranked even higher, but I do wonder about the ceiling on his game. He’s certainly a strong up and down winger who covers ice well, plays hard and grinds the puck into scoring areas, especially through his passing work, but in terms of reliable puck control, slowing the game down and quarterbacking play, he seems a bit limited as of now. While projectable and not much going “wrong” in his game, that projection might lie in a great, valuable forechecker that keeps his game simple but remains effective in almost any game state.

  • Another player where things very rarely seem to go wrong, Juho Piiparinen just seems so… solid. He’s young for the class, but already quite developed, so God help us if he keeps growing a bit. Piiparinen always seems to follow the flow of the game well, tracking opponents and rushes effectively, staying in good lanes and using his high-end mobility to pinch and poke at pucks at good times. Sometimes bounces don’t quite go his way, but it’s rarely explicitly falling on Piiparinen. A few inside-driven playmaking moments, especially at the junior level flash offensive upside, Piiparinen still largely seems much more at home as a strong defensive player continuing to find his comfort zone and brand in Liiga. I look forward to seeing him at the World Juniors, and I look forward to seeing what he’s capable of down the stretch of the season, as I think there’s room for him to finish higher or lower than here based on what I see in the coming months.

  • If anyone is the Dubas & Clark type this season, it may be Jack Hextall. Perhaps Wyatt Cullen wins that award but we’ll have to wait and see. For now, I’m not sure there is a smarter transition-focused centre in the class than Jack Hextall. His vision, timing and awareness is sublime, driving excellent possession results with great shot selection and dual-threat offensive upside. While the production doesn’t blow you away, he’s still right up at the top of the USHL for draft-eligibles, and he screams “guy who will definitely get way better the better the fundamentals get”. Everything just comes together so well when Hextall is on the ice, and more strength, skill and/or speed will only unlock more possibilities for him. He’s got an exceptional forechecking mind, reading play so, so well, and even shutting play down in his own end decently well if he spots an opportunity. One of the best all-around data packages to this point, there’s a ways to go, but Hextall was a favourite of mine, and remains so going into 2026. I thought he was an enormous part of the best U.S. Hlinka roster we’ve seen in a while, and if you let him develop at Michigan State for a few years, I would not be surprised if you’re greatly, greatly rewarded doing so. If you really appreciate the little things in the game, Hextall is your guy.

  • I did not expect this either, and I keep finding reasons to call myself insane for having this guy here, but being named to the Swedish World Junior team only reinforces my insanity. Casper Juustovaara Karlsson, or CJK as he’s better known in my circles, was a surprise SHLer from the jump this year and so far has driven results I absolutely did not expect after seeing him a bit last season. The dynamic, creative skilled little guy has given way to a completely psychotic maniac who will chase after you for 2 straight minutes at a time, crush you, smash you, and just grind the game into a pulp. Across the board, his defensive metrics are excellent, and he faces a lot of time trying to close out those cycles in my sample so far. For him to be a net-positive possession player considering how often he’s in his own zone is particularly impressive. His ability to calmly move the puck through the neutral zone is definitely not a strength right now, but as a complimentary energy guy who earns every second of ice he gets, CJK just keeps on sticking out. For him to be such an effective defensive impact player in such a tough league is a heck of an achievement, and in the offensive zone, CJK weasels and sneaks his way into scoring areas well, landing more chances than you’d think, and if he can use his skill to open little seams into scoring areas a bit more, he could see his assist totals start to climb as well. He’s a big part of the team’s offense when he’s on the ice though, and as a complimentary presence who is absolutely noticeable off the puck more than anything, CJK looks like at worst a bet to make way later than this that forces his way up the ladder into the bottom of an NHL lineup if this keeps up. I keep looking for guys to put ahead of him and I just can’t do it. I will be very, very curious to see him out there chasing after some high end NHL draft picks in Minnesota at the World Juniors, and I hope the Swedish coaches feel the same.

  • If the NHL Draft were an exercise in pure skill and fun factor, Hermansson would be a tier higher, no question. He has such amazing skill and creativity with excellent puck carrying energy with a dang good dual-threat offensive approach from mid-range that has been successful to this point against men. The issue is Hermansson seems very, very focused on on-puck play. To be clear, he’s very good at it with great pass vision and possession skill, but he can be quite frustrating in a lot of scenarios. His defensive numbers are almost non-existent at both ends of the ice, he’s not particularly effective shutting down opposing transitions, and his offensive game does lean more towards the perimeter than projectably inside-driven. There’s a high level of potential reward here with Hermansson though, with high pace energy and skill that I always am on the hunt for, but I have been left wanting with him when it comes to a full-game, 200-foot impact.

  • A very similar story to Hermansson, Adam Novotny has been a bit of a frustrating player. I was really hoping to see him in men’s pro hockey, but he’s certainly getting plenty of time to play in Peterborough, and plenty of freedom to play his brand. The thing that always sticks out with Novotny is his skating ability. He’s fluid, fast, and aggressive with decent forechecking data but excellent transition ability, receiving passes and carrying the puck very effectively. Novotny’s issues come with a few too many lapses with his awareness and hockey sense. Sloppy passes missing linemates and turning the puck over, brutal shot selection sticking to the outside too often, decent but not world-beating playmaking data, and seeming like a player that might be punching below his weight class, Novotny is a curious one I’m still sorting out. In terms of pure ability, he’s absolutely there. One of the fastest players blueline to blueline that I’ve tracked with really strong stick checking ability, if you’re looking for physical, intense engagement and a grind-y mindset, I haven’t seen that out of him as of yet and I get the feeling that others may feel the same come draft time. Some may love him, some may want more out of him, and I think both sides are correct. How it all shakes out over the next few years will be the ultimate factor.

  • Nemec has grown on me this year. A strong data profile with great forechecking results, mid-range dual-threat offense, and wicked pass completion even through pressure, Nemec is a pretty projectable pace-y, complimentary winger that could have a really interesting future ahead of him. Rarely wasting possessions, he stitches play up the ice very well against men, slipping passes through feet and drawing pressure well. He’s got speed and skill but it isn’t really game-breaking, and without a ton physicality in his game, he may be a bit of a longshot to snag a long term NHL gig, but I think he could get there in time. The skating ability is strong, jumping into open space very well and from here it doesn’t take long for him to become one of the most threatening offensive players in the class. I have my doubts, but he’s still a very intriguing talent to keep an eye on.

  • You can absolutely tell that Victor is the kid brother of multiple previous NHL picks with the same last name. Max and Zam have both been admirable, smart and creative wingers and gone on to find NCAA success well. Victor seems like he’s taken a ton from his older brothers and just built on it, morphing himself into a ruthless, competitive winger with explosiveness, physicality and ruthless offensive ability. Massive inside-driven playmaking generation, strong scoring area shot tendencies, and a great ability to jump into space and run breakouts to good success rates in high involvement. There’s definitely room for improvement with his puck carrying in open ice and throwing his weight around a bit more, but he’s an immensely competitive and intelligent offensive player that reminds me of Easton Cowan. He’s compact but smart, small-ish but competitive, and really seems to bring a balanced offensive approach that may be hard to get a read on for an opponent. Another guy where I keep trying to find guys I like more, and at worse I just find more and more players I think bring just as much potential value as Plante might.

  • It really felt like Steiner was just getting moving this season when an injury knocked him out for a bit of a stretch, because the last couple times I’ve seen him, he has been absolutely hilarious. The guy is an absolute monster in my sample, flying around the ice, cutting off offensive zone passes to generate turnovers, flying around crushing whoever he can find along the boards anywhere on the ice, all while showcasing great puck carrying skill and agility that has driven really, really great data in all areas except the offensive zone. The possession numbers are great, but the guy does not generate offense for others nearly as much as he does for himself… from everywhere… It is annoying. There’s potential though with the right guidance, you can see something really impressive there. Competitive, physical, and very efficient, Steiner has a few areas he really needs to tweak, but a lot of areas he has really leaned into that has made him quite a success. He’s going to be at the World Juniors and I can’t wait to see what he can do there.

  • Every time I sit down to watch Ilia Morozov, the more and more impressed I am. The youngest player in college hockey, Morozov has made himself known as a big, strong and smart centre that brings dependability and a defense-first presence that has at times looked like a real difference-maker in a tough situation. Miami is not particularly a powerhouse, but they play in a tough conference, and Morozov is playing an important role. He sneaks passes around and moves the puck with ease, and makes excellent reads off the puck to create turnovers and obliterate opponents along the boards. I feel like his offensive zone experience is more reserved and safe, with low involvement and success, but at the very worst it’s hard not to see a strong centre down the lineup of an NHL team here, with upside for more if things develop well in college for the next few years.

Tier 4 - The Risky Intrigue Zone

  • I’ve had a really tough time with Ryan Lin. A contact of mine listened to my concerns and then mentioned his name in the same sentence as Adam Fox and I just can’t get it out of my head. Lin is an aggressive offensive defenseman with solid defensive positioning instincts but the overall results in his game have been really lacklustre in my sample. There’s plenty of activity but the end result has been that of a player chasing play in his own end and being pass-heavy almost to a fault when moving the puck. I need to see more of him to know where I will come down, and there are some moments I see why some consider him at the top, but in aggregate over long stretches I haven’t seen it yet. If you can build a system around his natural style of play where he may get caught up ice there might be something interesting here. In my view he doesn’t have the skating speed or mobility to project safely as of now, but he certainly has offensive zone tools that are especially threatening on the powerplay. As always it’ll come down to what you’re passing on to pick him, but he’s steadily tumbled down my board as I’ve watched more this year.

  • I watched this guy in the summer a bit and jokingly filed him as one to really watch whenever I could this year, and after getting cut from Sweden’s Hlinka team, Wiggo Sörensson went back to his 4th division men’s team, rocked a 35% involvement in their offense and showed up at the U18 Five Nations centring a line of himself, Elton Hermansson and a few others to complement. I felt that Sörensson looked just as comfortable and dangerous at times as Hermansson did, with arguably a more fluid, speedy skating stride that pushed play well. He certainly wasn’t familiar with this level of pace though, coughing up a few pucks with overhandling and careless passing, but the talent is undeniable there. I’ve been told that he’s looking for a loan, but he wants to keep playing men’s hockey at higher levels, which will take a gamble from a progressive team in my books, and a willingness to be patient, but it isn’t out of the question. It’s hilarious to me that this guy has played 9 games at the U20 level in Sweden… in the third division this season. He’s sitting at over four points a game and at time of writing, he scored every single goal his team scored in back to back games, losing one 6-5 and winning the other 3-2. He’s very clearly not particularly challenged here, and I simply haven’t seen the track record to actually draft him this high, but I really believe in the ceiling in his game. He’s dynamic, skilled, explosive, and had an exceptional U18 tournament in my books playing for the Swedish team playing with players likely to be drafted in the top 50 this year. Time will tell, but he’s a major curiousity of mine.

  • Malhotra is very quickly becoming the guy that is shooting up everyone’s boards and I can’t quite understand why, so I keep watching and tracking to see if I’m missing anything, and time and time again I haven’t really seen what may be one of the first centres taken in the draft. Granted, he’s moved up my board in the last month, but I don’t see his point production as particularly projectable. What I do see is a reasonable bet on a 3rd line centre who can play with strength, win faceoffs and have some bright moments with the puck making plays and pushing play up the ice. He’s had a few impressive reverse hits to protect the puck, and there is definitely a lot to like. On the other hand, I think his footspeed takes him out of play too quickly, his defensive results at high speeds aren’t great, and I strongly feel like his offense stems from the talented smaller wingers he can be paired with. Some games I’ve seen, Cooper Dennis and Adam Benak are flying around with Malhotra largely supportive, and in others it’s Malhotra eating minutes surrounded by less threatening scorers in Luca Testa and Nikolas Rossetto. You can definitely tell he is his father’s son, and there’s value to a player like Malhotra in a lineup which puts him in my first round, but I don’t see one of the best centres in the draft here, at least not yet.

  • A player who I think is a high risk, high reward option, Pierce Mbuyi has been admirable and impressive every time I’ve seen him. Extremely competitive and intense, with a ruthless shot to top everything off, Mbuyi’s game is driven by a ton of efficiency and forechecking pressure, finding ways to attack opponents and get in the way, and some of the best shot volumes in my dataset. I’d love to see him use his skill on the puck a bit more reliably to work with linemates and drive passes into scoring areas more, but he’s a very impressive complimentary forward who can forecheck, get to the net, grind out scoring chances and do plenty of dirty work for more open-ice focused linemates. He may not go this high, but I would be more than happy to add him to the stable especially if he’s the 2nd or 3rd name off the board for me.

  • Stuart is my kind of centre, through at through. I adore this guy. Along with Nelson, Plante and Cullen, Stuart was the NTDP guy that was highest on my watchlist after last season, and I’ve been largely very impressed with his output to this point. He’s a very high risk player who needs to get stronger defensively and harder with his stick checks in order to play centre and project well, but he’s an absolutely remarkable skater who can fly up the ice and has generated excellent efficiency moving the puck up the ice. He throws himself around more than you’d think, and forechecks very well, cutting off passes and pressuring opponents in scary spots to create turnovers. There just aren’t enough puck touches in his game though. He’s efficient but absent from being a key transition player. He never shoots the puck but also hasn’t shot the puck from the perimeter, so that’s a plus. He’s funneling passes into the middle of the ice more often than most, but in transition there’s just very little activity in that regard. He’s a strange player, but the fundamentals are excellent as a speedy centre if your team is interested in those. Relatively young with a 6’2” former NHL defenseman for a dad, there’s room for Stuart to grow, and I’m hopeful that he heads to college and develops well, because he could be a sneaky pickup that could come a long way in the right direction.

  • Carels has been up and down on my board all season long. Another defenseman that can be problematic on the rush, Carels still has an area of the ice where he’s a specialist that demands attention in the first round. If you leave a loose puck in the neutral zone and Carels spots it, a couple crossovers and a pivot later and he’s exploding deep into the offensive zone to make a play down low on the rush. In pockets, Carels is really, really impressive. My whole issue is on the defensive side, and how much of Carels’ offense usually stems from point shots which are historically hard to project for defenders. He was strong in the CHL/NTDP series with some impressive passes and rushes, but I’ve always seen him as a little bit too noncommittal off the puck, relinquishing too much space and lacking real shutdown strength right now. I’m sure I’ll see much more of him before the draft, and I could see him up a bit higher, but my experience on him is somewhat mixed.

  • Nordmark is a weird one. I could easily see him as one of the smartest playmakers in the draft, worthy of being selected 20 spots ahead of here. Offensively speaking there’s very little in his dataset to this point that would point to anything other than an elite dual-threat offensive presence, but Nordmark, similar to Elton Hermansson, is a frustrating player that doesn’t bring the competitive drive that it seems NHL teams are particularly interested in. It may very well be that it doesn’t matter, as Nordmark’s skill and positioning ability drive a tremendous amount of success on their own, creating huge amounts of threatening scoring opportunities for everyone on the ice. He’s almost like this year’s Ben Kindel, but at the same time, I didn’t really question the competitiveness in Kindel’s game, even if he wasn’t particularly physical. With Nordmark, it’s almost like he’s out for a skate and having fun… he is just really, really good at it. Will it work? I’m not sure yet, but I don’t think I’ll end up with Nordmark much lower than this considering what’s possible with his profile.

  • I’ve seen Niklas Aaram-Olsen a lot, and I think he’s a high-risk bet with almost zero defense to fall back on, but being paired with a speedy transition centre like Alexander Command really showcases what might be possible with Aaram-Olsen. The skill he carries in full flight with great inside-driven scoring ability is impressive and rare in this class. He’s just coming off a fantastic 10 point performance finally quarterbacking the Norwegian U20 team into the 2027 World Juniors, and while that’s not the highest level of play, I would expect him to have not looked out of place at the big tournament had Norway won that tournament last year as many expected they would. Aaram-Olsen comes with very obvious pitfalls off the puck that are troubling, but as an offensive-leaning complement, he’s got a lot going in his favour with regards to his skill, creativity and finishing ability. Some of my “oh wow” moments have come watching him, and at some point you have to bet on those continuing.

  • Dagenais has grown on me constantly this season. Unlike others in this range, there’s a level of certainty watching him that he’ll work his way into the NHL somehow. A first overall pick in the QMJHL Draft, expectations are high for Dagenais, and while he may not be quite reaching the heights expected, he’s still a very intriguing name this year. Great speed up and down the ice and a real nasty streak off the puck, Dagenais has power forward written all over him. He attacks the puck and wrestles it into scoring areas but there are also moments of finesse working around opponents and creating space for himself. I don’t know if I see more than a bottom six NHLer, but I could still see one an NHL team wants on a very good playoff roster thanks to the intensity and possession flashes he has. The defensive results in transition are lacklustre, but with his skating ability there should be improvements with time and development. Improve the shot selection and bust into scoring areas more and I think we see major improvements in his point output, and if he keeps leaning into his size and smashing ability, there might be a very interesting guy here down an NHL lineup.

  • A player who has been as high as the 20s on my list and may well end up there, Adam Goljer has been a pleasant surprise to say the least. He isn’t the flashiest, most daring offensive defenseman you’ll ever see, but he’s certainly an intriguing package of size, smarts, dependability and upside that is unlike many in the draft. Goljer is often monitoring lanes and putting himself in advantageous spots, and shows flashes of puck carrying potential at the men’s level that I would love to see explored further. There isn’t much in the way of offensive zone aggression, but he carries a solid point shot that can challenge goaltenders, but I wouldn’t say this is likely to be a strong point in the future. Goljer’s value comes from his reliability, stitching passes together with ease, excelling at the mythical “first pass” everyone loves to point out, with rock solid defensive habits and instincts. This is a very, very close range and while he lacks the true flash of some CHL defenders slightly ahead of him, I think his defensive game is a bit more well-rounded and projectable to higher levels, and with plenty of development room on a 6’3” 195lbs frame with a June birthday. If he grows another couple inches and puts on some good muscle, Goljer may have an interesting defensive pathway ahead of him.

  • Another very risky bet, but a really, really fun one, Mikey Berchild is a compact and agile little roadrunner that can bob and weave all over the ice. There’s so little in his game that I could categorize as problematic, but there’s a huge chance it just isn’t enough to crack an NHL lineup. The pure skill is awesome, his passing and playmaking abilities are great, creating opportunities for everyone else at a high rate, and strong off-puck results in the offensive zone. It’s just… he’s so small, and not nearly quick or explosive enough to escape serious competition often enough to project easily. This is likely as high as I’ll have him, but he’s in this tier after seeing him pick apart a couple of NCAA teams, which alleviates some level of concern. Berchild is a bit of a top six or bust right now, and while I lean much more heavily towards the latter, the former is very enticing if it works out over time. He may be an excellent NCAA/AHL scorer that can’t stick in the NHL, but he’ll probably take a real good run at it.

  • My sleeper of the year at this point, every time I’ve watched Söderberg I’ve come away more and more impressed. There are absolutely some scary moments defensively where Söderberg will pinch aggressively and not be strong enough on the physical or stick pressure, but he’s an exceptionally efficient defenseman in so many areas of the ice. His surroundings are less than ideal, and he drives a ton of offense himself by driving the puck into scoring areas, with 71% of my tracked shot attempts coming off his stick from scoring areas. The offensive transition game is exceptional, with sparkling carrying metrics and great passing results. He keeps the puck safe, he has excellent mobility and footspeed, and I desperately want to see him challenged in HockeyAllsvenskan down the stretch. As he is now, he’s driving very good overall results with some key areas that require refinement that aren’t exposed as often against juniors right now. He’s flying under the radar with a lesser-known program and not bointzing it up as much as others, but I think there’s something exciting in Ludvig Söderberg.

  • Often found playing with Adam Nemec, Tomas Chrenko showcases a bit more of a questionable projection, lacking the pure speed and awareness of Nemec, but Chrenko does have some very good defensive involvement in transition, being physical more than you’d think, and forechecking well, leading to sparkling defensive transition results. The skating ability needs to improve to project, but there’s skill, a nice shot there, and efficient two way play with upside potential if things go right. I don’t think he projects as a centre, but there’s enough fundamentals that puts him in this tier relative to those behind him. It’s close in this range, and I’m looking forward to seeing Chrenko in the World Juniors to measure him against others in his age group. We’ll see if he sticks from here.

Tier 5 - A Lot of Solid 1st Round Threats

  • Ryan Roobroeck is a bizarre one. I wasn’t the biggest fan this year, but even I’m surprised with how little I’ve seen out of him this year that I think projects well. He’s huge, but doesn’t push the game enough to give me a ton of confidence. His surroundings aren’t amazing in Niagara, but I haven’t found him to be the one having to swim against the current there.

  • Gleb Pugachyov is definitely the most “NHL-like” power winger to come out of Russia in a while. There’s skill in his game, but overall results are just shy of being really impressive. So many almost-moments, but he’s interesting and could have a good developmental future.

  • Wyatt Cullen is very smart. I could easily see him well into my first round if he gets his legs really going, because he’s got skill, smarts and finishing ability that has impressed me going back to last season, as well as being one of the youngest players in the draft.

  • Morgan Anderberg has stuck around in the SHL for most of this season and it’s pretty easy to see why. Competitive, a really impressive skater with impressive two-way transition impact, Anderberg has found his way to scoring chances here and there at that level and I’ve been curious about him. I could easily take him later than this and others ahead of him, but he has been an interesting one.

  • Nikita Klepov and JP Hurlbert are certainly flashing abilities well above this group, but I just don’t know if it projects to the NHL. Where Berchild has pace and agility on his side, Klepov and Hurlbert are very skill heavy, and I’m just not sold on high end NHL scorers there. Maybe in the future, but from what I’ve seen, it’s tough to see them as first rounders quite yet. Similar feelings regarding Egor Shilov as well. Insanely good skill, but I do not know about the NHL as he is.

  • People will be surprised to see Daxon Rudolph in here, but he just really isn’t my kind of defenseman, at least as a top 20 pick. It’s undeniable at times when he’s slinging passes up the ice and whipping shots from the point, but he’s extremely passive and inactive, which I have a hard time seeing work in the NHL. I can’t think of an NHLer that defends the puck standing straight up and getting the puck away from themselves extremely quickly, and Rudolph is just a guy I have a hard time placing in an NHL lineup. He’s scoring a ton on the powerplay of a very talented offensive team, and I’m not sure he’s a first rounder to me at the time of writing.

  • On the other hand, the more I see of Brek Liske the more I like. Mobile, and very smart, Liske tracks play well, and brings a calm efficiency to the game along some surgically precise slot passing that might fly under the radar.

  • I’ve had Landon Amrhein as high as the first round this year, but I think I got too pulled in by what could be there in time rather than what’s there now. He’s a slippery, skilled passer with great length and a fluid skating stride, but I am waiting for him to really take over stretches of a game, and just haven’t seen it yet

  • I can’t not love Ivan Fomin, I’m sorry. I’ve watched a few games of his this year and heard more about him as a person and I just can’t not cheer him on until the end of time. He looks even quicker and more explosive than last year, creating space with the puck way, way more effectively and is currently rocking a 54% involvement in Taifun’s offense. He leads the team in scoring by almost 20 goals and 20 points at time of writing. He’s epic, and if a team were willing to toss pick #224 at me for a succulent Chinese meal, I’d take Fomin just to see what happens in his career… What if it works… What if it works…

  • Rudolfs Berzkalns has caught my attention constantly, but only insofar as being a fast, skilled gigantic Latvian centre. I’m going to see more soon, but I’ve been very impressed with the package of tools there and projecting a player like him to the NHL.

  • Jaxon Cover might be the most curious case of all, being a player with very limited hockey experience at all, he’s shown to be a well-rounded winger with some quick feet but a physical edge and really clever playmaking under pressure. He’s coming alive more over time getting plenty of opportunity with London this year, and he may be one to work his way further up my board as the year continues.

Tier 6 - Overagers and Maybes…

  • These guys are all not too far behind the previous group, but they all have a bit more uncertainty than the rest without being the pure curiousities on The Watchlist.

  • Ryan Brown goes and goes. We like that. Beckham Edwards is definitely very smart and nearly got bumped up a tier, but it’s hard to see him as an NHLer right now. It’d be interesting to see it work, but I am unsure of his profile translating without more viewings and confidence.

  • Noah Kosick is very young and has undergone a huge growth spurt, and if the skating/speed combination can take a jump, he could be a seriously good pickup. He’s going to get plenty of reps with a Swift Current team that is having a very rough go of it lately, and he’s scored plenty, but there’s doubt right now when it comes to projecting him.

  • We see some more re-entries in here. Rocky Langvardt is captain of his U20 team in Leksand now with some… Rocky… SHL appearances thus far, but his skating looks more improved, and I still think there’s something interesting there. Galvas and Rheaume-Mullen are both dynamic offensive defenders who have continued to impress me this year.

  • I love Alisher Sarkenov, I just haven’t seen enough to bump him up, and he’s an ‘07-born player which works against him in a sea of other skilled wingers, but he’s dynamic and quick, and is coming off a productive World Junior where Kazakhstan unfortunately fell just short of re-entering the 2027 tournament after a heartbreaking end to their 2026 journey.

  • Brayden Thompson is a 5’8” defenseman in Youngstown who I just love to watch play, and may end up a Watchlist guy by the end of the year, but his mobility, skill and off-puck anticipation skill are hard to argue against. He overcomes his size deficiency well as he is, and I think he has some really interesting offensive upside if given the opportunity and patience to get there. I’ll watch more of him before the end of the year, and it’s almost a guarantee he goes undrafted, but I think he has a shot at being one that may buck the trend long term.

  • Joe Iginla is also youngster who I’ve really appreciated. The competitiveness is there, the drive and intensity are good, and I think he moves the puck real well for a smaller guy that lacks a true high end gear. I struggled with him based on my sample but I could easily vault him quite a bit higher if his game evolves like I think it could before the end of the year.

The Watchlist

  • The Scouching Discord Office Hours MVP Alexander Grunin tops the list. He’s awesome. Huge, explosive, mobile, Grunin is all over the ice, driving great results and creating offense for his team. The problem is that he’s playing on a team that is just not returning the favour often enough for him. I want to see more of him, but he’s been a pleasant surprise after being snagged as one to check out in my model.

  • Vladimir Karabayev has zero points with Quebec, but I really like the upside with a guy like him. He’s got pace, size and skill, and I’m going to see him more in detail soon now that he’s playing a decent run of games.

  • Chad Lygitsakos is another almost-certain no when it comes to NHL upside, but he’s so skilled and quick, almost like a Mikey Berchild out there. Not sure he’s a pick to me, but I’ve really enjoyed watching him at his best and the numbers back up an intriguing skilled winger.

  • Sean Burick on the other hand is huge and range-y with intriguing skill for a big man, and might be worth parking and developing in college and minor league hockey. Probably not much more than a low-end minutes eater, but I haven’t heard much about him and have been curious about his potential.

  • It was unfortunate to see J-C Lemieux not at the CHL/NTDP series, but I wonder of his future. I love the pass vision, raw energy and finishing ability, but he isn’t driving play enough for a level of confidence that puts him on the real list at this point.

  • Mans Gudmundsson has stuck out a few times this season both in club and international play. Smart, capable defensively with some moments of impressive skill worth further investigation.

  • Axel Brongel-Larsson is a big meaniepants and I’m sure someone will pick him up and turn him into an NHL level big meaniepants, or at least try.

  • I’ve gotta shout out Moussa Hackert who was one of very few Germans at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup to catch my eyes with his explosive skating and strong attacking approach. He’s gone on to play for the Red Bull Juniors in the Alps Hockey League and while he’s certainly a ways away, he’s an intriguing one to watch as one of just two 2008-born draft eligibles playing in the Alps League, which has produced NHL picks in the past. He deserves a shout of encouragement, especially after facing a recent incident of racist abuse from fans after a recent game. Unlikely a pick in my eyes right now, I could easily see him be a major role player for the Germans at the U18s in the spring, and from there, who knows what’s possible.

Goalies

I’m no expert, but I think it’s a pretty strong year for goaltending around the world and these are the names I’ve liked in roughly an order in which I’d prefer them:

  1. Dmitri Borichev

  2. Yegor Rybkin

  3. Vladislav Yermolenko

  4. Tobias Trejbal

  5. Martin Neckar

  6. William Lacelle

  7. Marek Sklenicka

  8. Harrison Boettiger

  9. Brady Knowling

  10. Dmitri Ivchenko

  11. Ryder Fetterolf

  12. Xavier Wendt

  13. Pyry Lammi

  14. Frantisek Poletin

  15. Matvei Karbainov

  16. Sergei Gorbunov

  17. Nikolai Skryabin

Will Scouch https://scouching.ca
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