2026 NHL Draft prospects: Gavin McKenna leads Wheeler’s preliminary top 64 ranking – The Athletic

Welcome to my preliminary ranking for the 2026 NHL Draft.

This November top 64 (which also includes 28 honorable mentions, for a total of 92 players to watch) is my third of what will be seven rankings of the 2026 class. It follows April’s way-too-early top 26 and August’s preseason top 32, and will be followed by a midseason top 64, a March top 64, a post-U18 Worlds top 64 and then my final top 100 in June.

This class, made up of 2008s and late-2007s, is headlined by Canadian NCAA exports Gavin McKenna and Keaton Verhoeff, Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg, hulking Windsor Spitfires winger Ethan Belchetz, Muskegon Lumberjacks center Tynan Lawrence and a quintet of high-end CHL defensemen.

The ranking, packaged in our sortable user interface, is also broken down into six tiers: 1, 2-6, 7-12, 13-23, 24-40, 41-64+.

Note that while I consult scouts, coaches, general managers, team staff and those around these players (their agents, skills coaches, strength and conditioning coaches) throughout the year, the following evaluations and rankings are strictly mine.

Here are full reports on the top 64 (honorable mentions are sorted alphabetically).

Pos. C LHD LW RHD RW

Natl. 🇨🇦 🇨🇭 🇨🇿 🇫🇮 🇱🇹 🇱🇻 🇳🇴 🇷🇺 🇸🇪 🇸🇰 🇺🇸

Tier Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4 Tier 5 Tier 6 Tier Honorable Mention

League BCHL J20 KHL Liiga Liiga U20 MHL NCAA NL NTDP OHL QMJHL SHL Slovakia USHL WHL

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Tier 1

McKenna is a captivating and supremely gifted winger who had one of the most productive age-adjusted seasons in modern CHL history last season. The college game has come with a bit of an adjustment period for him early on this season, particularly at 5-on-5, highlighting at least a little his lean build and need to be more physically engaged. But the talent and upside remain undeniable and I still view him as in a tier of his own, even if the gap has maybe shrunk a little to start the year.

McKenna is a fabulous, flowing skater with natural straight-line and corner speed, great edges and a rare ability to make plays at whatever pace is required. He’s impressive at carrying and dodging sticks through neutral ice to create entries. He has a first touch like glue where the puck just lands and sticks to his blade when he’s catching it, even when it’s coming in hot or into compromising positions. He’s a brilliant puck transporter, transition machine and get-out-of-jail-free card who routinely skates pucks out of the zone himself and relieves pressure. McKenna is so shifty with the puck, blending shoulder fakes into his playmaking. He has impressive maneuverability and adjustability from his hips down. He plays pucks into space and leads guys at an advanced level. He shields pucks extremely well from defenders’ sticks. He’s constantly changing directions and keeping defenders off him. He pre-scans and sees and reads the game at an elite level.

Though he’s a natural playmaker first, he’s also got scoring elements, has tons of pre-shot deception in his movements, attacks the middle and goes downhill. (Though I’d like to see him do it with more authority in college, he was one of the WHL’s leaders in shots on goal from the time he entered the league.) He can beat you to the middle or the outside if you give it to him. And while he’s going to have to fill out and get stronger and more engaged in battles, he does have a really good stick defensively, taking back and lifting his fair share of pucks (though there is the odd time when he doesn’t pick up assignments and can puck watch/drive-by instead of stopping on pucks). Notably, his listed height has also been moved from 6-feet to 5-foot-11 by NHL Central Scouting. Despite some of the noise surrounding his good but not great start, McKenna projects as a first-line, star and maybe even superstar winger.

Photo:

Chris Coduto / Getty Images

Tier 2

Stenberg is a dynamic left-shot winger who’s comfortable playing both wings and who has torched his peers over the last couple of years, both domestically at the J20 level (where he outproduced recent top Swedes like Lucas Raymond) and internationally at events such as U17s, the Hlinka Gretzky, the World Jr. A Challenge and the World Junior Summer Showcase, where he looked like a top player even as a draft-eligible. He also had a really strong SHL playoffs last year, becoming just the third player ever to score in the SHL postseason in their draft-minus-one season (after Rasmus Dahlin and Victor Hedman), and registering six points in 12 games (tied for the most ever by a U18 skater). He has continued to build on that with a near point-per-game start in the SHL this season. After McKenna, he’s the most talented player I’ve watched in this age group.

The younger brother of St. Louis Blues first-rounder Otto, Ivar’s puck skill, offensive instincts, scoring and playmaking package are all high-end. He makes guys miss with the puck on his stick, beats goalies one-on-one with his handles regularly, and has both a lethal wrister release and a confident one-timer that give him quick-strike ability and power-play pop. He’s not an explosive skater, but he’s a good one who beats guys wide with speed, escapes pressure and is agile on cuts and changes of direction, building through his crossovers to play a direct, straight-line game. He’s also a heady passer and facilitator who sees the ice well, is creative, puts pucks into space and can pick teams apart on the power play when they focus too much on him. Off the puck, he’s got good offensive and defensive instincts to get open or cut off passes. He’ll also make effort plays and hustle. His most standout tool for me, though, has repeatedly been his wall play and strength on his stick. He’s not big, but he’s very, very strong in hockey terms. He stays over pucks, wins a ton of battles along the boards with his strong stick lifts and just finds pucks along the wall with his blade. He’s first to a lot of pucks and has an uncanny ability to just find pucks, win them, then hold and protect them against and through contact. That ability also helps him draw a lot of penalties. He wants to take everything to the inside, but can also play the perimeter. He likes to shoot the puck. He always seems to handle bad passes into his first touch. He pushes through contact regularly. He’s going to be a top-six focal point for the Swedes at the World Juniors, and he looks like a first-line NHL talent to me. I think he’s the real deal.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Verhoeff is a big, talented right-shot defenseman who played 25 minutes per game for the Victoria Royals last year, captained Team Canada White to gold at U17s, was a go-to player as an underager at U18 Worlds in Texas in the spring and then captained the Hlinka team in the summer before joining North Dakota for his freshman year. At North Dakota, he has averaged 19-20 minutes per game (third-most on the blue line) and is running the first power-play unit with spot usage on the PK — and has looked the part of a top-of-the-draft D prospect, though I don’t see him as first-overall caliber.

He has good vision and comfort on the puck (though he can occasionally bobble or over-skate it), and a big, hard shot. He’s competitive. He’s just an average skater, though, and I’ve seen him struggle with pace — he’s smooth but can look a half step slow out of the blocks/pivots — which has left me lower on him than Stenberg. But he can make plays, he can run a power play and he has an NHL shot. He’s comfortable holding onto pucks (though they’re working to get him to move it quicker at times), attacking down the wall and swinging around the offensive zone. He’s also a fairly polished defender and reader of the game for his age, with a good stick and an NHL body, and he shows poise under pressure to make the little plays needed to move the puck out of his zone. Plus, he’s a June birthday who has time to continue to build and elevate his game. Teams are excited about his combination of size, strength, work ethic, leadership, poise, shot and skill. He has serious upside, and if the skating can improve, the sky’s the limit. He’s going to be a stud and his status atop the draft is well-earned. I’m just not quite as excited about him as some.

Photo:

North Dakota Athletics

Lin is the smartest defenseman in this draft class and, for me, the most well-rounded. He led the Giants in ice time last season, playing more than 25 minutes per game as a 16-year-old, and blew me away with how he influenced play to guide (literally in the way he guides play) Team Canada White to gold at U17s. He was also impressive again for Hockey Canada on a deep Hlinka team, standing out at their selection camp and in stretches of the tournament. This season, he’s playing above a point per game and has expanded his game offensively while still playing 26 minutes per game.

Lin does everything at a high level, executes the small things extremely well and plays the game with a rare quality, maturity and detail for a D his age. He steers play with his quiet efficiency, feel for the game, puck-moving, elite hockey IQ, good skating (he could use another gear though), great stick and defensive reads. He’s comfortable in any situation and playing with anyone, and excels on both special teams. He adjusts well to his teammates and coverage. He’s got a great first touch. His head is always up, and he moves pucks crisply but can also read right through the first layer of pressure into the next play. He can carry pucks and make plays, but he can also find space off pucks. He never seems to have to overdo it or overextend to create his offense, knowing when to move it and when to try to make something happen. He picks his spots to jump smartly and is starting to do it more and more often to impose himself on games more. He takes pucks off the wall really well and navigates play out of the defensive zone with incredible poise, making a lot of little plays under triangles or off the wall to find his way out of trouble. He anticipates at an extremely high level. He closes out nicely, is disruptive and heady defensively and defends with polish and consistent reads and habits.

Lin isn’t a big, strong, powerful D, but he’s just an excellent all-around modern defenceman who gets it, and I think there’s some Adam Fox in him. I think he’s a phenomenal hockey player who plays the game the way it’s meant to be played, and he might be my favorite prospect in the draft. I did think about ranking him fifth or sixth here, but no lower.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

The top young player in the USHL last season, Lawrence played to nearly a point per game as a 16-year-old rookie with Muskegon, averaging 19-20 minutes per game for the Lumberjacks and elevating even further in their run to a championship as Clark Cup MVP after he registered 18 points in 14 playoff games. He was also a good penalty-killer as one of the youngest full-time players in the USHL last year, playing a pro-style game at an early age. That’s not easy to do in the USHL, which is a hard league to succeed in at that age, especially as a center — and even more so because of his August birthday. He has also had early success internationally, impressing at both U17s and the Youth Olympics. He wasn’t as productive at Hlinka, but was still a go-to player for Canada in terms of usage, was more impactful than his numbers indicated, and saved his best game of the tournament for the semifinal. He’s a Fredericton, N.B., native and the younger brother of Josh, a two-time QMJHL 100-point player and Memorial Cup champion who is now playing in Europe. Lawrence chose to return to Muskegon this season to try to go back-to-back and has been named captain, but had the start to his season delayed by a training camp injury (though he has looked solid since returning a couple of weekends ago). He’s a BU commit.

Lawrence has a natural release, getting pucks off his stick quickly after an intentional move to the inside or a pass into his catch-and-release. He’s a really good skater who plays with pace and made plays off the rush last year as well as inside the offensive zone. He plays pucks into space really well and wants to take the play to the slot. He moves into the middle of the ice and stays around the action. He works off the puck to track and is committed to playing defense. He’s got quick hands and plus-level feel for the game offensively. He protects it really well out wide to his body and can drive the net. He’s strong on pucks. He just plays the right way, is smart and talented, supports pucks and teammates well, has great instincts on both sides of the puck, and drives play as a center with pro attributes in all areas. He’s an excellent young player and the clear top center in the draft.

Photo:

Courtesy Muskegon Lumberjacks

Belchetz is an extremely physically advanced winger who was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 OHL draft and was 6-5 and over 220 pounds as a 16-year-old last season. He got people talking when he got off to a hot start to his rookie season with the Spitfires last year, picking up two points in his debut before a four-goal, six-point night in his third OHL game. He also had a solid tournament for gold medal-winning Canada White at U17s, though I did think he was less impactful in the higher-pace semifinal and final. He played well on a disappointing team at Hlinka, too, really imposing himself and making plays with the puck. His production leveled off as last season went on, but he has really dominated in stretches to start this season, predominantly on Windsor’s top line (where, in my live viewings, I’ve thought he looked better than Flyers first-rounder Jack Nesbitt). He has NHL clubs drooling over his hulking frame, legit skill/scoring and developing playmaking and pace. He has also really developed his wall game, so he’s more focused on bumping players off the puck and making a quick play off the boards. His feet can be a little heavy out of the blocks, and his stride can look a little clunky, but he can really get around the ice and drive the middle once he gets moving. And while some of his impact is driven by his sheer size and his ability to stay over pucks and impose himself, he’s also got strong offensive tools, he handles well into congested areas, he’s comfortable going to his backhand and he can really shoot the puck. When he’s at his best, he looks like a force out there. He’s in the top 2-4 conversation for some scouts, and he’s right there for me now too, having impressed me in multiple live viewings this fall. Think Matthew Knies with more skill.

Photo:

Natalie Shaver / OHL Images

Tier 3

Villeneuve is a September 2007 who was a couple of weeks away from being eligible for the 2025 draft and will play three seasons in the QMJHL pre-draft. He was the QMJHL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year at 16 and the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year and CHL Third Team All-Star at 17, finishing first among Q defensemen in assists (50) and second in points (62) on top of playing to above a point per game and logging 20 minutes per game. He was also a top playmaker in the league, period. He looked dynamic on the puck at U18 Worlds as well, running Canada’s top power play (including double duty on both units at times) and creating with his feet off the line to score four goals, most in the tournament by a D. This season, he has made plays with ease and is among the league’s leading scorers through its first month.

And though he’s small and still a little physically immature (actually a good sign), I was told his dad is a big guy and that Villeneuve is going to grow. He has already moved his listing from 5-10 to 5-11, which, fairly or unfairly, is important. His skill level, hockey sense and puck play are all legitimately elite. He’s constantly making plays and finding openings. And while he’s more shifty than fast (he has mastered using his head, shoulders and eyes to be deceptive and shake past opponents), his speed has improved, he opens up a lot of space for himself on the ice, and he defends smartly for his size, using his edges and a combination of IQ and instincts. It’s his shimmies over his breezy feet that really grab you, though. He beats and loses players effortlessly and plays the game with incredible poise and dimension. He has phenomenal edges, a quick release and a good stick. He’s a special talent, and a year after no sub-6-feet D were drafted, I’ll be fascinated to see where he lands on draft day because there are teams that will steer clear high in the draft and discount his size and the Q, but he also has some big backers and a unique skill set.

Photo:

Blainville-Boisbriand Armada / QMJHL

Roobroeck is a big, tall forward born in late September who came up as a center but has played the wing in junior and for Hockey Canada. He applied for exceptional status in the OHL and didn’t get it; had he been granted exceptional status, he could have been one of the rare players to play four seasons in the OHL before the NHL Draft. Instead, he went back to U16 AAA for a second season as a dominant player, went No. 2 to Niagara in the 2023 OHL draft, and then scored 28 goals and 51 points in 63 games as a 16-year-old who was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team two years ago. Last year, his second in the OHL, he was Niagara’s leading scorer, out-producing drafted NHL prospects like Kevin He (Jets) and Andrei Loshko (Kraken) to score 44 goals and 93 points in 69 combined regular-season and playoff games. He also wore an “A” for them last season, played more than 20 minutes per game, was an important part of both their power play and their penalty kill, and regularly generated 6-10 shots per game. He had some quiet games at U18 worlds for Canada but still finished with nine points in seven games as their fourth-leading scorer. This season has so far been a disappointment, though, and he has frustrated scouts.

Roobroeck doesn’t play a particularly physical or imposing game for a player his size, but he’s got real skill and feel on the puck and an NHL-grade shot that regularly beats goalies from mid-range. Because of his unique skill set, he has played the flank on the power play instead of the net-front. He’s also a balanced skater who can get out in transition and score off the rush (though after adding some weight in the offseason, he has lost a little of that this year to my eye). I like his stick defensively, even if there are times when I want to see him impose/apply himself more off the puck. He’s going to be a very high pick, but if he played with more presence, power and/or physicality, it would really elevate his projection even further. I did debate slotting him lower in Tier 3 here, but decided to hold him here on projection/tools. He really is quite talented for his size.

Photo:

Brandon Taylor / OHL Images

Reid was an amazing story last season. He started the year as a No. 4 defenseman on an NAHL team and finished it as a point-per-game D playing 25-30 minutes per game with the Soo Greyhounds. He grew from sub-6-feet to 6-2 while he did it, too. This year, that play has continued with the Greyhounds, where he has driven offense for them early on the year with their top forward, Brady Martin, in the NHL to start. He’s a righty with poise beyond his years. He escapes pressure well. He’s got a great shot and is deadly in transition, with an impressive offensive sense and good vision. His defensive play has taken strides after needing to adjust in the OHL at first. And while he’s not explosive, he’s fundamentally a high-end skater and has impressive mobility/footwork: he goes from his heels to his toes really comfortably, etc. He and his game are still developing, too, and as he has added strength to his frame, his upside has really come with it. A subtle but underrated quality in D that he has in spades, too: His passes on the power play to his flanks are always in his shooters’ sweet spots.

A Michigan State commit, I know the Greyhounds and Spartans are both very high on him. He’s going to be a first-rounder and maybe a high one, and has really taken off down a steep development curve. He’s one of the league’s top D now, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him play his way into a World Junior selection camp invite, even if he’s draft-eligible and doesn’t have a USA Hockey track record to this point. I don’t think he makes that team this year, but he should be in line to be one of their top D in 2027.

Photo:

Soo Greyhounds / OHL Images

Rudolph was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 WHL bantam draft and after a good but not standout start to his 16-year-old season in Prince Albert and as an alternate captain with Canada White at U17s, he really elevated in the second half of last year to look more like the player who was the CSSHL’s top defenseman at the U15 level and MVP at the U18 level. He played his best hockey into a point-per-game playoff run from the Raiders’ blue line. Rudolph didn’t play the kind of minutes for Prince Albert in the regular season (about 19 per game) that Lin and Verhoeff did on younger teams, but he became an impact player for the Raiders after the calendar flipped to 2025 and averaged 24 minutes per game in the playoffs. He was also good for Team Canada at the Hlinka after he was their No. 8 at U18s (where Villeneuve and Carels, who slot around him on my list, featured prominently), playing with Verhoeff in high-leverage situations. This season, he’s playing 25-26 minutes per game, and the production from last year’s playoffs has carried over.

Rudolph is a good skater whose skating patterns, flow and edges are easy. He can manipulate coverage or jump off the line. He sees the ice well and can beat the first layer and then find the back door through a second layer. He defends the rush well and has a good stick. Rudolph’s a heady player who thinks the game well. He’s got good size. He’s willing to jump and has a great catch-and-release shot that I expect him to score with a little more as this year progresses. He doesn’t have the dynamic quality of Villeneuve or the directness of Carels, but he’s just a very good player who projects to have a long NHL career as a top-four defenseman.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Carels is a summer birthday who played 24 minutes per game as a 16-year-old in Prince George last season and is now averaging 28 this year, driving play at five-on-five and contributing on both the power play and penalty kill. He also ran PP2 for Canada Red at U17s behind Landon DuPont and killed penalties for Canada at the Hlinka. His production has seen an uptick this season as well. I thought about ranking him ahead of Rudolph here.

Carels is an all-around defenseman who plays the game firmly and directly in all three zones and on both sides of the puck. His game is more about instinct than being super cerebral, and he can be a little sloppy at times with his stick placement/closeouts/decisions on the puck, but he’s quite toolsy and looks like a pro in a lot of ways. He’s got a big, hard slap shot that makes him a threat to score. He sees the play well as a passer. He’s a strong skater who can push pucks down ice and also open up and use his edges. He can defend physically and cuts off a lot of plays with his timing early when he’s at his best. He’s firm, with a wide gait, though he’ll occasionally get beaten one-on-one laterally. He’s not a dynamic individual playmaker, but he can move and carry pucks down ice, has skill and skating, walks the line well, can beat the first layer and can hammer it. His development will be more about cleaning things up than his actual tools. He’s solid. He looks like a legit prospect.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Bjorck is a highly talented, playmaking center who made headlines for breaking the U16 scoring record at the J18 level as a 15-year-old two years ago and the J20 level scoring record (regardless of age) as a 16-year-old last year. He did it while playing with his older brother Wilson (drafted by the Canucks as an overager) and scoring in his HockeyAllsvenskan debut. He’s going to play for Sweden at this year’s World Juniors and got to skip the Hlinka with his age group to instead participate at the World Junior Summer Showcase in August, where he played well (though it’s also always noticeable that Stenberg is a cut above as a prospect). Bjorck started this season in the SHL. Some scouts view him as a late-first/early-second because of his 5-9 listing, but I look at guys like Zach Benson, Ben Kindel and Marco Rossi (who all went in this range) and I view him as a similar caliber of prospect.

Bjorck is certainly on the smaller side for a center at the moment but he excels in the faceoff circle and he played the penalty kill with Djurgarden’s junior team last year. Wilson is also over 6-feet now and their dad is 6-2, so an inch or two might not be out of the question.

Bjorck can play with the puck on a string and make plays as a natural facilitator who has a ton of poise and vision, but he also plays in and out of give-and-gos, will go to the net and finish off plays and has great overall sense on and off the puck. He’s also a quick and fast skater who can play at different paces and challenge both in straight lines and on cuts and turnbacks. I like his craft on the puck, and he’s got an impressive knack for spinning and shaking away from coverage and drawing penalties. He will go outside to attack back inside with his agility and ability to carve into defenders’ hands. He’s quick to attack and makes defenders and sticks miss. Bjorck has a quick release, a rapid first three steps and can accelerate around D from a standstill. He’s strong for his size and will take pucks to the blue paint on D and play through contact. And while he’ll occasionally turn over some pucks trying to be too cute, he wins them back well with stick lifts and his surprising strength. I’m confident that because of his hockey sense, he projects as a center up levels, too. He’s a slippery, clever, crafty offensive player, but he’s also really smart and just reads the play at an advanced level on both sides of the puck. If he were a little bigger, he’d probably be a top-10 prospect.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Tier 4

Smits is a pro-sized late-’07 D from Latvia who has played 19 minutes a night in Liiga this year and, quite literally, skated circles around the opposition when he played at the junior level in September. With Jukurit’s junior team, he made highlight-reel plays with the puck on his stick in all of my viewings, showcasing high-end puck skill for a defender his size and playing keep-away inside the offensive zone whenever he decided to. He has scored at an impressive clip with the pro club, too. He has excellent hands, both pulling pucks laterally and protecting them out wide, often with one hand on his stick. He’s playing with a ton of confidence on the attack right now and has played with similar boldness even against men, while still defending to positive results. I do wonder about his fitness a little, but he skates quite well for his size and the tools are definitely there.

Preston is a threatening creator with good offensive instincts who had played to just under a point per game in the WHL prior to this season. He has been one of the top individual creators in the league to start the year, despite his point totals not yet having taken a giant leap on a rebuilding Spokane team. He has also won gold with Canada White at U17s, leading the tournament in goals with six in five games and coming up big in some big moments (including a hat trick in the semifinal and a goal in the gold medal game), made plays in bunches at the Hlinka and has a way of striking at some point over the course of a game. On top of what he’s done in the WHL and for Hockey Canada, he also registered four goals and six points in four games at the Youth Olympics and was the CSSHL U15 MVP before that, so he has a lot of pedigree within this age group.

Preston is a shifty skater who attacks inside ice laterally but can also play out wide. He has slick handles on the puck and can attack off the rush or inside the offensive zone, challenging defenders one-on-one. He has a dangerous shot and quick release. He’s lethal in space but can also play in traffic and put pucks into space. He’s just slick and confident. He has also played both wings and been dangerous on either side. Plus, he’s a late July birthday who has still been a top offensive player all the way up with the ’08s. There are times when he can play to the perimeter, and he’s more offense-first than some of the other more complete forwards in this class, but the talent and the ability to attack are real. There are actually some similarities between his makeup/skill set and that of his former Spokane teammate and top-10 NHL draft pick Berkly Catton, though Preston is a winger and Catton is a center and more well-rounded.

I did consider ranking him lower in Tier 3 here, but the talent is real.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Nordmark led a talented Swedish team in scoring at U17 worlds and the Hlinka, and was very productive through their entire international schedule last season and into this fall, making a ton of plays against the ’08 age group. He was the star of Hlinka for me, and sent the Swedes to the gold medal game with a beautiful overtime winner in the semi to complete a hat trick after helping them mount a third-period comeback. And while he spent much of his domestic season at the J18 level, he played to more than a point per game with Djurgården’s J20 team last year, and has continued to make a ton of plays with them this year, regularly flashing legit skill. He’s a highly talented, shifty forward who has played all three forward positions at different points and has great (!) hands and instincts offensively. He can play in open space or in puck protection/traffic. He’s also got decent size and a hard, dangerous snap shot (one of the better ones I’ve seen in the age group) that he can blow past goalies. He passes it well and is willing to go to the middle third in possession, but can also play out wide. Djurgården has a crowded program at forward, but he has pretty clear first-round traits and can excite. He’s one of my favorite players to watch in this class with the puck, and I thought about slotting him in Tier 3.

Of note, Nordmark is the son of former NHL defenseman Robert Nordmark and an import selection of the London Knights.

Stenberg and Bjorck have held the spotlight for the Swedes in this class, but Hermansson is one of a number of other legit prospects for Tre Kronor this year and has impressed at U17 worlds and Hlinka for them. He also played up at the February Five Nations with the U18 team last year, has been productive with them again this fall, and was productive on a deep-at-forward Örebro junior team last year and now with their second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan (which has been really positive after a slowish start in J20). He’s a right shot, but he has played a lot of both wings, and he impresses with his individual stick skill. He’s not the most well-rounded or defensively responsible winger, but he’s talented with the puck in his hands and a threat inside the offensive zone. He wants to go out there and make plays/score goals, and he can beat guys one-on-one with his hands. He’s also a threatening shooter off the flank, both into his curl-and-drag wrister or getting open for his strong one-timer. He’s got a bit of an awkward/upright skating posture that bends at the ankles, but he’s got some speed, and he’s a 6-1 winger with legit handling, finishing and good passing who has clear first-round talent. His play against men this season and internationally is hard to ignore with his skill set.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Novotny was the No. 9 pick in the 2024 CHL Import Draft to the Peterborough Petes, and after struggling to generate early on a Petes team that doesn’t have a ton of talent around him, he has really started to produce and break through over the last couple of weeks. He played the entirety of last season at Czechia’s top pro level with Mountfield before lighting up Czechia’s U20 level playoffs and then returning to the pro club’s postseason run, where he scored a couple of nice goals. He also impressed at the 2024 Hlinka, the 2025 U18 Worlds and for Czechia’s bronze medal-winning team at last year’s World Juniors a month and a half after his 17th birthday. He was one of the top players in Czechia’s three nations U20 exhibitions with Finland and Switzerland this summer as well.

Novotny’s a 6-1, pro-built winger who skates well (though his stride can look a little short and there’s room for development there). He’s also highly skilled offensively and plays the game with confidence. He’s already strong, sturdy and stocky. He has a feel for the game and enough smarts on and off the puck, with a good sense of where to be and go. He can drive the net and make plays to the interior for himself, but also functions well off of his linemates as a catch-and-release, push-and-pop type. He has a pro curl-and-drag wrister and good hands in tight to his body. He can make plays off his backhand. He breaks up plays and works. He’s just a very good player. And he plays a competitive game for a young player. There’s a lot to like about his combination of tools, and he’s going to have a long pro career. Teams are trying to figure out how much offense is there, but he’s a player and his shot generation has been really strong.

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Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Hurlbert, a Michigan commit, left the NTDP (where he finished third on the team in scoring last year) for Kamloops this season, where he has popped offensively to start the year, producing at the top of the league as a draft-eligible and playing center after he bounced between the middle and the wing at the program. He wasn’t viewed as a first-rounder coming into the season, and teams still want to see more of this play before they settle on his range, but he has made a ton of plays early and certainly has everyone’s attention now as one of the top forward prospects in this class after the McKenna/Stenberg/Lawrence/Belchetz group. He has work to do in the faceoff circle, and that, combined with his sub-6-foot size, may result in him being viewed as more of a winger, but he has chipped in on the PK with the Blazers, is already wearing a letter, and has some quiet jam to go with his skill. And while his feet can kick a little through his stride, he plays with pace and has made plays with the puck all over the ice. The focal point of Hurlbert’s game, though, is his NHL shot and one-on-one skill, both of which have created multiple highlight-reel goals this year (including one short-handed). He has clear junior talent, and now NHL clubs have to decide whether they think there’s a true top-six NHLer there. If he keeps it up, it looks like he will be.

Photo:

Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDP

Hakansson is a big, strong left-shot defenseman who played 20-22 minutes per game at the J20 level last season, didn’t look out of place playing 10-14 in three SHL games last year, and is now playing full-time in the SHL in his draft year (again in that 13-14 minute range to decent results). He’s decently athletic and plays a hard and physical style. He skates well, falling back onto his heels and his edges comfortably for a player his age and size. I like his pivots. He can occasionally get a little jumpy on both sides of the puck, but he can shoot it and pass it and he walks the line well. He has a lot of the attributes teams are looking for these days, and he profiles as a mid-first at the moment for me.

Gustafsson has been a big part of Sweden’s ’08 age group dating back to U17s a year ago, logging first-pairing minutes and often running one of their two power plays. He has been productive to start the year at the J20 level with HV71 as well. But his game isn’t about his offense. Gustafsson is a big, strong, sturdy defender who plays a physical, competitive brand and moves well for his size. He projects as a solid two-way NHL D, and his profile is the coveted one in the NHL these days. He’s also a summer birthday and is developing quickly. This is the range Kaiden Guhle and Braden Schneider went in, and he fits that mold.

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Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Piiparinen really impressed scouts with the maturity and roundedness of his game at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this summer, putting him firmly into the first round for some after he was viewed as more of a second-round type coming out of U18 Worlds and his season in Finland’s junior league last year. This season, he has split time between Tappara’s pro team (which is a perennial contender, has four legit 2026 prospects in the organization and doesn’t give out ice-time to young D easily) and the junior level as well, playing to positive results against men — though only in 11-12 minutes per game.

Piiparinen’s game doesn’t grab you with dynamic skill or elite skating, but he’s an August birthday who’s already very polished. He gaps and defends well. He moves well. He has a pro frame and game. His puck movement is clean and efficient. His reads are consistently sound. He projects as a really solid two-way D who should continue to develop and add more dimension to the strong foundation he has already established.

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Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

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Tier 4

Liiga U20

Aaram-Olsen is a talented Norwegian winger who played to a point per game with Örebro’s J20 team last year and led Norway in scoring at the Division 1A World Juniors as a 16-year-old with six points in five games. This season, he has started to do a lot of damage at the J20 level and is now in line for limited SHL looks.

He’s a dangerous scorer and shooter who picks corners and beats goalies from mid-range with his heavy snapper or curl-and-drag wrister. He can threaten as a shooter from the bumper or the flank on the power play because he’s also got a hard one-touch shot and one-timer (a go-to weapon for him). He’s a good skater who gets up and down the ice well and is willing to track back on pucks, with room to add strength and smooth out his stride (which does kick a little). He takes pucks off the wall and isn’t complacent on the outside. I’d like to see him involve himself more off the puck defensively, drive play more at five-on-five, and play with a little more physicality, but his scoring package is legit and I don’t think he’s a one-way winger either — it’s more just about development priorities.

Klepov, a Michigan State commit, is a highly skilled playmaker who flashed his skill level in the USHL last year and has really shone early on in the OHL this season with the Saginaw Spirit. He sees the ice at a very high level as a passer and has legit power-play skill, blending little fakes and hesitations into his handles to throw defenders off his scent. He also skates well and creates a ton of entries and high-danger looks with his craft on the puck. It can be hard for average-sized wingers to go in the first round, and they usually really have to produce, but he has, and he has some real believers in his talent and upside. He’s also a summer birthday who has followed a steep upward progression, and it has been really positive to see him go to scoring areas and finish more plays for himself at five-on-five this season (he’s among the OHL’s leaders in shot and chance creation) instead of defaulting to out-wide playmaking. And while he’s not the most physical player and there are times when I’d like to see him reach in a little less, he doesn’t give up on plays when there’s a puck to be won, he does compete and he has good sense defensively. But the talent and the ability for his game to continue to expand are what put him in this range for me. The craft is pretty obvious when you watch him play.

Photo:

Briana May Photography

Tier 5

Edwards is a sneaky-strong, hard-shooting forward who finished second in U17 scoring in the OHL last year, hitting the 25-goal mark as a 16-year-old and leading the Sting in goals. He has driven the bus for them early on this season as well, leading the Sting in scoring and driving his own line with fellow 2026 prospect Alessandro Di Iorio out injured.

Edwards is strong on pucks and can drive to the net in control; he looks heavier than his current listing. He has good dexterity catching and handling bad passes into his pocket. He has some power to his game. And he also knows how to go to the inside and use the space he has left behind to involve his linemates, which has added layers to his game offensively as it comes along. I thought he had a positive Hlinka, too, and he has shown he can play all three forward positions effectively. Edwards is committed to the University of Notre Dame and projects as a middle-six scorer at the next level.

Photo:

Natalie Shaver / OHL Images

Shilov made the jump from Russia to the USHL last season and after a successful few months with the Green Bay Gamblers, made the jump to the QMJHL with Victoriaville, where he leads the team in scoring and sits among the league leaders. (Though I thought he was quiet in the QMJHL Prospects Game, where he should have been a standout.) A Boston University commit, Shilov is a playmaker with first-round talent. He has work to do to round out his game defensively, but his instincts on both sides of the puck are there, and Victoriaville has used him in all situations, including on the penalty kill. He’s highly skilled, with a great shot off balance (he really whips it) and a nasty release off the middle of his blade. He has a superb first touch, even in traffic, and can place pucks up under the bar from in tight with a little chip shot he loves to use around the slot. His skating can look a little unconventional, and he has work to do on his fitness, but someone is going to swing on the offensive-zone gifts he has. He’s also decent in the faceoff circle.

A BU commit and the son of Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra, Caleb is a well-rounded center (like his dad) who has impressed scouts and folks around the OHL alike with the immediate impact he has made on a deep Bulldogs team, contributing at five-on-five on their “third” line and slotting into their top power play with forwards Adam Benak, Marek Vanacker and Jake O’Brien. He’s also PKing as a rookie for them. Malhotra is already a very mature player, with good stick detail and sound and reliable habits at an early age. He plays with pace, puts himself in good spots and has an advanced feel for the game. He’ll go to the front of the net, and he competes. He’s also a summer birthday, and while I’m not sure the skill is high-, high-end, he’s a legit NHL prospect and a true center in a class with few.

Photo:

Brandon Taylor / OHL Images

Morozov is the youngest player in college hockey and has started his freshman year centering Miami’s top line, producing immediately and playing on both special teams, all of which are a tall task and have impressed scouts early on this season, already earning a NCHC Forward of the Week nod. His development from where he left off last year in Tri-City as a 16-year-old has been steep (though it should be noted, he was also the youngest player on Tri-City’s roster to start last season).

Morozov is a good-sized, pro-built center who has a great feel on the puck and problem-solving skills in and out of space. He’s a natural catch-and-release shooter off the rush as well. Morozov’s stride is a little upright, but he moves well enough for his size, is a willing forechecker and sees the ice well on both sides of the puck to anticipate defensively and find his teammates offensively. He has work to do in the faceoff circle, but he has quickly become a real prospect.

Hextall, a Michigan State commit, looked like a pro even as a 16-year-old in the USHL last year and was owed more on the scoresheet for how consistently good he was. His production hasn’t yet popped this year, either, but he just looks like a pro prospect when I watch him.

Hextall is a very smart player who does a lot of things well. He already protects the puck and stays over it like a pro, coming out of scrums with possession. He’s strong on his skates. He plays in all three zones and is committed defensively as a center. He has blown opponents up with hits. He likes to shoot it but also sees the ice really well, and will go to the net but can also find the second or third layer. He’s just a complete player. I also thought he was owed more than his counting stats at the Hlinka (where he was USA’s No. 1 center), and while eventually he just needs to produce like a first-rounder, I think it’s coming.

Photo:

Scott Galvin / USHL

Chrenko first caught my eye when he looked confident on the puck inside the offensive zone two U18 Worlds ago in Finland as a double underager (though I suppose, as a late 2007, he was a single underager). He then followed it up by playing to above two points per game in Slovakia’s junior level, scoring his first couple of goals with Nitra’s top-flight team at the pro level, and leading the Slovaks in scoring with five goals and eight points in five games in Texas at his second U18s. He has some deception on the puck in both his handling and his quick release. He’s smart and gets open, but can also use his good hands to play through holes and get pucks to open linemates. He’s a natural center who plays in the center of the ice and will take or make a hit to make a play. He can be a bit of a pest. You’d like him to be a little bigger, but there’s a lot to like in his talent/craft. This season, he has made the full-time jump to Nitra’s pro team and has made some pretty plays in the guts of the offensive zone there, too, though his production hasn’t popped. Late first/early second feels like the appropriate range for me with his makeup.

Suvanto impressed centering Finland’s top line at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and has looked like he belongs in his pro games with Liiga titan Tappara. He’s a big, strong, driven forward who plays in the middle third and goes to the net. He’s willing to play through and into contact. He skates well enough; once he builds, he can play with power, though he could stand to get a little quicker. He has good instincts and he just looks like a pro. He’s also one of the youngest players in this class and has developed very quickly, basically leapfrogging Finland’s U20 level to go from playing on Tappara’s U18 team last year to starting with the pro club this year.

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Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Holmertz really caught my eye at U17 worlds and hovered around a point per game at the J20 level last season with Linköping while playing center as a 16-year-old. He hasn’t grabbed me as much early on this year, though.

Holmertz is a standout skater through his edges and in and out of cuts, but also has natural pull-away speed. He’s not explosive in the powerful skater way, but he makes guys miss. He’s more of a playmaker than a play finisher, but he’s talented and very noticeable on the puck for how smooth he is as both a skater and stickhandler. He can shoot it, too, and boasts a quick release when he wants to. He makes a lot of crafty little plays inside the offensive zone to put pucks into space for his linemates, too, and also has quick hands to create for himself in space or traffic. He’s not the most intense competitor and can kind of play within the flow of the game at times, but he has offensive talent, skating, skill and feel for the game, and I’ve been drawn when I’ve watched him play at times.

Dravecky was a top player for Rögle’s J20 team and the Czech national U18 team last year across multiple events, playing big minutes (often 20-25 per game) and adding penalty killing to his power-play role with Rögle as the season went on. He even got a taste of the SHL. He looked good with Czechia’s U20 team in their exhibitions against Finland and Switzerland this summer as well. This season, he made the move from Rogle to the OHL with the title-chasing Bulldogs, where he has played in all situations and has run both of their power play units in stretches, producing at a point per game rate in 20-plus minutes per game to positive results.

Dravecky is talented and confident on the puck, absorbing pressure well and unafraid to try things. His game comes with some risk and some turnovers, but he has the tools to attack and make things happen, and is already drawing interest from college programs. He can set up the next play with the puck in his hands or make plays for himself. He’s sturdy and a strong skater going forward with a hard shot and an athletic build. He likes to attack and challenge, and has scored some beautiful goals in each of the last two seasons, though there are times when I want to see him move it quicker and he can try to force the issue. He looks like a pro in a lot of important ways, though, and passes and moves it crisply. He also walks the line well and can jump into the play with his feet, though he does need to work on his rush defense and his decision-making on and off the puck. He gaps up quickly on his heels and likes to close and take away time in the neutral zone, but can lack polish defensively. He also plays within a really wide base that has some advantages in battles but disadvantages against speed, though he is a plus-level skater himself. He’s not for everybody but looks like a potential late-first or second to me.

He has the bloodline too, as his dad, Vladimir Sr., is a legend in Czechia and still playing at 40. Those who know him credit Sr. for his son’s talent and work ethic.

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Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Nemec, the younger brother of 2022 Devils No. 2 pick Simon, has followed a similar path, making his debut at Slovakia’s top pro level with HK Nitra at 16 and then playing and contributing more regularly at 17 and 18. His CHL rights belong to the Sudbury Wolves, but he has stayed with Nitra for his draft year. He’s a decently skilled and opportunistic winger who isn’t dynamic but can make plays for himself when opportunities present. He also just does a really nice job getting open and finding his way onto pucks around the slot area, and reads the game at an advanced level. His game has some mature details to it at a young age, despite still needing to physically mature. He has great instincts on and off the puck, plus a quick release and good hands to finish off plays. His skating has looked average to me dating back to my first live viewings two U18s Worlds ago, but he works, competes, engages himself and finishes his checks. He has already produced against men at an early age (though his usage hasn’t gone up this year, and he has played less for Nitra than Chrenko). I thought he made some plays at his second U18s in Texas in the spring as well: he finished with four points in seven games while playing with 2025 draft eligibles. I like him, but I’m not sure he has an obvious NHL role/projection at the moment, which keeps him out of first-round rating despite a decent track record/career arc to this point.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Di Iorio, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 OHL draft after Belchetz, is a talented and intelligent center who has good hands and soft skill. He has played at four separate events for Hockey Canada already, leading them in scoring at the Youth Olympics, wearing a letter at U17s and Hlinka, and joining the U18 Worlds team as an underager, where he made some plays in a limited role and hit a crossbar in the gold medal game. He can play out wide, and I’ve seen him pick corners from mid-range with his curl-and-drag wrister (he has a shooter’s shot and I expect him to score more this year) and facilitate with his good feel as a passer, but he’s also sneaky strong on stick lifts and willing to go to inside ice. His combination of smarts and skill, I think, had him poised for a step in his draft year with Sarnia, but it has been delayed after he hurt his elbow prior to the season.

Photo:

Natalie Shaver / OHL Images

Steiner is coming off a really good rookie season in the QMJHL with Rouyn-Noranda, where he registered 60 points in 57 games. He played well at the World Juniors for Switzerland despite going scoreless in four games there. He was off to a good start in the Q this year as well before suffering an upper-body injury that came with a six-to-12 week timeline for recovery.

Steiner is a short but strong and stocky winger who plays a physical, competitive, almost power-forward game, while also having the skill and finesse of a smaller player. He moves his feet. He’s sturdy for his age over pucks. He can play the flank or the bumper on the power play and has a good wrister and one-touch shot. He wants the puck. He’s a strong skater through his compact crossovers. I’m a fan. He looks like a player already. He’s probably a Day 2 pick, especially if it takes him some time to ramp up after the injury, but I’ve liked watching him over the last couple of years.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Hemming is a 6-4 winger who impressed on Finland’s first line at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. His draft year has been a messy one, though. After getting drafted by the Kitchener Rangers in the CHL Import Draft, the team announced at the end of August that he’d signed with them. He hasn’t been able to play a game for them, though, because his club team, Kiekko-Espoo, won’t release him from his contract despite requests from his parents and representatives. He has now chosen to play for Sherwood Park in the BCHL, who aren’t governed by Hockey Canada’s transfer rules. But that stalemate has complicated slotting him more than it would others because he’s also a late August birthday who is one the youngest players in the class, and his sample size was small even entering this season after he played just 18 games at Finland’s U20 junior level last season, mostly with K-E’s U18 team. He’s a big, strong player who stays around the puck, goes to the net, and has some pro attributes (including a pro release and decent skating). I just want to see him back on the ice before I give him a first-round grade (which is how some view him).

Gashilov is off to a torrid pace to start the season in the MHL, and when you watch his games back it it doesn’t look like a fluke. He has great hands and one-on-one skill and has scored some highlight-reel goals early on this season dancing around guys. He’s also got a dangerous release and accurate wrister off the flank on the power play. His game really tilts offense, and he’s going to have to work to round it out, but he’s decent in the faceoff circle and has the playmaking and size to potentially stick as a center. As a late September birthday who is one of the oldest first-year eligibles in the class, scouts will want to see him create offense at the pro level a little this year, but he’s one of the most dangerous players in the MHL and has first-round talent. Whether he goes there is still to be determined: NHL Central Scouting notably gave him a “C” rating, which “indicates a 4th/5th round candidate.”

Valentini was a top prospect through minor hockey who decided to take the tried-and-true Chicago Steel to Michigan Wolverines path before CHL eligibility opened up. He was briefly signed with the Kitchener Rangers for his draft year before accelerating to play in the NCAA in his draft year, a decision which surprised some and will lead to questions into the combine process because there are scouts who didn’t think he was ready for college and could have benefited from a year in the OHL. He has worn a letter and been an important player for Hockey Canada at U17s and the Hlinka, though, and hasn’t looked out of place at Michigan to start his draft year (though I would like to see him get to scoring areas and score a little more).

Valentini is a 5-foot-11 center but he’s strong, plays with pace and intention, and has good habits off of the puck, supporting play effectively defensively. His stride can look a little short and compact, but he buzzes around the ice with quick feet and strong crossovers. He also protects pucks well on his forehand and backhand. On offense, Valentini has good hands and great sense, finding his teammates quickly and putting pucks into good spots for them. He’s a smart, well-rounded offensive player who’s a legit player in the ’08 age group and has some pro attributes. Teams are trying to figure out what role he’ll play in the NHL at his size and whether he’s talented enough for a first-round/top-six projection. His work rate should help him, though. He involves himself.

My only note in my notebook on Pantelas coming out of U17s in Sarnia last fall was “good player,” and that has held up in viewings since, both with Brandon and at the Hlinka, where I thought he played well in his role as the No. 7 on a deep blue line and warranted being there. His production early on this season has come as a bit of a surprise to some, though, myself included. The Wheat Kings are playing him upwards of 25 minutes per game, and while he’s not going to ever run an NHL power play, it has been nice to see him contribute there and show some poise on the puck on top of his defensive responsibilities, after last year was more about establishing his identity defensively. He’s a pro-sized D who skates really well, defends hard, has an active and disruptive stick, and does a nice job gapping up and angling opposing players. He moves pucks effectively and has a good shot, too; he should see a few go in for him at some point. He looks like the way teams want their D to look and play now.

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Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Fedoseyev is a talented offensive defenseman who has been very productive for his age in the MHL for the last two years, is wearing a letter this season, and has begun to get reps in the second-tier VHL. He has an NHL shot with a hard, dangerous wrister and a comfortable one-timer. He has good feet, moves across the umbrella on the power play really smoothly and often manipulates around the first layer or down the wall in the offensive zone. He moves and distributes the puck cleanly, but can also carry it out of trouble or down ice. He’s comfortable falling back onto his heels with the puck or pulling pucks laterally to beat guys one-on-one. And he has defended well in my viewings, using his feet and a good stick to angle guys (he’s willing to battle, too). He has piqued my interest in return viewings this year, and I think he’s flying under the radar a little.

Tier 6

Murnieks is a heavy-set center who was productive as a pro in Latvia and at U18 worlds for the national team at 15, had a very respectable 16-year-old season as a rookie for Sioux City in the USHL last year and centered Latvia’s first line as one of the youngest players at the 2025 World Juniors. He didn’t look the least bit out of place in that role (which included leading them in goal differential at plus-4) either, an impressive feat playing on any Latvian team and even more so as a double underager with a July 31 birthday. This season, after a move to Saint John with the Sea Dogs, he has played well without finding that next level quite yet.

Murnieks is a pro-built, pro-style center who plays a well-rounded, complete game. He’s strong in the faceoff circle. He’s an excellent two-way player and penalty killer who tracks and wins pucks and plays with great detail for a player his age. His skating is just average and his skill level isn’t dynamic, but he has secondary skill and looks like an NHL prospect. He profiles as a potential 3C someday.

Photo:

Brianna May / Sioux City Musketeers

Elofsson, with Lin and Villeneuve, is one of three high-end sub-6-foot defensemen in the 2026 class, a year after none were taken in the 2025 draft. He led the Hlinka in assists this summer and finished tied for second in tournament scoring with 11 points in five games, and has been extremely productive at the J20 level the last two seasons.

Elofsson is very skilled on the puck, with great hands and a real evasiveness shaking past opponents. He makes a lot of plays inside the offensive zone and off the rush, breaks pucks out with poise under pressure, and is an impressive talent. He’s going to have to prove he can defend against pros, as all D his size have to, but he can play, and his feet help me feel OK about this slotting. I’ll be fascinated to see where he goes because I think he’s going to grab enough attention to stay in the conversation in a way that undrafted, similarly-sized Slovakian D Luka Radivojevic didn’t last year. There’s enough offense there that I think he’ll be a mid-round pick.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Dagenais was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 QMJHL draft and made headlines when he started his junior career with six goals, nine points and 23 shots in his first five games with the Remparts as a 16-year-old, getting scouts excited about this 6-foot-3 center with skill and scoring upside. But his development hasn’t lived up to the early excitement since, clouded by multiple concussions, stagnant production and wonder about his pace (he’s a decent skater but needs to play with more tempo at times). He was also one of the final cuts for Canada’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup team this summer.

He remains a solid and relevant prospect even if he’s not viewed as a true top-end guy, though, and I wonder if he could have a resurgence similar to the one Joshua Roy had after he went from No. 1 pick into the Q to fifth-round NHL Draft pick. I thought he had a solid QMJHL Prospects Game (which included a game-high eight shots, a goal and the shootout winner) as well.

Dagenais is a strong center who, at his best, stays around and on the puck and shows confidence holding and shooting it. He’s a volume shooter and has been owed more in the goal column this season for his efforts. He has work to do in the faceoff circle and to round out his game: for example, teams will likely want him to become a potential penalty killer, which he doesn’t do right now. But he goes to high-danger areas, he has a quick release, he protects the puck well along and makes some low-to-high plays from below the goal line, and he has some pro attributes. I’ve liked the way he has played through contact this season after that was a bit of a question a year ago, as well, and he’s seeing the results in a ton of drawn penalties. I think he’s starting to figure it out again, and I think the second round is the appropriate range.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Shcherbakov is a big left-shot D who moves fairly well and has made the jump from the MHL to pro this year in the VHL and KHL. This isn’t Radim Mrtka, Dimitri Simashev or Maveric Lamoureux levels of mobility for a big man, but he’s not heavy and clunky either, with good feet walking the line and an ability to get back to pucks while also joining the rush as a trailer. His game is still pretty raw and he has development ahead of him on both sides of the puck, but I’ve seen him carry pucks into the offensive zone and stop up and find the trailer, and his comfort over his feet at his size makes him intriguing for NHL clubs. He’s going to be watched closely this year as teams try to decide what level of prospect he is. Is he a project you work towards becoming a third-pairing NHL D, or can he be something more? He has looked promising in a regular shift in the VHL (14-15 per game) but has struggled a little in limited minutes in the KHL.

I have mixed feelings about Rogowski — an MSU commit who got an “A” rating from NHL Central Scouting in their preliminary players to watch list — and I’m not the only one. Some see a 6-foot-7 center with good hands and skating who is playing big minutes for the Gens as a go-to player this season on both their power play (where he has the dexterity and soft skill to play the net-front and get sticks on tips and rebounds) and their penalty kill. Others see a big player who doesn’t involve himself or impose himself nearly enough for their liking and are turned off by his lack of intensity — a concern many also had with Bruins first-rounder Dean Letourneau, and I think Letourneau had even more skill/finesse/athleticism at the same age. I’ve seen him play a lot, and I fit more into the latter camp, though the tools obviously make him interesting. We’re also exiting out of a couple of drafts where big OHLers Kieron Walton and Ilya Protas have become top prospects for their organizations, though I think Rogowski is more in the Walton tier than the Protas tier. Development will be key for Rogowski, and he’ll be in good hands at Michigan State, which helps. He’s a legit prospect. I’m just not sure he’s a first-round one.

Photo:

Terry Wilson / OHL Images

Wassilyn, a BU commit, started the year with a minor injury, missing the first three weeks of the season with Niagara in the OHL. He’s now back and has played well in my viewings, both to start with Niagara and since a trade to London. The No. 4 pick in his OHL draft year, Wassilyn had a respectable season a year ago and was one of the last cuts for Canada’s Hlinka team. He’s a good skater who can turn opposing D off the rush. He has a good feel around the ice for where to be and how to use spacing, but will also go to the dirty areas and plays a pesky, competitive game for a 5-11 forward, standing up for himself and playing hard. He’s also stocky. He has a strong one-timer and is a better shooter than his goal totals indicate, though his game tilts toward passing. He has good stick skills. Though he’s listed as a center, he has played the wing in junior. I’ve thought of Matias Maccelli and Max Domi a little when I’ve watched him.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Pugachyov is a pro-sized forward who plays a pro style, has pro attributes and can be relied upon in all areas. While the production doesn’t pop, he has been one of Nizhny Novgorod’s best players when I’ve watched him this year, and scouts are fond of the player/profile. Pugachyov skates well, protects pucks well and can make plays off the wall to his linemates. He has shown some creativity/handling elements off the rush, and competes within a very physically involved game. He’s not a premium prospect, but he looks like a potential third-liner in the NHL and has been a top player in Russia’s ’08 age group.

Berchild, who wore the “C” at times for USA’s U17s last year and was productive playing up with the U18s (including a strong 8-in-7 showing at U18 Worlds), is a short but stocky and skilled scoring forward — he has played more wing than center but can play both. He reminds me a little of NTDP alum Isaac Howard. He got off to a slow start this season while dealing with injury, though, and at his size you have to continue to produce.

Berchild has legit one-on-one puck skill and handles and scored some pretty goals last year while beating D, though. He finds his way out of trouble and has some real creativity on the puck and an ability to play under triangles. He’s strong for a 5-9/10 winger. He plays to the interior and has a nose for the net. On the puck, he’s confident and plays to challenge and threaten inside the offensive zone and off the rush. He has a lethal shot that comes off his blade hard. He’s really comfortable going backhand. Off the puck, he has some hustle and some hardness, regularly winning battles against bigger players through body positioning, hard stick lifts and work ethic. He’s a good skater. His strong one-timer and scorer’s instincts give him power-play pop. There are times when he can try to do too much, but he’s a gamer.

If he can grow a couple of inches, he’s a second-round talent. He may well end up as a mid-round pick, though. I trust that he’ll be well-developed at Denver after the NTDP.

Photo:

Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDP

Nycz is one of the youngest defenseman in college hockey this season, playing his freshman year for a UMass program that has a track record of developing pro D. His calling card is that he’s mature on and off the ice, and he’s a 6-foot-2/3 D with excellent feet. He’s a really balanced skater with legit four-way mobility. His game offensively lacks dimension, but with his skating and trigger-happy approach at the line, he puts a lot of pucks on net and does a good job keeping them low. I’d like to see him show a little more poise/vision at times instead of firing pucks back to the crease, but he has some pro tools and looks like a second-round pick to me. He can gap up and defend the rush back the other way and has a good stick, too. He’s also got good instincts on both sides of the puck and plays a pretty polished game, which has allowed him to play 16-17 minutes per game as the youngest player on the Minutemen this year and contribute early on. By all accounts, he’s also got a pro attitude off the ice, too.

Photo:

Eryka Ingram / UMass Athletics

Tomik is a December ’07 who played the majority of last season in Slovakia’s top pro level with Trencin and has impressed at two U18 Worlds in Finland and Texas, where he played on Slovakia’s top line as a 16-year-old and was named one of the team’s top three players of the tournament. He also played at last year’s World Juniors just a couple of weeks after his 17th birthday. Tomik is playing his draft year in the WHL with the Vancouver Giants, who successfully brought over Slovak forward Samuel Honzek and helped him become a first-round NHL draft pick in 2023. Tomik hasn’t been as productive as some expected, though, and still looks like he’s figuring it out over here.

Tomik has good hands. He’s a decent skater for his age, though I’m not sure he’s a standout one. He’s a natural shooter and finisher who can rip the puck on the power play and has scored some goals from distance over the last couple of years playing the point and flank. Though he didn’t kill penalties at the pro level, he can be relied upon, has played all three forward positions and has been a solid penalty-killer for the national team and might have dual special teams upside (though he has only been used there a little with Vancouver early on as well). He projects as a potential top-nine scoring winger, but some questions have popped up, and I’d like to see more from him.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Isaksson is a playmaking two-way forward who wore the “C” for Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He’s not a penalty killer or checker, per se, but he plays a well-rounded game, can be relied upon, knows how to support his linemates offensively and defensively, and can play both center (which is his listing with NHL Central Scouting, and he has played for Sweden) and the wing (which he has played in J20 this year). He’s also an agile skater who uses quick feet to build speed and cross over. He also has great hands laterally on D and one-on-one with goalies, regularly beating guys with the puck and navigating through traffic. He has a nasty release from mid-range. He has made some pretty plays at the J20 level this year inside the offensive zone, rounding corners and attacking into the slot. And he’s a thinker of the game who knows where to be and go. I think he’s flying under the radar a little early on this season. He’s becoming a sneaky favorite of mine, and I think he’s better than the “C” grade NHL Central Scouting gave him.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Zielinski is a Providence commit who stood out at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he looked like he belonged on the top line with Nikita Klepov and Jack Hextall, and was at times their driver. He had the option to play in the OHL with the Ottawa 67’s this year but elected to stick with Des Moines and its coaching staff after they’ve been good to him, a decision I respect. He’s just a good, effective player who can play center and the wing, gets around the puck, works, knows where to be and go and plays with jump, intention and a consistent shift-to-shift spirit and approach. He has a good feel for spacing and passes the puck well. He has a decent release. His tools are more above-average than high-end, though, and he’s not particularly physical for his size, which does raise upside questions. I see him as a late-second or third-round pick at this stage.

Alalauri has been a staple of Finland’s ’08 age group from the Youth Olympics into U17s and more recently the Hlinka and U18 Worlds (at the latter, he was one of two underagers on the team). A UMass commit, he has played big minutes in all situations and driven play for the Pelicans’ U20 team this season. He played 22-23 minutes per game at the Hlinka, registering four points in five games (tops among D and second on the team), and has played 22-23 minutes per game in junior this season as well. His game has lacked the consistency of a player like Juho Piiparainen in my viewings, though. He skates quite well (a theme among the trio of Finnish D who I have ranked or mentioned here), and he has pro size and tools. There are games where he impacts play at both ends and games where he creates a lot of offense. But there are others where he looks off and makes mistakes. I don’t quite know what to make of him yet. He reminds me a little of 2025’s Logan Hensler, who has always been a tough eval. He should be a top-three-rounds pick, though, because of his attributes and track record. I would like to see him at the pro level.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

RHD

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Tier 6

Liiga U20

Brøngel-Larsson is a physical and competitive late-birthday two-way defenseman who made his SHL debut last year and played at U18 Worlds and the Hlinka with the draft class in front of him. He plays hard, battles for his ice, has penalty killed for club and country, wears a letter for Frolunda’s J20 team, moves pucks cleanly and flatly and offers a firmness to his game on both sides of the puck. But I’ve also seen him show poise and find his way out of trouble in his own zone when he needs to, or rip what looks like an NHL shot. It’s not hard to imagine him becoming a reliable third-pairing D in the NHL or call-up option from the AHL.

Vanhatalo impressed on Finland’s top line at the Hlinka this summer, where he was owed more than his three points in five games, and has now made the jump to the U20 junior level with Tappara. He’s a big, strong, heavy winger with enough feel. He’s also got an NHL shot, with a hard wrister and one-timer that combines with a willingness to go to the net for rebounds and battles for positioning. And while he’s not going to be a playmaker at the next level, he can pass the puck and will identify plays to his linemates. His path is to work towards becoming a bottom-sixer with some secondary scoring pieces. There are some who view him as a potential late first, which, given his modest and limited track record, speaks to the belief in his tools/size.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

RW

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Tier 6

Liiga U20

Mbuyi, a Penn State commit, is the reigning OHL Rookie of the Year. He was a star with the Toronto Marlboros in minor hockey coming up, and then scored 29 goals and 52 points in 63 games with Owen Sound last year (both second on the Attack). He’s also off to a strong start this year, creating a lot of his own offense and wearing a letter. But he started the Hlinka as a scratch for Canada, and the crux lies in that question about where he fits in a lineup up levels given his size. He plays with drive, intensity and work rate when he’s at his best, though, buzzing around the ice to make things happen and will plays into existence. He can be scrappy. He’s a standout skater, shooter and handler who can attack off the rush, wind around the offensive zone and strike with his release. But how effective will he be, or can he be, as an NHLer? That’s what teams will ask themselves on draft day, and he’ll have to answer it over and over again with his play. Cameron Schmidt went at the end of the third round in 2025 to the Stars, and he had more international pedigree (though Mbuyi is also a more well-rounded player). He’s a fun player to watch in the OHL, for sure.

Photo:

Terry Wilson / OHL Images

Chudzinski made the jump from the U.S. prep school circuit with Dexter Southfield to the QMJHL for his draft year and has started the season with strong goal-scoring and goal-differential results. He had a solid showing in the QMJHL Prospects Game as well. He’s a late ’07 with a strong frame, good skill and a dangerous catch-and-release shot, and while his shooting percentage has been high to start the year, he has a scorer’s knack for getting his looks from high-danger areas and then the shot variety to finish plays when he gets there. He’s not going to be a penalty killer, but he isn’t the one-dimensional type either, and scouts are high on him (which isn’t always the case with scorers). I’ve had people tell me they think he’s going to be a 2027 World Junior player for Team USA, and others who think he’s firmly a mid-second in the draft. He works hard enough and is competitive enough. I do think he needs to be more disciplined with his stick and on the puck at times, but he seems quite committed to being involved in games.

Fitzgerald is a heavy, competitive and physical pro-style center who was a top pick in the OHL and had a strong rookie season on a weak Petes team. His production hasn’t taken a step there this season, though, and some scouts are now wondering if he tops out as a bottom-sixer.

He has a hard shot, he hits hard and he can be a lot to handle when he gets going because he’s a strong north-south skater who can be fast when he has time to build a head of steam, whether that’s chasing a puck down the ice or pushing through the neutral zone/toward the net. He hasn’t been productive in more of a bottom-six role with Hockey Canada at U17s and the Hlinka, though, either, and eventually you have to start to score. With proper development, he has the makings of a third-line power forward, but the ceiling here isn’t much higher than that and he’s no longer viewed as a first-round candidate by those I’ve talked to lately.

Photo:

Brandon Taylor / OHL Images

Schairer, a BU commit, is an athletic right-shot defenseman who impressed scouts in international play with the U17s last year at all three of the U17 worlds, the December Five Nations and the February Five Nations, making plays and playing with confidence against his peers. I think that, particularly the U17s in Sarnia last fall, has buoyed him a little, though, and I’ve been less convinced in my viewings since that he’s actually one of the top D prospects in this class. I was a little surprised that NHL Central Scouting gave him an “A” rating to start the year as well. He has had a tougher time against USHL competition, where his game has shown that it still has some growing to do. He has the frame and skating, he’s clearly capable, but I’m not entirely sure what his identity is or his role is at the next level because he’s probably not an offensive type or a defensive type, and I’m not sure he fully knows how to be the excellent two-way type quite yet. I’ve seen him make plays (he scored a beautiful overtime winner against Czechia at U17s, but again, that was a long time ago), but I’ve also waited for him to separate from a weak NTDP age group, and he hasn’t done that for me. When I’ve watched them play this year, he has mostly looked like a guy. The tools are there, though, and I do think there’s a possibility they reveal themselves more in college than they’ve been able to at the program.

Photo:

Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDP

Hafele, an ASU commit, never played a prominent role in his two years at the NTDP, but I was always struck by his excellent skating. It has been on display to start his draft year in the USHL with Green Bay as well. They’re playing him 20 minutes per game as a forward, and on top of the offense he creates for them at five-on-five and on the power play, he has also been a top penalty killer for the Gamblers (a transferable skill up levels with his feet). He gets in and out of his edges quickly and can both challenge in direct lines or in and out of breaks. He has a competitive side and is strong for his size. And he has good instincts both offensively and defensively.

Photo:

Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDP

Williams, a University of North Dakota commit, led all U17 WHL skaters in scoring last season with 57 points in 68 games. That’s production that’s typically indicative of a first-rounder. He was a bit of a non-factor at Hlinka for Canada, though, and his production hasn’t taken a leap yet this season. Plus, he’s a slight center who needs to get stronger. He has good hands and skill, and plays a heady game on both sides of the puck, which combine to allow him to be opportunistic around the ice. But average speed, the need to improve in the faceoff circle and his size make him more of a second- or third-round type.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Cover is a fascinating story. He grew up in the Cayman Islands, where there are no rinks, and became a roller hockey star who played professional inline hockey in the United States. He still spends his summers on Grand Cayman and didn’t start playing ice hockey full-time until a few years ago. After enrolling at St. Andrew’s College and playing prep school hockey, he played three games for the London Knights last season and has now made the full-time jump to the OHL for his draft year. It still very much looks like he’s learning the game at times, too. Those who’ve worked with him describe him as “very raw.” He has great puck skills in traffic, with a slippery and elusive quality from his roller hockey background. But he’s not a great passer, I don’t think he sees the game particularly well, and he needs to get his teammates more involved. NHL teams are watching him closely, but I’m not yet buying into some of the late-first/early-second chatter out there.

Photo:

Luke Durda / OHL Images

Svensk is an excellent skater who played for Finland at U18 Worlds in Texas and has gotten reps with the U20 national team and now his pro club team. He’s not the biggest defender, but he battles and competes and can have a bit of a chip on his shoulder at times. His game really revolves around his mobility, though. He plays tight gaps, closes early and often, can go back and get pucks, can skate pucks out of trouble, joins the rush in transition and walks the line effortlessly. He also has good hands and feel on the puck, with an ability to make plays at pace and in and out of traffic. He’s on the older side of the draft, he needs to get stronger and he may end up as more of a late-round pick (NHL Central Scouting gave him a “W” rating, which “indicates a 6th/7th round candidate”), but I was trying to find names to round out the top 64 and he was one I wanted to include.

LHD

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Tier 6

Liiga U20

Vandenberg made the move from the USHL with Cedar Rapids to the OHL with Ottawa this season and has been their leading scorer through the first month of the year, while playing mostly with two other rookies and creating a lot of the offense for himself. He’s one of the youngest players in the draft, too, born just a week from eligibility for 2027. And while he’s average-sized, the details and habits are already there, and he excels in the faceoff circle. The 67’s needed someone to rise to the challenge this year, and he has done that, playing tough matchups and performing in all situations. He doesn’t have a standout trait or attribute, and as a 5-11 center who isn’t particularly physical, some will wonder what he is at the next level, but he has an NHL release, he’s a smart player and the development runway and rapid progression are noteworthy. He may end up more of a mid-round pick, but I wanted to show him some love here.

Photo:

Terry Wilson / OHL Images

Tier Honorable Mention

LW

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Tier Honorable Mention

WHL

C

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Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

RW

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Tier Honorable Mention

J20

C

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Tier Honorable Mention

NTDP

RHD

🇺🇸

Tier Honorable Mention

QMJHL

C

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

RHD

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Tier Honorable Mention

QMJHL

LHD

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

LHD

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Tier Honorable Mention

MHL

C

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Tier Honorable Mention

MHL

RHD

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Tier Honorable Mention

Slovakia

LW

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Tier Honorable Mention

WHL

RW

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Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

LHD

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Tier Honorable Mention

WHL

RW

🇱🇹

Tier Honorable Mention

NL

C

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Tier Honorable Mention

USHL

RW

🇨🇿

Tier Honorable Mention

Liiga U20

LW

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

C

🇺🇸

Tier Honorable Mention

NTDP

LW

🇺🇸

Tier Honorable Mention

NTDP

LW

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

QMJHL

RW

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

WHL

C

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

WHL

RW

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

LHD

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Tier Honorable Mention

Liiga U20

RW

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

RW

🇺🇸

Tier Honorable Mention

NTDP

RW

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Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

Nov 8, 2025

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