Quote:
Originally Posted by stemit14
Sandman - do you have any early favourites amongst centers in this draft? Any of them looking on a level near or above Misa from the last draft?
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It's already been answered, and it's still too early to make any predictions, but C Ryan Roobroeck would be a decent consolation prize to teams losing out on the McKenna sweepstakes (there aren't any Misa comparables yet). He's going to be one of the oldest players in the 2026 Draft, but he has size (6'4"), and has excellent hockey sense and awareness, a lethal shot, and high-end playmaking skills. He's been steadily improving in the speed department, but still needs a bit of work on his boots, and needs more consistency when it comes to his physical game, defensive engagement, and intensity.
C Tynan Lawrence is one to watch as well- he's a six-footer, but he's very well-rounded, and can do a bit of everything. He's also a hard worker with some grit and snarl.
C Colin Fitzgerald might end up being a favorite of mine. Right now, he's being underrated because of the fact that his stats were hurt by playing on a weak Peterborough Petes team, and he didn't get much TOI in the Hlinka, but he's a decent-skating 6'2",207lb power forward who loves to throw his weight around, and plays a complete game. He's already been mentioned in this thread.
Watch out for Beckham Edwards, Viggo Bjorck, Alessandro Di Iorio, Cooper Williams, and Oscar Holmertz as well.
Few names to kep an eye on.