2026 NHL Draft Thread

[Funkhouser]

Stenberg is my top pick and I am hoping the Flames get him.

Bjorck, JP Hurlbert or Morozov are my hope for the second pick in the 20s.

[Sandman]

More thoughts on Central Scouting's Preliminary Rankings:

-"C"-rated LW Jordan Duguay (5'10.25",174lbs) has seen more than his fair share of criticism from scouts over the past few years, with many saying that his game won't translate, that he lacks any separating NHL-traits, he shrinks in physical games, he's not fast enough for a small player, and the list goes on. It's true that he's another player that fits the adage of one who is good at everything, but not elite in any one area, and that he lacks dynamic skill- which are not things you want to hear about a smaller player. Duguay had an excellent D-minus-1 year in 2024-25, putting up 32 points in 68 games, and he has followed that up in the current campaign by placing 3rd in scoring for the Portland Winterhawks, with 11 goals and 32 points in 32 games. While he needs upgrades to his top-speed and pace with the puck, Duguay is clearly a high-IQ player with offensive awareness, and well-developed puck-skill. He is a gifted playmaker who brings energy, motor, and compete, with a solid 200-ft game. There's a bit of a chip on his shoulder too, and he battles hard in the trenches to win pucks for his team; he will charge the net, and displays a dangerous net-front presence with soft hands in-close. He's a pass-first player, and doesn't own a particularly threatening shot. It will be interesting to see what the REAL NHL scouts think of him on the second day of the draft.

-The "Brown-Brown-Duguay" line in Portland consists of Jordan Duguay, 19 year-old Nathan Brown, and "C"-rated LHC Reed Brown (5'10.5",161lbs), who has produced 11 goals and 18 points in 26 games. Brown has plenty of assets that most would want to see in a top-six C, except for ideal size; he plays a very projectable, straightforward and simple game, and contributes in all three zones, and in any situation. There is no problem in regards to his effort and engagement- he brings energy to his team, and is aggressive and physical, as well as strong on the puck, but desperately needs to bulk up and get stronger in order to win more battles. His offensive awareness and IQ are strong, with the vision to pull off some high-end plays at times, but his profile is that of a goal-scorer, and he has always had more goals than assists at every level of hockey he's played. Brown has a shooter's eye for open lanes, and understands how to make his own space, but is also unafraid to go to the net, or to plant himself in front of the goalie to finish. He skates quite well, and has fantastic edges for extra maneuverability, but he keeps things relatively simple and devoid of flashiness. Brown was drafted by the Brandon Wheat Kings with the 6th-overall pick in the 2023 WHL US Prospect Draft, and was acquired by the Winterhawks in June of 2024.

-RD Yaroslav Fedoseyev (6'1",181lbs) may have been given a "C"-rating by Central Scouting, but he wears an "A" for Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk of the MHL as an 18 year-old- though it's important to note that he's a bit older, with a November 7th, 2007 birthday. While he hasn't played a full-slate of games, due to the fact that he's been given so much time in the big leagues, he is still tied for 24th in scoring by D in the junior circuit with 12 points in 17 games. His ppg of 0.71 stands as the 7th-best mark for defensemen, earning him 10 games in the VHL (1 goal), and 6 games in the KHL (1 goal), with scouts saying he hasn't looked out of place in either league, and the scoresheet saying that he's getting fairly good ice-time. It's hard to get a good read on where he'll be picked, and what his exact NHL-projection is, but he is most likely going to be a defensively sound, two-way puck-mover in the show, with his elevated hockey IQ and vision guiding the way. He is quite mobile and smart, as well as aggressive and physical in defending the zone, but also a transitional driver, and an active participant in his team's attack.

-The powerhouse Brantford Bulldogs keep loading up for their Memorial Cup bid, trading C Layne Gallacher and four draft picks to the Guelph Storm in exchange for Flyers first-rounder Jett Luchanko, on Nov.4th. It's good news as far as I'm concerned for a player I really like in the "C"-rated Gallacher, who is listed as being 5'11" on some sites, but is actually 6'1",180lbs. Gallacher, who was injured in late October and not expected back until the new year, will hopefully get a legitimate chance to showcase himself for the 2026 Draft, with more ice-time and responsibility. To date, as the Bulldogs' third-line C, he has posted 5 goals and 12 points in 21 games, which prorates to 33 points in 57 games, but he started the season with 8 points in 10 games (with a +7). He is a gritty and tenacious two-way power-forward who moves well, and performs admirably on the defensive side of the puck. Going the other way, he exhibits excellent hockey sense and owns good instincts, with no fear of playing in the middle, or driving the net to exert his goal-scoring touch. He will do the dirty work for his teammates in winning pucks in contested areas, keeping the play alive in the zone, and planting himself in front of the net as a screen. I'll be watching to see how he does with Guelph, but he could be well worth a second-rounder.

-Watch out for "C"-rated LHC Lavr Gashilov (6'2.5",170lbs), I don't think he's getting the proper respect. Though he's one of the oldest first-time draft-eligibles for 2026 (born on September 23rd, 2007), it is no less impressive that he's 3rd in MHL scoring, with 9 goals and 39 points in 29 games for Avto Yekaterinburg- which is 15 points more than his nearest teammate. Gashilov has racked up the most assists (30) of any player in the league, an indicator of the level of playmaker he is, and just to quell concerns about his age/points ratio a bit- his 40 points in 43 games in 2024-25 was 4th for U-18 players. Gashilov possesses heightened vision, anticipation, and creativity that enables him to thread the needle to teammates in high-danger through the smallest of holes, and the soft-touch passing skill to put the exact amount of velocity needed on his feeds, right to the recipient's wheelhouse. The problem is that he tends to stop moving his feet when he has the puck in the offensive zone, and does most of his damage at low-pace. The good news is that his high IQ keeps him on the right side of the puck at all times in a perfect defensive position, he skates and handles like a dream, and he uses his ample frame well to win battles, dish out hits, and play a physical brand of hockey. He also has a heavy shot with a snappy release that he should use more often, and is proficient in faceoffs.

-The top point-producer in Russia's VHL for U-18 players so far this season is LHC Viktor Fyodorov (5 points in 25 games). Likewise, the top point-producer in the KHL for U-18 players so far this season is also LHC Viktor Fyodorov (3 points in 6 games). The "C"-rated Fyodorov (5'10",176lbs) is very fun to watch, and despite not possessing ideal size, looks tailor-made for the center position in how mature and responsible he is as a defensive player, and how disruptive he is over the entire 200-feet of ice. He seems to rack up steals and takeaways, picks pockets, lifts sticks, and separates man from puck using physicality in the form of hits, but also little bumps, slashes, and shoves. When a retrieval happens in the defensive zone, it seems to be Fyodorov a lot of the time- his off-puck game is high-end. He is an excellent skater who plays with pace, and is a smooth puckhandler, overflowing with IQ, vision, and anticipation- seemingly always a step or two ahead of the action, and always in proper position; he is a play-driver through transition, and also in the offensive zone. Fyodorov gets good zip on his wrister, and he is a highly creative playmaker who generates chances aplenty for his teammates- although he can get too fancy at times, and sometimes holds on to the puck too long. He sees openings that few others can see, and has the passing skill to thread the needle for dangerous chances. Like all of his teammates on Chaika Nizhny Novgorod of the MHL, he has failed to reach a point-per-game level, with 2 goals and 8 points in 10 games.

[Tbull8]

I keep forgetting that Ottawa forfeits their pick. I guess its good for the Flames if Ottawa also stays at the bottom. Better odds for those lottery picks to go to Ottawa and not matter

[Sandman]

More thoughts from Central Scouting's Preliminary Rankings:

-Normally a background depth player for the Spokane Chiefs, "C"-rated LHC Brody Gillespie (6'0.75",194lbs) has seen time recently with some of the better offensive producers on the team, Chase Harrington in particular, and has responded with 7 points in the last 4 games. His efforts in recent games give him 16 points in 32 games, or 34 in 67 when prorated. His jump in production should come as no surprise, as Gillespie was the first-overall pick in the 2023 WHL US Import Draft by the Chiefs, and he was a participant in Team USA's entry in the summer's Hlinka tournament (no points), though he was deployed in a checking role. This is a player to watch for the remainder of the season, as he might be starting to put things together with more ice-time and responsibility, and he plays a rather mature, responsible game to positively affect the play in all three zones. He's a heads-up player with good scanning habits and a quick processor, with above-average speed and agility on his edges- he has a peppy first-step and explosiveness in small-areas. Only 6 PIM so far, but he plays with a bit of power, and uses his frame to win battles and establish inside positioning. I wish he was a little meaner, and he will need a little work on his puck-skill going forward, as well as his consistency.

-RHC Caden Harvey (6'0.5",183lbs) looks like another American kid who has been relegated to a depth position on a deep and talented Canadian team, mostly deployed in a third-line role for the Windsor Spitfires. Reports are that he was tried on the top-line while Liam Greentree was away at World Juniors camp, but it didn't even last a full game. Harvey has the toolkit, but suffers from inconsistency, low pace, and an inability to put it all together on a nightly basis, with some saying he struggles with his identity on the ice. He is blessed with an athletic frame, a powerful stride, and exhibits flashes of high-end processing, vision, and playmaking prowess. His shot could use more power, but he owns soft hands around the net. Like the rest of his game, his physical engagement has ebbs and flows, but he sometimes looks like a power-forward with a high battle-level- too often though, his intensity and workrate are not there. Only 3 goals and 13 points this season in the OHL, after playing a checking role for Team USA in this past summer's Hlinka, where he posted 2 goals in 5 games. Playing at a more up-tempo pace is a big need.

-The Guelph Storm are 12th, out of 20 teams in the OHL so far this season, but they are 6th in goals-scored, and have a fairly deep blueline brigade with the likes of Rylan Singh, Quinn Beauchesne, Noah Jenken, Grant Spada, and Rowan Topp. That makes it even more impressive that 17 year-old, "C"-rated draft-eligible LD Eric Frossard (6'5.5",206lbs) has seen some top-line duty on a pairing with Singh, due to injuries to their D-corps. Scouts have been promising a Frossard offensive-breakout all season, and this might be the start of it, with 2 points in his last 3 games, for a rather underwhelming 4 points in 24 games to date. Other than his gargantuan size, Frossard's best asset is his surprising mobility in all directions- which aids him in mirroring his opponents' footwork against the rush, surfing across the ice to close gaps, make stops with physicality, beating attackers in retrievals, and moving the puck out of the zone with calmness and poise. He mostly makes smooth first-passes, and can stretch the ice with some longer breakouts, with no fear of joining the rush. When the play is installed in the offensive zone, he is a capable quarterback from the line with a hard and heavy shot, and will activate into the play for chances. There are upgrades needed to his puck-skill, but this is a kid to watch for the second-half of the season.

-Though he looked like a sure-fire pick for the top-64 in the 2026 Draft in the last 2 Hlinka tournaments (3 points in 4 games apiece), Central Scouting saw fit to give RD Adam Goljer (6'3",194lbs) a "C"-rating; he is still showing up in the top-two rounds on plenty of lists, though. The big Slovak is tied for 25th-overall in scoring by D in his home country's top men's league, with 9 points in 26 games, which also makes him the 6th-highest scoring U-18 defenseman in league history- and there's still plenty of hockey left in the season. He's pretty young too, being born on June 7th, 2008. Goljer will most likely be a bit of a project, as he needs upgrades to his speed, puck-skill, and consistency, though his stride is mechanically smooth and projectable. Even at his young age, he's a minute-munching workhorse against men, and reportedly often gets the highest time-on-ice for his team, HK Dukla Trencin- but as one would expect, his play in the pros has peaks and valleys as a developing player. He can log big minutes (he was third-overall in average TOI at the Hlinka) while playing in any situation, including both special teams. Goljer plays a physical game (at least against juniors) and carries a calm, poised demeanor in his smooth retrievals, and his passes out of the zone. He showed his shutdown abilities in the Hlinka, with a solid gap to stop the rush, an active stick, and heads-up awareness in the zone. In the other end of the ice, he keeps it simple but supports the play well, facilitates offense, and has a hard shot from the point that he can get on net with good frequency. Against men, his gaps are a bit loose, his physicality is inconsistent at best, his net-front defense is rather weak, and his own-zone play looks a bit too carefree. There's an excellent base here, but he'll need a bit of work.

-"C"-rated RW Joe Iginla (5'10",174lbs) is used by the Edmonton Oil Kings in all situations, with his ice-time and linemates varying, depending on the opponent; he plays on each of the top-three lines, can play center or wing, and contributes to both sides of special teams. He is 8th in team scoring with 21 points (11 goals) in 32 games, prorated to 44 points in 68 games, and is quite young, with an August 13th, 2008 birthday. Iggy started the season with 10 points in his first 11 games, but only has 3 points in his last 10- there are many who are waiting for him to break out offensively. He's a pretty well-rounded, all-around player who is known to be a very good defensive forward, and can be a pesky, grinding presence with tenacity and physicality- despite his smaller frame. He may not be a speed merchant, but he skates well enough with agility and evasiveness, shows proficiency in protecting the puck, and owns some deft one-on-one skills, but he seems especially adept in finding space in traffic to unleash his hard and heavy shot. There is no fear of competing in the hard areas of the ice, and he will go to the net for chances in-tight, with soft hands to beat goalies. Iggy is hard on the puck, and wins battles along the wall, but needs to improve his pace with the puck, and his consistency of intensity. Though he exhibits good hockey sense and vision, and flashes high levels of creativity, he's not known to be a playmaker- more of a shooter and finisher. Older brother Tij was a bit of a late-bloomer, and had a big growth spurt leading up to his draft, so here's hoping for more of the same for Joe.

-The Penticton Vees are 6th in the WHL standings, and 9th in goals-for, with a fairly deep blueline- which means "C"-rated RD Jiri Kamas (6'1.25",187lbs) often gets third-pairing duty. He still might be getting acclimated to playing in North America, but he is steadily improving his defensive details, and decision-making with the puck. He was a standout at the Hlinka, leading the Czechs in goal-scoring with 3 tallies in 5 games, while showing off his upside as an offensive facilitator, as well as his proficiency in defending the rush. He owns excellent mobility in all directions, which he uses in deploying tight gap-control, and taking time and space away from attackers in-zone. He sees the ice well and makes sound reads to make stops, then completes poised and calm plays to get pucks moving in the other direction, although he has shown some inconsistency in this area. In the other end of the ice, one of Kamas' top assets is his cannon of a shot that he can pick corners with, and can get on net through traffic. He is a high-volume shooter, which creates opportunities for his teammates in the form of tips and rebounds, but he's also a capable distributor, and can run a powerplay. Only 7 points in 20 games thus far in the WHL, which prorates to 20 points in 58 games, but scouts like his potential.

-Calgary's own, "C"-rated LD Brayden Klimpke (5'11",168lbs), is a player I really like- despite his small stature, he plays a physical brand of shutdown defense, and has amassed 25 points in 34 games (prorated to 50 in 68) for the Saskatoon Blades. He's an older player, with an October 8th, 2007 birthday, but that shouldn't diminish how complete a player he is, with solid contributions in all three zones; he's an expert puck-mover, and one of the best defensemen against the rush in this draft. He is calm and poised under pressure with the puck, reads the ice well, and makes good decisions- be it in his breakouts, his transitional feeds, or his distributions in the offensive zone. He's a battler, and will take on bigger players in front of his net, rub attackers out along the boards, and will throw hits to dislodge pucks. In the other end of the ice, he walks the line with confidence, makes smart pinches, and gets pucks through to the net in an effort to create opportunities for teammates. A very smart and impactful player for the Blades, and one that could go in the top-96.

-The Swift Current Broncos are dead-last in the 23-team WHL, and only two teams have scored less goals than their 87. So how good does "C"-rated LHC Noah Kosick (5'11",165lbs) have to be to lead them in points by a whopping 14? Kosick has some pedigree, being a first-round draft-pick (#11) in 2023 by the Calgary Hitmen, who traded him for a pair of second-rounders this past summer. Getting bigger and stronger is his greatest need, as he can be knocked off the puck rather easily, and struggles a bit to win battles in the greasy areas of the ice. Even so, he compensates somewhat by being elusive in his shiftiness, his maneuverability on his edges, his deception skills, and his slick handling that allows him to deke and dangle around (and through) opponents. He owns superb spatial awareness, and exhibits an arsenal of delays and cut-backs to both draw pressure, and create space for himself and his teammates. Kosick sees the well, anticipates the play like few can, and exerts his high-end IQ and vision to drive play and make his teammates better- he also has a decent shot, and good hands around the net. While he moves well in a straight-line, with his head up on a swivel, I don't see him as a burner by any means- which might change as he gets stronger. He can play through contact, and will take a hit to make a play, but he's not a very physical player, and has been criticized for his defensive engagement.

-"C"-rated RHC Adam Levac (5'11.75",172lbs) started a bit slow, with 5 points in his first 11 games, but has begun to break-out a bit lately, with 12 points in his last 10 games- giving him an impressive 13 goals and 28 points in 32 games (prorated to 60 points in 68 games). He plays a rather simple, straightforward game, and isn't really dynamically skilled or fast, but he's smart and operates on a high activity-rate, with relentless motor, and blinding pace. There are flashes of cerebral passing skill, as he can get the puck through traffic at times, right to the tape of his teammates, as well as finishing skills in-close with no fear of driving the net. Most of his goals seem to come from in-tight to the net, but he has a pretty good shot that he can unleash while in-motion. Levac works hard in puck-battles, can play a physical game, and currently holds a face-off percentage of 54%.

[Bingo]

Dobber added to the list

11 rankings
Need 4 to get an average

1 Gavin McKenna 1.75
2 Ivar Stenberg 2.33
3 Keaton Verhoeff 2.42

4 Tynan Lawrence 4.58

5 Ethan Belchetz 6.92
6 Chase Reid 7.42

7 Alberts Smits 10.83
8 Carson Carels 11.17
10 Ryan Lin 11.82

11 Viggo Björck 13.58

12 Mathis Preston 14.67
13 X Villeneuve 15.17
14 Daxon Rudolph 16.08
15 M Nordmark 16.45
16 Adam Novotný 16.83
17 E Hermansson 16.83

18 Ryan Roobroeck 17.20
19 Caleb Malhotra 17.36
20 Oliver Suvanto 17.64

21 Juho Piiparinen 18.75
22 M Gustafsson 19.45

23 J.P. Hurlbert 21.33
24 Will Håkansson 21.67
25 Jack Hextall 22.44
26 Nikita Klepov 22.56
27 Oscar Hemming 22.78

28 Egor Shilov 25.40

29 N Aaram-Olsen 27.67
30 Ilia Morozov 28.10
31 Beck Edwards 28.33

32 Tomas Chrenko 31.00
33 M Dagenais 32.00
34 B Rogowski 32.22
35 Adam Valentini 32.50

36 Ales Di Iorio 34.67
37 Alex Command 35.40
38 Casey Mutryn 36.00
39 Oliv Mūrnieks 37.75
40 Oscar Holmertz 37.83

[Jiri Hrdina]

Chase Reid is certainly a riser. Wouldn't be surprised if he works himself into the top tier conversation.

[Roko]

Give me Stenberg/mckenna/lawrence and morozov and im stoked