2026 NHL Draft Thread

[cam_calderon]

Originally Posted by Vox

Since we're getting geeky, I assigned points to the players in reverse order (1st is 100 points, 100th is 1 point), and adding them up by team we get:

Cgy	540
Nsh	408
SJ	365
Mtl	332
Chi	291
Wsh	260
CBJ	245
Bos	241
Uta	222
Car	202
Sea	196
Buf	187
Phi	167
NYI	165
VGK	162
StL	158
Det	145
NJ	124
Pit	100
Ana	93
Dal	86
TB	72
Ott	66
Min	65
LA	55
Van	50
NYR	43
Edm	10

Corey Pronman was still rank Calgary 10th or worse in the pool rankings.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Alexander Sapozhnikov sounds a lot like Anton Babchuk.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by cam_calderon

Corey Pronman was still rank Calgary 10th or worse in the pool rankings.

Pronman is an idiot, I wouldn't put any stock in what he says at all.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Vox

Since we're getting geeky, I assigned points to the players in reverse order (1st is 100 points, 100th is 1 point), and adding them up by team we get:

Cgy	540
Nsh	408
SJ	365
Mtl	332
Chi	291
Wsh	260
CBJ	245
Bos	241
Uta	222
Car	202
Sea	196
Buf	187
Phi	167
NYI	165
VGK	162
StL	158
Det	145
NJ	124
Pit	100
Ana	93
Dal	86
TB	72
Ott	66
Min	65
LA	55
Van	50
NYR	43
Edm	10

I took an embarrassingly long time to figure out you weren't referring to Conor Geekie and not being able to find him on the list.

[Tbull8]

Van and NY being as bad as they are with nothing in the pipeline is wild

[Leeman4Gilmour]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Gridin should be the 2nd ranked Flame IMO

Agreed. I'm not saying I'd put him ahead of Parekh, but there's an argument to be made that he's had a better first year of pro hockey.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Nothing against Parekh, he's been fine, but I too would have Gridin ahead of Parekh at this point. Parekh plays a tougher position and one that takes longer to get acclimated to, but that shouldn't discount what Gridin has done.

If we had our prospects poll today, I would have Gridin 1st.

Gridin
Parekh
Reschny

To be exact.

[Monahammer]

People sleeping on a great Reschny campaign in the NCAA. He'd be up among the point leaders without the WJC break.

Gridin has been absolutely dynamite this year, I agree on that.

Parekh has also been amazing, especially since the confidence reboost at WJC.

I really, really hate how we have deployed him in the NHL but I think he'll still be the best of the three long term.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Feb.11th: LW Oleg Kulebyakin was not considered to be a legitimate prospect before the season began, even though he was taken with the 9th-overall pick in the CHL Import Draft, with Central Scouting rating him as a "W". Kulebyakin (5'10.25",178lbs) opened eyes, with 17 goals and 33 points in his first 26 games in the QMJHL- a pace that put him on a trajectory for 42 goals and 81 points in 64 games. His torrid scoring-pace has cooled a bit, with only 18 points in his last 23 tilts, giving him 51 points in 49 contests- prorated to 30 goals and 67 points in 64 games. It's still pretty impressive to see an 18 year-old leading his team in scoring, even if that team is the 13th-placed (out of 18 teams) Halifax Mooseheads. The young Russian is #68 on Central Scouting's Mid-Term Rankings for North Americans.

Though he's not an elite speedster, and requires work on his mechanics, Kulebyakin skates very well, plays with pace and shiftiness, and can go end-to-end with the puck on occasion- he is one of the few players on his team that can complete clean, controlled entries on a regular basis. His edgework needs more polish as well, as he can lose speed in turns, but he is light on his feet, and can still outmaneuver opponents on the run, stop and start rapidly, and make rapid lateral cuts to draw pressure and open lanes for shooting or passing. He is quick and pacey enough to push defenders back, keep them on their heels, and make them scramble to contain him- he is seemingly an expert in opening space by forcing defenses to shift with his high-tempo. He isn't a very physical player in terms of throwing hits, but he's not afraid of competing in the dirty areas of the ice, cutting to the middle from the wall, or skating through contact. Kulebyakin has some slick one-on-one trickery, shields the puck from checks while on the move, and handles very well in small spaces; he uses delays and fakes to buy time and space for himself and his teammates. His playmaking game is quite compact as well, as he relies mostly on short-range passes, and give-and-go sequences in the offensive zone, as well as in transition- he never seems to even try to complete longer-range feeds; he generally keeps things simple, and there's nothing wrong with that. His offensive game is quite well-balanced, and he can expertly locate soft spots in coverage to relocate to after dishing off, in order to make room to uncork his dangerous wrister- he's a constant threat with his quick hands that enable him to beat goaltenders 1-on-1, or freeze them with his quick release. While he utilizes his energy and motor to his advantage on the attack, he is less focused and aware in the defensive zone, and less involved; this part of his game needs plenty of refinement. It will be interesting to see where he is drafted, but I think he gets picked in the middle-rounds.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Feb.12th: Liam Ruck is a goal-scoring, right-handed winger, while twin-brother Markus is more of a playmaking, left-handed center (which may up his value a bit). Last season, Liam was given middle-six minutes on the Medicine Hat Tigers (61gp/25g/16a/41pts,+17, 6 PIM), and in the Hlinka (5gp/2g/1a/3pts,+6, 2 PIM), while Markus was often on the 4th-line on both teams (62gp/8g/21a/29pts,+12, 6 PIM for the Tigers, and 5gp/0g/4a/4pts,+3, 2 PIM for Team Canada). Liam's 25 goals led all WHL rookies. Both Ruck brothers were given the rank of "B" by Central Scouting in their Preliminary Rankings, meaning they are seen as being potential 2nd/3rd-rounders, with Liam listed at 5'11.75",176lbs, and Markus measured at 5'11.5",167lbs. Markus is #31 for North American Skaters in Central Scouting's Mid-Term List, while Liam is #26.

Both move fairly well, though neither are world-class skaters, and I believe it's because they aren't yet nearly physically developed, and their speed will improve as they get stronger- and strength is another area in dire need of improvement. Both look quite slight, and both would win more battles with better strength and bulk. I would give the edge in skating to Liam, and his mobility is also pumped a bit by his persistent motor; Markus is not as intense as Liam is, or as consistent. The Ruck brothers are both a bit limited right now by their lack of higher-end quickness, but I think they will get better in this area as they develop.

Liam might have a slightly higher ceiling right now, as he can drive play in a way that Markus doesn't, and is more willing to play in the greasy areas of the ice to get things done. Markus has certainly closed the gap with his stellar play lately though, and has really come into his own. Liam attacks the net, will plant himself in-front to get chances, and finds open space in the slot to use his highly deceptive release. He is a battler, and owns solid finishing skills, as well as a hard and precise shooting arsenal, with the ability to fire off the catch without needing time or space- when the puck touches his blade, it's in the back of the net. Both brothers are highly skilled with the puck, and both look to be a few steps ahead of the play with their high-end instincts, sublime vision, and indomitable IQ's. Neither likes to hold on to the puck for too long, as both prefer give-and-go's, and connective passing with quick touches to move the puck along. I would give Markus the edge in passing skill, as well as creativity, but both can find their marks (most often it seems like each other) through the smallest seams in traffic. Markus has no fear in playing through contact to make a play, and isn't deterred by heavy traffic, but I don't think he's as willing to engage physically as his brother is, and I don't think he has the same battle level. Even still, Markus does a lot of the heavy lifting for their line, and even a good share of the dirty work, in recovering pucks to re-start the cycle, and digging pucks out from the corners. Both are competitive in their own way.

As one can tell by the numbers, both are extremely good 200-foot players, and both work hard in the defensive zone. In Medicine Hat, they are both usually on the first-units of both sides of special teams, and they are reliable on the PK. They are well-rounded, and can be relied upon in any situation. Right now, Liam is at 32 goals and 72 points in 51 games- which is 4th in the WHL, and his plus/minus of +29 is tied for 16th. In 26 games since the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge (he put up 1a in 2 games), he has amassed 48 points, and a +18. Markus sits at 13 goals and 72 points in 51 games, which puts him in a tie with his brother for 4th in WHL scoring, and his +26 ranks 22nd in the league. Since his brother's participation in the Prospects Challenge, he has amassed 45 points in 26 games, and seems to be a bit less dependent on feeding off of his brother in recent months; when I check the Three Stars in Tigers games lately, it seems that it is Markus' name that I see much more often these days. There aren't many prospects in this draft-class who have improved their draft-stock more since the beginning of the season than Markus Ruck, who was once betrothed to be a future NHL checking-line center. It's still a good bet that Liam will be the first Ruck to be picked on Draft-Day, but one (or both) could easily sneak into the late-first; after all, they are both projected to end up with 96 points in 68 games.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Feb.12th: Before leaving for the WJC, LD Albert Smits' torrid points-pace had cooled off considerably, with only 2 points (-1) in his previous 10 Liiga games. Since his return, he has produced only 1 point in 8 games, with a -5. He is still impressively logging over 20 minutes per game, and getting over 3 shots on average, sporting 6 goals and 13 points in 37 Liiga tilts with Jukurit. His 13 points are tied for 21st-best all-time by a defenseman 18-and-under, and his 0.35 ppg is 22nd-best all-time by a defenseman 18-and-under in the Liiga with a minimum of 5 games played (and there's still games left). Jukurit is a poor team though, sitting 14th in the 16-team Liiga, and also 14th in goals-for (102 in 47 contests). Smits is #2 for European Skaters in Central Scouting's Mid-Term List.

The knock on Smits (6'3",205lbs) is that he's a bit too flashy with the puck, doesn't use his teammates enough, tries to do way too much on his own, and experiments a lot- all things that he won't get away with in North America. I watched him closely at the WJC, and it proved to be a bit hard to get a good gauge on his offensive game in a tournament like that, mostly due to the fact that the Latvians basically didn't create ANYTHING on their own- they were purely opportunistic, and fed off of the opposing teams' mistakes and turnovers, even against Canada. They didn't get get many chances off the rush, or off the cycle- they simply took what they were given. Watching him in that tourney, I came to really like him- even with the poor results. Impressively, Smits finished 7th in scoring by D in the WJC, with 5 points in 5 games, and was third in scoring on Team Latvia. His production was admirable, considering how little he had to work with, and how he seemed to be the only one on his team who could drive play.

Smits looks bigger than his listed 6'3", and he skates quite well, even pushing up his mobility a notch or two with his work-ethic and intensity. He can pinch down low as an extra forward, and still recover to his post at the line seamlessly to keep the play alive in the zone. He likes to carry the puck, and he does so with skill and rare confidence; though his stickhandling looks a little stiff, he still manages the puck reliably, and maintains control at high-speed. He was deployed on the first PP, and the first PK at the WJC, and he looked good on both, although some of his best ideas were unrequited, perhaps due to the lack of talent around him. He walks the line with confidence in the offensive-third, extends offensive zone time by keeping the puck in the zone, and pries open lanes to unleash his booming shot. Smits joins in on every rush that he can, and is very active in the zone.

While he possesses keen vision and offensive awareness, he doesn't need to put up points to be useful, as he's FANTASTIC in his own zone. Sure, his game is a bit immature and erattic, and he could improve his details a bit, but I would swear that he was responsible for every turnover that Latvia forced in the WJC, and he seemed to make every puck-recovery, along with every dump-out, and every pass out of the zone. He skates hard, takes away space and time, blocks shots, and has the superb hockey sense to disrupt (and steal) passes. Even against men in the Liiga, Smits is a stalwart against the rush, with his effortless mirroring of his opponents forward progress to close on them quickly, layering poke-checks on top of rub-outs along the boards. He uses his stick extremely well to block lanes, he's always well-positioned, and takes care of the front of the net with snarl. There's a shut-down defenseman in there, even if his two-way play doesn't pan out. Smits is physical, plays with an edge, and is quite active after the whistle; he's abrasive, hard to play against, and seems to like pissing the other team off. In retrievals, his confidence shines through, and he isn't afraid to bait attackers before attempting his exit-pass- although it has been said that he can be forced into errors and uncontrolled play when under extreme pressure. This kid is a beauty, and has high-end potential- he will most likely be picked in the top-10 of the 2026 Draft.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Feb.12th: LD Theodor Knights (6'3.75",194lbs) only shows 2 points in 20 games, patrolling the blueline for MoDo- who are 5th in the Norra (North) Division, and 12th-overall in the 20-team U20 Nationell. The team has scored 85 goals in 28 contests, which ranks as 18th in the league. Knights made his impression felt in last summer's Hlinka Gretzky Cup, picking up 1 point en route to a Silver Medal with Team Sweden, showing his worth in his defensive play, and his ability to cause turnovers aplenty. Sweden won Gold in November's U-18 Five Nations, with Knights picking up 1 assist, and a whopping 56 PIM in just 4 games. Knights won Bronze with Tre Kronor at the World Junior A Challenge as well, picking up another assist, and only 6 PIM in 5 games. He has not yet received a call-up to the professional ranks, which would normally be concerning. Some consider Knight to be worthy of a first-round pick, or at least they did earlier in the season, but Central Scouting has him as #51 for European Skaters on their Mid-Term List.

Knights moves surprisingly well in all-four directions, which is frightening, because it makes him like a heat-seeking missile, using his mobility to dole out thunderous, punishing hits prolifically. He is mean, intimidating, and downright surly, but also a highly effective shutdown defenseman, who can mirror oncoming attackers' footwork to trap them in his tight gaps to then surf across the ice to finish them with a stiff hit. Knights is always tasked with shutting down the opposing team's top-players in any contest, and he does his job well- at least against junior-aged competition. He has enormous range, with a wide wingspan, and an active stick; combined with his quickness, it is a daunting task to try to get past him. Knights is keenly aware in defensive situations, and though he could maybe stand to improve his details a bit, he is proficient in shutting down lanes, and willing to put his body on the line to block shots. He is still raw, and his on-puck game is a work in progress, but those who watch on a regular basis say that he is improving his poise in retrievals, and working to improve his first-pass. Normally, he prefers short, simple feeds, or dump-outs and off-the-glass zone clears, but he is working on his poise and patience while under pressure. There isn't much here in terms of an offensive game, and he doesn't exhibit much puck-skill to speak of, unfortunately. Even with limitations in his stay-at-home style, I believe he will go in the top-three rounds.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Feb.12th: It would seem that LHC Max Isaksson (6'0",183lbs) is starting to put it together offensively, putting up 8 points in his last 5 U20 games, for 8 goals and 21 points in 23 matches for the Vaxjo Lakers, who currently occupy the 7th-spot in the Sodra (South), and are 11th-overall (out of 20 teams), with the 15th-most goals-for. I think it's safe to say that he would have more points on a different team. His play in the U20 has earned him only 1 game in the SHL, but he didn't see any ice. Isaksson was a player I really liked in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and he managed to produce 6 points in 5 games en route to the Silver Medal, playing mostly middle-six minutes, while wearing the "C" for Tre Kronor; he was 9th in scoring at that event. Isaksson's 3 points in 5 games were tied for 6th in scoring for Team Sweden in the World Junior A Challenge, and 16th in the tournament, as Sweden earned a Bronze.

Isaksson isn't flashy or dynamic in any way, and is one of those types that isn't elite in any one area, but can play in any situation, positively impact both sides of special teams, and contribute in both ends of the ice- and he performs these duties well. He is a high-energy forward with relentless motor who pushes pace, outworks larger opponents, and plays a robust physical game. Isaksson leads by example with his fearlessness, and goes to work in the greasy areas of the ice to win pucks and establish inside-positioning; he will also throw big hits to shake pucks loose. No matter how many points he puts up, he wields a high-end IQ that puts him in good position in every situation, gives him an ability to read the ice and make sound decisions, and play a virtually mistake-free game. With 18 points in 29 games last season for Vaxjo, I would have expected much better numbers from Isaksson, who holds potential as a playmaker with his vision and passing skill that seems to consistently give his teammates advantages. With an understanding of how to locate space, a willingness to get his nose dirty around the net, and a desire to play in the middle, he is a capable finisher as well, and owns a fairly accurate shot to pick corners on occasion. He exerts solid puck-control and stickhandling, with the skill to deke and dangle through traffic, contributing controlled exits and entries to his team's transition. While he's not a burner, he skates well and displays exemplary protection skills to help him manage the puck while weaving through the neutral zone. Isaksson seems to take pride in playing a reliable defensive game, and has the awareness and work-ethic to do just that; he is trusted on the PK, and is a constant irritant for attackers. Look for him in the middle-rounds, with the potential to fill a 3C role in the NHL.