2026 NHL Draft Thread

[Funkhouser]

Drafting Verhoeff would make next season interesting:

Weegar - Parekh (essentially a rookie)
Bahl - Brzustewich (rookie)
Kuznetsov (sophomore) - Verhoeff (rookie)

[Canada 02]

Steven Ellis has his latest top 50

Mckenna is still #1

https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/20...nberg-belchetz

[SuperMatt18]

Are we at the point of the season where the clear number 1 pick is being over evaluated - feels like it.

The kid had 129 points in 59 games and 38 points in 16 playoff games as a 16/17 year old, I wouldn't read too much into the first 14 games adjusting to NCAA.

The only kid even remotely close to those numbers in the WHL in the last 20 years is Bedard, and he did it in his draft year.

Mckenna is being punished because he took the risk of going to NCAA which helped his development.

He stays in WHL and puts up 150 points this year and it wouldn't even be a question if he was first overall.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Are we at the point of the season where the clear number 1 pick is being over evaluated - feels like it.

The kid had 129 points in 59 games and 38 points in 16 games as a 16/17 year old, I wouldn't read too much into the first 14 games adjusting to NCAA.

Also, with the influx of CHL talent in the NCAA, the league that McKenna is playing is more difficult than in past years.

[Ba'alzamon]

Bjorck at 21 is... an opinion.

[Funkhouser]

Originally Posted by Ba'alzamon

Bjorck at 21 is... an opinion.

Small players always fall.
I would not be surprised if he is available for CGY in the early/mid-20s.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Are we at the point of the season where the clear number 1 pick is being over evaluated - feels like it.

The kid had 129 points in 59 games and 38 points in 16 playoff games as a 16/17 year old, I wouldn't read too much into the first 14 games adjusting to NCAA.

The analysts explain McKenna’s drop. He basically has only one dimension to his game (he’s bad without the puck, not physical at all, and isn’t that great a skater), and he’s not blowing the doors off with that one dimension. He’s producing at about the level Hagens (a #1OA prospect prior to his draft year) produced at.

And scouts are unimpressed with his lack of effort. They like to see players try to address their weaknesses, and when a guy still floats and makes half-assed efforts to back-check and battle for pucks when he’s in his draft year, it raises concerns that’s just who he’ll always be.

Shane Wright was a consensus #1 OA at one point, then he fell in the rankings. In his case, it wasn’t because of lack of effort, but because scouts started to wonder if his mediocre skating would hold him back at the NHL level. And it turns out they were right.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

Also, with the influx of CHL talent in the NCAA, the league that McKenna is playing is more difficult than in past years.

Verhoeff and McKenna are currently tied for goals scored, will be interesting to see who scores more goals.

[Ba'alzamon]

Originally Posted by Funkhouser

Small players always fall.
I would not be surprised if he is available for CGY in the early/mid-20s.

Berkly Catton went 8th in a very strong draft, and Bjorck is no smaller than he is.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Funkhouser

Small players always fall.
I would not be surprised if he is available for CGY in the early/mid-20s.

I hope so. He is my Ben Kindel like pick this draft. Remember how badly I wanted Kindel last draft? Bjork is that guy this year.

[Ba'alzamon]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I hope so. He is my Ben Kindel like pick this draft. Remember how badly I wanted Kindel last draft? Bjork is that guy this year.

Wasn't it Hage the year before, too?

You're on a roll

[dammage79]

Viggo Bjorck is the player I really want. Too bad he won't be an option at the flames 1st pick or their 2nd 1st round pick.

[traptor]

Yeah McKenna is fascinating because he would be putting up similar numbers to bedard if he stayed in WHL.


I think i still give him the benefit and take him 1st oa.




One thing I always wonder about is a 17 year old whose spent his whole life in small town northern/western canada going to a big NCAA college in eastern US.




It has to be a huge shift for a 17 year old going into college in that environment.

[Fan69]

Man stenberg is being criminally undervalued here.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Going through the ncaa is going to prepare him much better for the pro game than just steamrolling the whl for multiple seasons.

As we're seeing with Zayne, the jump from chl competition to nhl is huge for a slight, skilled player.

Experiencing that physical adversity pre-draft actually seems really beneficiary for a guy with all world skill who wants to translate that to the nhl.

Many players just get so used to dominating kids with plays and habits that won't fly in men's leagues and then are hit with the rude awakening at 19 or 20 that their game doesnt translate at the pro level at all how they expected

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Fan69

Man stenberg is being criminally undervalued here.

Not sure about that. I think most people here have him 1st, 2nd or 3rd at the lowest. He is solidly in my top 3, and I imagine most would agree.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Stenberg is tied for 16th in SHL scoring as a rookie, pretty impressive.

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

The analysts explain McKenna’s drop. He basically has only one dimension to his game (he’s bad without the puck, not physical at all, and isn’t that great a skater), and he’s not blowing the doors off with that one dimension. He’s producing at about the level Hagens (a #1OA prospect prior to his draft year) produced at.

And scouts are unimpressed with his lack of effort. They like to see players try to address their weaknesses, and when a guy still floats and makes half-assed efforts to back-check and battle for pucks when he’s in his draft year, it raises concerns that’s just who he’ll always be.

Shane Wright was a consensus #1 OA at one point, then he fell in the rankings. In his case, it wasn’t because of lack of effort, but because scouts started to wonder if his mediocre skating would hold him back at the NHL level. And it turns out they were right.

Is his skating considered a weakness? I thought I heard he was an elite skater?

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by stemit14

Is his skating considered a weakness? I thought I heard he was an elite skater?

No he is not an elite skater. Always had great vision and great offensive skills. But not a great skater.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Yeah it’s all about hockey sense and what he can do with the puck. Elite in those areas and why I would still take him first