2026 NHL Draft Thread

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Royle9

2 picks in top 10 would be the best case scenario realistically

I doubt that happens, but luckily, we scored pretty big on the 2025 draft. If I am not mistaken, Potter was highly regarded as a top 15 pick. To get Reschny at 18 and Potter at 32 is quite the haul.

[Sandman]

Let's just say we did get two picks in the top-10, 3rd-overall and 10th-overall. Who you hoping for? (McKenna and Verhoeff are off the board)

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Let's just say we did get two picks in the top-10, 3rd-overall and 10th-overall. Who you hoping for? (McKenna and Verhoeff are off the board)

Stenberg, easily.

Lawrence probably after that.

I'd probably swing at Bjorck at 10th depending whats there.

[JTech780]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Let's just say we did get two picks in the top-10, 3rd-overall and 10th-overall. Who you hoping for? (McKenna and Verhoeff are off the board)

Right now it would be Stenberg at 3rd, but I want to see how Lawrence progresses the rest of the season.

At 10th give me one of the high end defensemen, assuming Chase Reid is gone by 10, it would be Carels, Lin, Villeneuve, Rudolph in that order. Though if Caleb Malhotra keep producing and showing his all around game, I could see him creeping into the top 10 discussion by the end of the year.

[shutout]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Let's just say we did get two picks in the top-10, 3rd-overall and 10th-overall. Who you hoping for? (McKenna and Verhoeff are off the board)

Stenberg - elite level skill is unmatched after McKenna.

Malhotra - 200' center that has lots of character.

I think that Lawrence and Belchetz are four and five on the list.
After that probably a combination of defensemen: Reid, Lin, Rudolph, Villeneuve. Malhotra is trending upwards and centers go higher than skill levels compared to other positions.

[Jiggy]

Is it June yet?

[Royle9]

I'd have a hard time passing on Bjorck with a 2nd pick tbh.

[Sandman]

Food for thought:

D Ryan Lin's 53 points in 60 games in 2024-25 is the ninth-best season for a U-17 defenseman in WHL history, and 2nd-best U-17 season by a defenseman since Scott Niedermayer's 69-points in 1989-90. He led the Giants' blueline by 17 points.

On those same lists, Verhoeff's 45 points in 63 games ranks 11th, and 5th for U-17 defensemen.

Xavier Villeneuve is old by draft standards, with a September 29th, 2007 birthdate, but his U-17 season in 2023-24 of 43 points in 54 games ranks 10th all-time (tied with Samuel Girard), and 3rd since the 1989-90 season; he led the Armada's blueline by 11 points. His season in 2024-25 of 62 points in 61 games ranks as the 22nd-best all-time by a U-18 defenseman; he led the Armada's blueline by 30 points.

C/RW Viggo Bjorck's 2024-25 season of 74 points in 42 games is the best U-17 season of all-time by an incredible 24 points (Jakob Ihs-Wozniak had 50). In the current season, his 7 points (22 games) in the SHL is already tied for 27th-best all-time by a U-18 player, and his ppg of 0.32 is 22nd all-time by a U-18 player in the SHL (minimum 10 games).

Ivar Stenberg is old by draft standards, with a September 30th, 2007 birthdate, but his 2024-25 season of 53 points in 27 games ranks as the 16th-best all-time in the J20 by a U-18 player- his 1.96 ppg is 6th-best all-time by a U-18 player (minimum 5 games). In the current season, his 22 points in 23 SHL games rank as the 18th-most by a U-19 player all-time, and his ppg of 0.96 rank as the 5th-highest all-time by a U-19 player (minimum 5 games), or 2nd-most since the 1988-89 season (behind Marcus Naslund).

Fun times!

[dammage79]

Give me Bjorck or give me death!!

[Ped]

Updated rankings from Bukala sees Verhoeff, McKenna, Stenberg, Carels, and Malhotra as the top 5. No Roobr0eck in the first round.


Other centers:
Lawrence at #7
Dagenais at #19
Chrenko at #20
Shilov at #26
Hextall at #27
Holmertz at #28
Suvanto at #29
Morozov at #32


https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...026-nhl-draft/

[dammage79]

Just think of the LOTR (or any Viggo Mortenson movie TBH, Viggo as Satan in the Prophecy....anyone?) or Ghostbusters II gifs we could unleash upon this forum if we drafted a player named Viggo. Hell, think of the Bjork gifs and goal songs we could drum up too.

[Monahammer]

That 20s range (where I expect the vegas pick to likely land) is where I am interested in Shilov or Morozov.

[cral12]

Updated OP to include link to Bingo's latest Consolidated Rankings at Upside's Substack (Thanks Bingo!) as well as Upside's November Rankings.

[mile]

Adding two of Lawrence, Suvanto, Malhotra, Shilov, Morozov in addition to Reschny and Potter would be nice - you hope they all push each other and one of them pops to be that top line C we're looking for

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Let's just say we did get two picks in the top-10, 3rd-overall and 10th-overall. Who you hoping for? (McKenna and Verhoeff are off the board)

Tough call. Really tough.

Stenberg is almost a point per game as not much more than a kid he has already exceeded most picks ceiling never mind floor again as a kid. Also average sized winger and left wing the thing we need least but he would instantly be our best prospect.

Lawrence. Center. Skilled, detailed, wicked shot, good skater, possible captain material oh and he is a center.

Belchetz. Big, really skilled, mean streak, good not great skater, more question marks but at his peak could be a bigger tkachuk.

Any of them could be a game changer.

Hate it but i would probably go stenberg. No nope Lawrence has the tools to be a first line center. Stenbergs already playing in a professional league no guess work sten it is but lawrence could be a 40 goal center so clearly him??? Bjork, Bjork,Bjork.

Clear as mud right now.

At ten its harder to pick because someone unexpected might be their but if we walked away with Lawrence or Stenberg, then any of Bjork, Carels, Reid, or Rudolph i eould be a happy camper.

[prizefighterinferno]

Lawrence/Reschny up the middle would be massively intriguing. Stenberg is so good though.

[dammage79]

Pick 3: the remaining of the top 3 of Verhoeff or Lawrence

Pick 10: 1 of Bjorck, Roobreck, Suovanto, Shilov

My personal direction of choice: 3, Lawrence, 10, Bjorck. Although that can chance if one of them big ol' lugs of a center like Suovanto or Roobreck show a little more this year. Early projections yet. I hope we get a good showing at the WJC.

.edit: I retract my Suovanto pick. I do not like his game at all. He's got so much to work one IMO. He's like a newborn fawn trying to do adult stuff when it barely knows how to walk.

[dammage79]

So what's wrong with Ryan Roobreck again? Because that kid has maybe the best shot I've seen. And get it through anything and into the net. And some deft hands. Could he be faster ?? Yeah but for 6'4 those hands are beauties.
Edit: he's a LW. I ly winger I want in this draft is named McKenna.

[traptor]

If we missed out on the top5, I think i would want the Flames to snag Bjork or Malhotra.


Is that crazy to take him between 6-10?

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by dammage79

So what's wrong with Ryan Roobreck again? Because that kid has maybe the best shot I've seen. And get it through anything and into the net. And some deft hands. Could he be faster ?? Yeah but for 6'4 those hands are beauties.
Edit: he's a LW. I ly winger I want in this draft is named McKenna.

Fans have been down on him because:

-he's old, with a Sept.25th birthday
-hasn't produced like he should this year, with 25 points in 24 games- after 87 in 64 last year.
-his GAF meter and physicality have serious ebbs and flows. He was sat at the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge, with hardly any shifts throughout the game, and none in the third. How do you get benched in an exhibition?
-Skating has been criticized, but it's really not all that bad- he's fine when he's actually moving his feet.

To me, he doesn't look as good as last season, but I still like him- just maybe not enough for the top-5 anymore.