2026 NHL Draft Thread

[Calgary Highlander]

Originally Posted by fotze2

I didn't know Howell was still a top prospect. He once smuggled an XBox into a hockey tournament and a bunch of the boys were up all night playing and thy crapped the bed with the early next day game and they got in hell. He's the kid of Mark Howell, the 15 year head coach of U of C. He played three years with Harrison Brunicke, I didn't hear much about him since that incident along with Lakovic.

OBO was supposed to be prodigy level back in the day, he always looked like he was playing against players five years younger than him, how dominant and large he was. The jealous racist parents always questioned whether they lied about his actual age. Shattuck for two years which says a lot. Dad was/is an Engineer for Shell from Nigeria. He had a heart attack at one of his games. Mom has one of the biggest asses I've ever seen so he plays heavy and very difficult to move him or knock off the puck. Thicc.

This is the type of prospect analysis you just can't get anywhere other than CalPuck.

[Jiggy]

I didn't really hear about Tomas Chrenko prior to the WJ's. After watching him the last few weeks, he stood out a lot.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by Calgary Highlander

This is the type of prospect analysis you just can't get anywhere other than CalPuck.

My kids grew up playing with and against these guys. My kids would go over to his buddies for sleepovers and Obo and jackson Smith amd Behm were there. I know them watching them grow up. But....i am a terrible predictor of future, worlds worst scout so dont listen too it.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Jan.7th: In the 2024-25 WHL season, 5 youngsters had historic seasons for U-17 defenseman scoring, with Landon Dupont having the 7th-best season of all-time (60 points in 64), while Ryan Lin put up the 9th-best (53 in 60), Keaton Verhoeff's season was 11th-best (45 in 63), Daxon Rudolph was 17th-best (41 in 64), and Carson Carels is tied for 28th (35 in 60). With Dupont being underage for the draft, and Verhoeff away in college, the remaining three have been fairly close in the scoring race, but with Carels playing for Team Canada at the WJC, Rudolph has put together a huge December that has continued into the New Year. In his last 13 games since the start of December, he has piled up 22 points, which puts him 5th in scoring by D in the WHL, with an incredible 17 goals and 40 points in 36 games for Prince Albert. Wearing an "A" for Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this past summer, he was tied with Verhoeff for 2nd in scoring by D on the team, with 4 points in 5 games, which was 5th-overall for scoring by blueliners. The "A"-rated RHD is 6'2" and 203lbs, and has the distinction of being the first-pick overall in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft by the Raiders, perhaps because his game has no true weaknesses- only nitpicked details. There's good reason to be excited about his offensive numbers, but he's also one of the best 1-on-1 shutdown defensemen available in this draft-class- he plays a mature, and responsible game, but is not without skill.

While Rudolph could afford to add a little more pep in his step, and a touch more agility in his edges, his skating is smooth and powerful, and his backwards mobility is remarkably fluid. He is money against the rush with his top-notch gap control, takes away the middle from attacks, and defends the net-front with vigor- he cuts off huge swaths of ice with his range, and an active stick. His defensive IQ and details are off the charts, with the anticipation to always be smartly positioned to intercept passes, block lanes, lift sticks, block shots, and knock pucks away from attackers. He is physical in separating man from puck, and seems to make a ton of recoveries. In the performance of retrievals and first-passes, he is uncommonly poised and calm, scanning with his head up to survey his options, while escaping pressure; while there is the occasional gaffe, he generally makes sound decisions with the puck, and finds his teammates with composed breakout passes. Rudolph is an intelligent puck-mover, and drives transition with a little help from his high-end vision, and his deceptive puck-skill that comes in handy when evading defenders. In the offensive zone, he is active in joining the rush, as well as activating into the play off of the point, and he can pick apart defenses with his proficiency in quarterbacking the play from the line. He is often a catalyst for his team's offense with his vision and well-developed passing skill, but he is always a threat with his hard and heavy shot. Rudolph has very high NHL-floor, with the potential to be a top-pairing, all-around defender.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Draft Thoughts:

In the 2024-25 WHL season, 5 youngsters had historic seasons for U-17 defenseman scoring, with Landon Dupont having the 7th-best season of all-time (60 points in 64), while Ryan Lin put up the 9th-best (53 in 60), Keaton Verhoeff's season was 11th-best (45 in 63), Daxon Rudolph was 17th-best (41 in 64), and Carson Carels is tied for 28th (35 in 60). With Dupont being underage for the draft, and Verhoeff away in college, the remaining three have been fairly close in the scoring race, but with Carels playing for Team Canada at the WJC, Rudolph has put together a huge December that has continued into the New Year. In his last 13 games since the start of December, he has piled up 22 points, which puts him 5th in scoring by D in the WHL, with an incredible 17 goals and 40 points in 36 games for Prince Albert. Wearing an "A" for Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this past summer, he was tied with Verhoeff for 2nd in scoring by D on the team, with 4 points in 5 games, which was 5th-overall for scoring by blueliners. The "A"-rated RHD is 6'2" and 203lbs, and has the distinction of being the first-pick overall in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft by the Raiders, perhaps because his game has no true weaknesses- only nitpicked details. There's good reason to be excited about his offensive numbers, but he's also one of the best 1-on-1 shutdown defensemen available in this draft-class- he plays a mature, and responsible game, but is not without skill.

While Rudolph could afford to add a little more pep in his step, and a touch more agility in his edges, his skating is smooth and powerful, and his backwards mobility is remarkably fluid. He is money against the rush with his top-notch gap control, takes away the middle from attacks, and defends the net-front with vigor- he cuts off huge swaths of ice with his range, and an active stick. His defensive IQ and details are off the charts, with the anticipation to always be smartly positioned to intercept passes, block lanes, lift sticks, block shots, and knock pucks away from attackers. He is physical in separating man from puck, and seems to make a ton of recoveries. In the performance of retrievals and first-passes, he is uncommonly poised and calm, scanning with his head up to survey his options, while escaping pressure; while there is the occasional gaffe, he generally makes sound decisions with the puck, and finds his teammates with composed breakout passes. Rudolph is an intelligent puck-mover, and drives transition with a little help from his high-end vision, and his deceptive puck-skill that comes in handy when evading defenders. In the offensive zone, he is active in joining the rush, as well as activating into the play off of the point, and he can pick apart defenses with his proficiency in quarterbacking the play from the line. He is a catalyst for his team's offense with his vision and well-developed passing skill, but he is always a threat with his hard and heavy shot. Rudolph has very high NHL-floor, with the potential to be a top-pairing, all-around defender.

Rudolph had kind of been all over the place this year but i havent seen anyone have him lower than 15. Carels and Reid seem to have positioned themselves above him as the year progressed.

[Erick Estrada]

Interesting article that caught my eye this morning on the Athletic titled "The NHL teams riding 11 statistical droughts that feel impossible but apparently aren’t". It's actually a good read as there are truly some bizarre statistics for some organizations and the Flames are one of the 11 teams. Many Flames fans know this but it still is a pretty amazing feat over 45 years.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/694...ght-surprises/

The Flames have never had a top-three draft pick

In their 45 years and counting since moving from Atlanta, Calgary has never picked higher than fourth in the draft. And in fact, taking Sam Bennett with the No. 4 pick in 2014 is the only time they’ve even picked in the top five. They’ve had the sixth pick five times, including the Matthew Tkachuk pick in 2016 that turned out great. Thanks to a combination of lottery luck and a reluctance to ever truly bottom out, that’s as low as the Flames draft history can go.

Calgary isn’t the only team that can point to some draft weirdness. Red Wings fans will gladly tell you about their recent lottery luck, although they’ve at least picked first overall three times in franchise history. The Vancouver Canucks have never had the first pick, but have picked second four times (and they did briefly own the top pick in 1999 as part of Brian Burke’s draft-floor maneuvering to land the Sedins). The Wild have never picked higher than third. You get the idea.

But nobody can compare with the Flames. You know those painfully awkward draft day photos of the top three prospects, wearing their new sweaters and holding up their fingers to signal which pick they were? You’ve never seen a Flames logo in one of those.

Odds it ends soon: With a little lottery luck, this could be the year.

[ForeverFlameFan]

https://twitter.com/user/status/2009000938321649740

[Enoch Root]

I think Malhotra is going to be a 1st line C. Really hope we end up with him somehow.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I think Malhotra is going to be a 1st line C. Really hope we end up with him somehow.

Maybe Vegas will crash and burn, and they'll finish low enough for us to take him. At this rate though, I could easily see him going in the top-10.

C'mon hockey gods!

[Tbull8]

Flames finish last and Vegas finishes just outside. Vegas wins the lottery and the flames pick 1st and 5/6

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Maybe Vegas will crash and burn, and they'll finish low enough for us to take him. At this rate though, I could easily see him going in the top-10.

C'mon hockey gods!

I think top 10 is a given, and he ends up more in the 4-8 range

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I think top 10 is a given, and he ends up more in the 4-8 range

Yeah, it could be a Mason McTavish-like scenario, where he's picked top-5.

[Sandman]

I have a confession to make....

I know in my mind (or at least it is my opinion) that the BPA is the big 3 of McKenna, Verhoeff, and Stenberg, and that if we finish with a top-3 pick, we should absolutely go with one of these players.

However, in my heart of hearts, I secretly hope we finish with the 4th-pick and choose Tynan Lawrence. I just LOVE this kid, he's a heart and soul player.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Jan.7th: With the WHL trade deadline looming, the Swift Current Broncos have traded draft-eligible 17 year-old LHC Noah Kosick to the Seattle Thunderbirds for another 17 year-old draft-eligible, F Brendan Rudolph, plus a first-rounder, and a 4th-rounder. The trade means that the "C"-rated Kosick (5'11",165lbs) goes from a last-place bottom-feeder in the Broncos, to the 17th-place Thunderbirds- who are loading up for a run at the playoffs, and have acquired Cameron Schmidt, Matthew Gard, and a few other names in separate deals. Give the kid a ton of credit though, as he's managed to put up 34 points in 37 games this season, on a team that's tied for dead-last in the league in goals-for, with a measly 102 tallies- an incredible feat. In fact, the former Calgary Hitman led the team by a staggering 13 points. This trade can only mean big things are coming for him.

Kosick has some pedigree, being a first-round draft-pick (#11) in 2023 by the Calgary Hitmen, who traded him to Speedy Creek 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. Look for him in the top-96.

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I have a confession to make....

I know in my mind (or at least it is my opinion) that the BPA is the big 3 of McKenna, Verhoeff, and Stenberg, and that if we finish with a top-3 pick, we should absolutely go with one of these players.

However, in my heart of hearts, I secretly hope we finish with the 4th-pick and choose Tynan Lawrence. I just LOVE this kid, he's a heart and soul player.

Let’s pretend for a second that the flames end up with 2 and the Canucks are 4. If the Canucks offer you 4 and minnesotas 1st (late 20s) for 2, do you take it and take Lawrence?

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

Let’s pretend for a second that the flames end up with 2 and the Canucks are 4. If the Canucks offer you 4 and minnesotas 1st (late 20s) for 2, do you take it and take Lawrence?

add VAN's 2nd as well, then I would do it.

Flames would then have 5 picks in the 1st 36, plus whatever they acquire in trades

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

Let’s pretend for a second that the flames end up with 2 and the Canucks are 4. If the Canucks offer you 4 and minnesotas 1st (late 20s) for 2, do you take it and take Lawrence?

Man, I would at least have to think about it....

[Samonadreau]

I would think to up from 4 to 2 it would cost more then a late 20's pick. I could be wrong.

[mile]

https://twitter.com/user/status/2009025663064211855

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Jan.8th: RHD Chase Reid celebrated his 18th-birthday (Dec.30th) while away with Team USA at the WJC, where he boosted his already sharply-rising draft-stock, posting 4 points in 5 games. Players his age, especially defensemen, don't usually get a whole lot of TOI to work with in that tournament, but Reid played over 19 minutes in each game- and he was one of the few rearguards that showed the ability to make things happen in the offensive zone. Reid, and Capitals' draft-pick Cole Hutson each had 4 points, but the next highest-scoring defensemen was Sabres' prospect, Adam Kleber- with 1 assist. No other rearguard on the team had a point. In league play this season so far, he has amassed 37 points in just 32 games for the Soo Greyhounds (OHL), which puts him second in scoring by D- despite missing time to play in the WJC. His production should come as no surprise though, as he posted a remarkable 39 points in 40 games last season for the Soo in his D-minus-1 season.

While the "A"-rated Reid is similar in profile to fellow "A"-rated defensemen Keaton Verhoeff, Daxon Rudolph, and Carson Carels in that he's a mobile, two-way blueliner with size (6'2.25",188lbs), I really thought of Reid as the most one-dimensional of that group- leaning more into his offensive game, while sacrificing his defense a bit. Things have changed this year, and while he's not the shutdown artist that the other three are, he's definitely paying more attention to being a responsible two-way defender, while using his size and mobility to take away time and space from attackers, and exerting tight gaps and an active stick to kill rushes. The result is that he's considered by many to be the second-best defenseman available in this draft-class behind Verhoeff, and some are even saying that he's #1. Reid is an amazing skater, exhibiting quickness in all directions, fluid footwork, and strong edges to change direction on a dime, with the capacity to transition seamlessly. An expert puck-mover, he drives transition with poise and confidence, evading checks with his deft handling skill and quickness, while scanning with his head up for options. His precision passing skill is facilitated by his high-end vision and IQ; he reads the play well in front of him, and makes good decisions with the puck while in-flight to give his teammates advantages. In the offensive third, he is a superb playmaker, showing well-developed awareness and creativity, but he also owns a bullet of a shot; he is active and aggressive, and seemingly uses every inch of ice in the zone at times. There are some scouts who would like to see him be more physical, but I would dispute that he uses his body very well- and you can't be physical when the puck is on your stick. Reid's defensive game still has room for improvement, but he's a top-pairing, NHL defenseman in the making, who will be able to munch minutes and play in all situations.