2026 NHL Draft Thread

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Roko

what a fun exciting day for those players

Buffalo might be the first completely remote draft where the teams and the players don’t attend the venue.

[Roko]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Buffalo might be the first completely remote draft where the teams and the players don’t attend the venue.

Brady Martin ahead of the curve

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

From Jan.8th: The CHL has some very enticing young defensemen in this year's draft crop, and "A"-rated LD Xavier Villeneuve (5'11",162lbs) is one of them. One of his biggest detriments is that he is one of the oldest players available in the 2026 Draft, born on Sept.29th, 2007, but he was still second in scoring by D in the QMJHL in his D-minus-1 year in 2024-25, piling up 62 points in 61 games- which led the 8th-placed Blainville-Boisbriand Armada's blueline brigade by a massive 30 points (!). In the current season, he is leading his team's backend by 16 points, sporting 6 goals and 36 points in 35 games, for the 6th-place Armada- who are 3rd in goals-for. In last year's U-18 Worlds, Villeneuve was excellent- placing second in scoring by D in the tournament, with 4 goals and 8 points in 7 games, en route to a Gold-Medal for Team Canada. Though he only picked up 1 point over 2 games in November's CHL-USA Prospects Challenge, there were some who thought he was Canada's best player in that event- he was everywhere on the ice, mucking it up, and even throwing some hits- which drew the ire of the NTDP's troops on a few occasions.

While he doesn't possess ideal size, Villeneuve is a tenacious battler with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, and doesn't shy away at all from the rough stuff- he will even throw his weight around to dislodge pucks. He plays with a high motor, stirs the pot, and outworks larger opponents. He can also outrun his opponents, as he is one of the best skaters in this draft class, sporting elite speed, and inhuman agility on his edges; when combined with his lightning-quick hands, he could stickhandle in a phone booth- and does as much when weaving through small holes in traffic like few players can. Villeneuve is fun to watch, as he is confident with the puck on his blade, highly intelligent, and dynamic. These traits make him one of the best blueliners in his age group when it comes to driving transition- he tilts the ice for his team from the defensive zone, to the other end of the ice expeditiously by pass, or by carry, and is a master of manipulation by deception. Once installed in the offensive zone, he can dismantle defenses with his sky-high vision and creativity, along with his activity rate, wielding a keen eye for passing seams, or small pockets of open space to attack. Villeneuve walks the line with slick footwork and deception in the form of feints and rapid directional changes, to shake off pressure and open space to activate; he has a decent shot, but he mostly uses it as a tool in his playmaking arsenal to create opportunities for teammates in the slot. Defensively, he works hard to limit time and space for attackers, but he struggles a bit because of his lack of size and reach, and seems to have a deficiency in his awareness in his own zone, where he is prone to being out of position at times. That said, he is proficient at shaking off pressure in retrievals, while skating with his head up to scan, and he makes sound decisions in his outlets to create advantages in breakouts- doing so with poise and confidence. The defensive game needs work, but he's a potential top-4 defenseman in the show who can run a PP.

[stemit14]

It is interesting that this year is one of the draft years where wingers are ranked at the very top of the draft class. In the last 20 years, here are the wingers selected 1st overall:

Patrick Kane (2007)
Taylor Hall (2010)
Nail Yakupov (2012)
Alexis Lafreniere (2020)
Juraj Slafkovsky (2022)

A few things I notice looking back on those draft classes when focusing on the first round:

1. Patrick Kane is the only one of those players that I would consider a superstar over the span of his career. It’s too early to make that call on Slafkovsky though. Hall had an MVP season and has been considered a top line winger for most of his career.
2. Compared to draft classes over the last 20 years that had centers or defencemen go first overall, the draft classes where wingers went first overall were, in hindsight, “weaker” draft classes. Looking back at the first rounds, it’s actually pretty interesting how much you can pick out the weaker draft classes by looking for the ones with wingers at the top of the draft. I know everyone says this upcoming draft is a good draft class but it seems like they say that every year. I’m sure they said similar things in the drafts listed above but, if you look at the selections in those drafts, there’s not much in terms of star players. This year could be an exception though.
3. Scouts were usually correct in ranking the centers of those drafts below the wingers. The only centers from the first rounds of those drafts that I would say ended up being star players are Seguin (2010 draft) and Stutzle (2020). It’s still too early with the 2022 draft to make that call though but I think most would agree Slafkovsky looks to be better than the centers in that draft class (pretty close with Cooley though).
4. It’s a similar case with defencemen in those drafts. There are good defensemen in the first rounds of those drafts but I don’t see any Norris-level defencemen. Oilers definitely blew it with the Yakupov choice but that was probably the worst draft of the last 20 years. Vasilevskiy should have gone 1st overall that year. Forsberg and Reilly probably should have gone 2nd and 3rd in that draft.
5. Makes me think the best choice if the flames pick first overall is McKenna. For all the criticism he has faced lately, I think he has the highest ceiling and could be considered the most skilled winger to go first overall since Kane. If this draft follows the trends of previous drafts where wingers went first overall, there might not be many superstars to be had anyways so might as well take a swing at the guy with the highest ceiling.

All this might make me temper my expectations a little in terms of what the flames will get out of this draft. I think they will get a legit top line winger if they get either of McKenna or Stenberg. I think they will get a top pairing defenceman if they get Verhoeff. I think they will get a good/great 2nd line center if they get Lawrence/Bjork/Malhotra.

I think the “tank” will be even more important next year if there are centers ranked at the top of the 2027 draft (eg. Alexis Joseph is at the top of a few of the very preliminary rankings for 2027). That could be the opportunity to get the superstar center that’s needed to be a top contender in the league.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Jan.9th: With the WHL Trade Deadline looming, the Medicine Hat Tigers bolstered their scoring for the playoffs by acquiring forward Luke Cozens (Dylan's brother) and a 4th-round pick for young, draft-eligible D Kyle Heger, and a 4th-rounder. Heger (6'0.5",193lbs) was given the lofty rank of "B" by Central Scouting in their Preliminary Rankings, meaning that they see him as a potential 2nd, or 3rd-round pick- perhaps based on his play in 2024-25 with Shattuck-St.Mary's, where he was the top-scoring blueliner in the U18 Prep circuit, with 59 points in 58 games. Another reason would be his wide array of tools, chief among them being his NHL-caliber speed; while he isn't mechanically perfect yet, he can flat-out fly, and really pushes the pace. He is strong on his edges as well, which gives him excellent agility, with the ability to dodge checks, spin away from hits, and transition quickly. His quick feet and well-timed stick are instrumental in taking time and space away from opponents in the defensive zone, but he gets some criticism for his loose gaps against the rush. Heger is solidly built, and exerts a heavy physical presence to dislodge pucks and recover possession, while making clever reads with quick reactions to disrupt play. He can sidestep pressure and outmaneuver forecheckers in retrievals, to make generally sound plays under duress to kickstart the breakout; his on-puck game is fairly sound in all areas of the ice, and he exhibits well-developed puck-skill, as well as solid puck-moving ability.

Heger (who is a lefty) played on a deep defense in Medicine Hat that included the top-pairing of Bryce Pickford (Montreal) and Jonas Woo, but also features Veeti Vaisanen (Buffalo), Tyson Moss, Josh Van Mulligen, and Niilopekka Muhonen (Dallas). That meant that, while he often played with different defense partners, and still was often given big minutes, he didn't get to properly display his offensive game- which I hope changes with his move to Lethbridge. So far this season, he has posted 5 goals and 15 points in 35 games, which is a bit low for a "B"-rated defender, and may affect his draft-standing. In the offensive zone, he is still learning how to use his tools- in this case, his hard and heavy point-shot that gets on net with good frequency, and his laser of a wrister. Heger shows flashes of vision and creativity as well, that he will hopefully get to show more of this season with the Rebels. Right now, he's far more potential than finished product, but we'll see...

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Draft Thoughts:

Jan.9th: With the WHL Trade Deadline looming, the Medicine Hat Tigers bolstered their scoring for the playoffs by acquiring forward Luke Cozens (Dylan's brother) and a 4th-round pick for young, draft-eligible D Kyle Heger, and a 4th-rounder. Heger (6'0.5",193lbs) was given the lofty rank of "B" by Central Scouting in their Preliminary Rankings, meaning that they see him a s a potential 2nd, or 3rd-round pick- perhaps based on his play in 2024-25 with Shattuck-St.Mary's, where he was the top-scoring blueliner in the U18 Prep circuit, with 59 points in 58 games. Another reason would be his wide array of tools, chief among them being his NHL-caliber speed; while he isn't mechanically perfect yet, he can flat-out fly, and really pushes the pace. He is strong on his edges as well, which gives him excellent agility, with the ability to dodge checks, spin away from hits, and transition quickly. His quick feet and well-timed stick are instrumental in taking time and space away from opponents in the defensive zone, but he gets some criticism for his loose gaps against the rush. Heger is solidly built, and exerts a heavy physical presence to dislodge pucks and recover possession, while making clever reads with quick reactions to disrupt play. He can sidestep pressure and outmaneuver forecheckers in retrievals, to make generally sound plays under duress to kickstart the breakout; his on-puck game is fairly sound in all areas of the ice, and he exhibits well-developed puck-skill, as well as solid puck-moving ability.

Heger played on a deep defense in Medicine Hat that included the top-pairing of Bryce Pickford (Montreal) and Jonas Woo, but also features Veeti Vaisanen (Buffalo), Tyson Moss, Josh Van Mulligen, and Niilopekka Muhonen (Dallas). That meant that, while he often played with different defense partners, and still was often given big minutes, he didn't get to properly display his offensive game- which I hope changes with his move to Lethbridge. So far this season, he has posted 5 goals and 15 points in 35 games, which is a bit low for a "B"-rated defender, and may affect his draft-standing. In the offensive zone, he is still learning how to use his tools- in this case, his hard and heavy point-shot that gets on net with good frequency, and his laser of a wrister. Heger shows flashes of vision and creativity as well, that he will hopefully get to show more of this season with the Rebels. Right now, he's far more potential than finished product, but we'll see...

Is Heger a LD or a RD, Sandman?

[Sandman]

Whoops! He’s a lefty.

[Five-hole]

Originally Posted by stemit14

5. Makes me think the best choice if the flames pick first overall is McKenna. For all the criticism he has faced lately, I think he has the highest ceiling and could be considered the most skilled winger to go first overall since Kane. If this draft follows the trends of previous drafts where wingers went first overall, there might not be many superstars to be had anyways so might as well take a swing at the guy with the highest ceiling.

All this might make me temper my expectations a little in terms of what the flames will get out of this draft. I think they will get a legit top line winger if they get either of McKenna or Stenberg. I think they will get a top pairing defenceman if they get Verhoeff. I think they will get a good/great 2nd line center if they get Lawrence/Bjork/Malhotra.

Good post.

With Yakupov the issues that ultimately prevented him from having any success were known in advance. Namely, very low hockey IQ. There is probably no other hockey skill that can singlehandedly prevent success at the NHL level more than low hockey IQ. Almost everything else can be improved and will limit, but not necessarily prevent, success.

Skating and compete/intensity might be the other things that can really hold a player back. I think these can be improved more than hockey IQ can, though compete/intensity seems to be something that most players either have or don't.

Whatever the knocks on McKenna might be, hockey IQ is definitely not one of them. Nor is skating. I think McKenna's floor is still pretty high given just how game-breaking his skill is. I don't think anyone thinks of Patrick Kane as a two-way stalwart and he's had a pretty good career.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Always Earned Never Given

Nail Yakupov in 2012: Played another season in the KHL due to the 2012-13 NHL lockout

He started in the KHL, but came over and played the full NHL season after the lockout ended (remember the Fleury slide after scoring in in OT in the third game of the season).

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Five-hole

Good post.

With Yakupov the issues that ultimately prevented him from having any success were known in advance. Namely, very low hockey IQ. There is probably no other hockey skill that can singlehandedly prevent success at the NHL level more than low hockey IQ. Almost everything else can be improved and will limit, but not necessarily prevent, success.

Skating and compete/intensity might be the other things that can really hold a player back. I think these can be improved more than hockey IQ can, though compete/intensity seems to be something that most players either have or don't.

Whatever the knocks on McKenna might be, hockey IQ is definitely not one of them. Nor is skating. I think McKenna's floor is still pretty high given just how game-breaking his skill is. I don't think anyone thinks of Patrick Kane as a two-way stalwart and he's had a pretty good career.

I totally agree with this.

The knocks on McKenna are things that people fix about prospects all the time, and prospects often develop over the first few years of their career (strength, more going to the middle, 2 way prowess) while the skills he already possesses are often the ones that you can't teach (incredible on ice vision, deft passing, agility and maneuverability).

[traptor]

I wouldn't be shocked if McKenna's career ends up being closer to Hall then Kane, but that's still a really good player.

[D as in David]

What do people say about McKenna's compete level?

[Five-hole]

Originally Posted by D as in David

What do people say about McKenna's compete level?

That's the knock. He can shy away from hard areas and be soft on pucks.

[mile]

https://twitter.com/user/status/2009762743012733423

[Tbull8]

This is gonna make me want Ritchie to pair with Lawrence

[SuperMatt18]

Pretty good opportunity for Lawrence to produce with those linemates, not easing him in at all

[Tbull8]

Still a 0-0 game but so far good on draws!

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by traptor

I wouldn't be shocked if McKenna's career ends up being closer to Hall then Kane, but that's still a really good player.

I don't see it. Hall has lots of talent but the hockey IQ of a bag of hair.

[Tbull8]

It is funny that everyone is comparing McKenna to kucherov but then ragging on his compete in puck battles. Kucherov kinda plays the same way…

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

It is funny that everyone is comparing McKenna to kucherov but then ragging on his compete in puck battles. Kucherov kinda plays the same way…

If he puts up nearly 2 ppg at his peak, I can live with him not loving puck battles.

Have his linemates be the "warriors"