2026 NHL Draft Thread

[Tbull8]

Its not that they'd be eager to trade him. Its more how they can fill out their core with a 1D like Verhoeff. Value wise Misa and V are pretty close imo.

Its 2 teams trading from positions of strength to address a bigger need

[Samonadreau]

I dont think Misa is that good that if you think you can get a true #1 200ft Dman that you trade them for Misa.

We have Parekh who is trending like a Bouchard and then we dont have a true #1 all situations Dman in the pipeline.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by BigThief

Sure but so are Patrick Kane and Nikita Kucherov,

Kane has made sense as the closest comparable for sure. I said before that I feel like McKenna is Kane with less jam and I haven’t seen anything that would change my mind on that. Huberdeau comparisons are crazy lol.

I like Stenberg but I truly feel like McKenna is the exact kind of player that could turn Reschny into a totally viable #1 center and remove our need to draft one. They seem like completely complimentary players.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Yanda

Draft Verhoeff then trade Paraekh for Cayden Lindstrom or Tij Iginla ect.

One is not like the other, Lindstrom is being outplayed by four 2025 draft picks on his own team.

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Kane has made sense as the closest comparable for sure. I said before that I feel like McKenna is Kane with less jam and I haven’t seen anything that would change my mind on that. Huberdeau comparisons are crazy lol.

I like Stenberg but I truly feel like McKenna is the exact kind of player that could turn Reschny into a totally viable #1 center and remove our need to draft one. They seem like completely complimentary players.

McKenna can be our Kane and Reschny our Toews

[FlamesAddiction]

Maybe a hot take, but I would take Malhotra over Lawrence, although I wouldn't take either with a top 3 pick.

I think if Lawrence transferred to university and immediately started making a bigger impact, I'd see him as a potential top 3. I am not writing him off by any means because I am sure transitions take time as it is a huge jump from the USHL to BU. There is still time before the draft to make a bigger impact, but so far he hasn't done enough to convince me. It's only January though, so things could change.

He is a guy with a lot of compete and I bet he has a high floor, I just wonder about his ceiling at the pro level. He doesn't look as dynamic as top 3 centers did in past drafts.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Don't some scouts feel that Lawrence is more likely to top out as a #2 center at the NHL level? I don't think he has done enough this season to really show those opinions as nonsense yet. That's where I feel all the Cs at the top of this draft are most likely to top-off at. I am not going to say that they can't or don't have a chance to get there, but simply that it is most likely that they end up as 2nd line centers.


Here is a great article by Wheeler that isn't behind a paywall on this draft.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/699...otra-olympics/


Interesting to note how he ranks the top of this upcoming draft with the 2025 draft (I don't think this has been posted yet - apologies if it has been):

1. Matthew Schaefer
2-4: Ivar Stenberg, Gavin McKenna, Michael Misa
5-6: Keaton Verhoeff, Chase Reid
7-9: Anton Frondell, Caleb Desnoyers, Tynan Lawrence
10. Brady Martin

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I don't think you break from BPA because of organizational need, but rather it's entirely because of position scarcity. That has to be a factor.

The ability to play centre is a valuable attribute in itself, and should count something towards determining who is the BPA. A forward who can play C has skills that are lacking in a forward who can only play the wing.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

He's 6'4 210lbs. He's had a massive size advantage most of his career, and it's no different playing this year in college. Will it be the same in the NHL when he's no longer the biggest guy on the ice every single night?

He uses his strength to win battles, but he’s not the type of player that just uses his strength to bully smaller opponents, which is a knock on some big defenders in junior (didn’t Yakemchuk have that concern?). It’s actually taken him a little longer to use his size as a tool, as he didn’t do too much with it in junior. He’s fast, smart, goes to the right places. Hes much more than just his size, but his size will become a tool as he learns to use it more in the NHL (where he will always be one of the larger men).

I’ve been off and on the Verhoeff wagon, mostly because I’d prefer Calgary to take a high skill winger or centre, but I don’t see his size as something to discount him over.

[Major Major]

I trust Conroy and the scouts implicitly. If they take Verhoeff at 3, it means they think he's a game changing number 1d.

I take that over 1b centres any day.

It would also signal more long term thinking. These types take longer than any other position to hit their ceiling. Hedman took 5 years until he had his breakout season.

Finally it keeps the asset churn alive

26 trade Andersson and Coleman
27 trade whitecloud and Kadri
28 trade Weegar and deal with huberdeau

28/29 season...

Parekh Verhoeff
Bahl Bruztewicz
Kuznetzov Mews

[Funkhouser]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Teams are allowed to interview prospects in season?

That seems new.

Quick, alert Bettman!!
Maybe they will take away the Canucks first round pick and we can move into first!

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by YyjFlames

I’ve been off and on the Verhoeff wagon, mostly because I’d prefer Calgary to take a high skill winger or centre, but I don’t see his size as something to discount him over.

I mean, most big NHL defensemen were also big kids when they played in junior. You have to trust your scouts to figure it out.

I agree about Verhoeff. He is a really good player and his size is on top of that. I don't think his size is making up for a lack of skill or ability.

[Calgary4LIfe]

It may not be such a given that Vancouver finishes last.


https://www.tankathon.com/nhl/remain...edule_strength


Flames do have the 2nd hardest schedule, and the Canucks have the 16th.


Flames trade out a few pieces, and I could see long losing streaks happen. I am not sure - given the contracts that the Canucks have - that they are going to be trading any big pieces. Will be interesting. It seems like a 2-horse race at this point I guess. St. Louis is right there too, and they have the 14th hardest schedule - so they must have recently went through a tough part of their season as they had the 3rd hardest not so long ago, which explains why they tanked in the standings recently.


The race to the bottom is quite interesting this year.

[Sandman]

Verhoeff may be 6’4”, but he’s still developing physically, and players in the NCAA are man-sized and physically mature. To suggest that he’s getting by because he’s bigger is ridiculous. A player who is 5’11” has an easier time against junior players too, and has the same problem when they reach the NHL- but I would much rather be 6’4” going into the big leagues, than 5’11”. Besides, Verhoeff will still be well over average-sized for the NHL. A player like Ethan Gauthier, for instance, might have to change his style a bit, but KV won’t.

Hockey is still a contact sport, and size will always be in the “asset” column, while lack of size will always be in the “disadvantage” column, whether you like it or not. When a smaller makes it, they make it DESPITE their stature. I know it’s fun to cheer for underdogs, but there’s a reason why teams pay up for size and snarl at the TDL going into the playoffs.

If Viggo Bjorck were 6’1”, he would be up there with Stenberg and McKenna- maybe #1.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I also think that people also naturally assume that a taller player is using his size in an advantage. Is Verhoeff scoring or preventing chances against by using his size? Is he bowling guys over, clearing the net? Or is he using his smarts and shot to get pucks at the net or transition the puck, and using his stick well and getting into lanes and maintaining good gaps?


Not every big player plays big.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Yes, Verhoeff looks really good right now, and it looks like it would be hard to pass him up. However, if we draft him, we have:

RD: Parekh, Verhoeff, Brzustewicz, Mews

Top line: maybe Gridin, maybe Rechny

We need more balance than that. We need elite offensive talent.

I don't think we should be penciling Mews in on this team, even long-term. There are still a lot of risk factors with a guy like him. A little undersized, and now the major knee injury on top of that. plus he's unsigned.

I'm the last person to burst any optimism bubble, but I don't think him in the pipeline should have any bearing on the Flames taking Verhoeff or not.

[Tbull8]

Another point for V is that he only started playing out as a skater full time when he was 12. Up until then he was a goalie. Thats quite an insane progression in just a few years

[Sandman]

Yeah, knee injuries make me nervous- even with today’s advancements in medicine, many players still don’t look the same when they return.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Verhoeff may be 6’4”, but he’s still developing physically, and players in the NCAA are man-sized and physically mature. To suggest that he’s getting by because he’s bigger is ridiculous. A player who is 5’11” has an easier time against junior players too, and has the same problem when they reach the NHL- but I would much rather be 6’4” going into the big leagues, than 5’11”. Besides, Verhoeff will still be well over average-sized for the NHL. A player like Ethan Gauthier, for instance, might have to change his style a bit, but KV won’t.

Hockey is still a contact sport, and size will always be in the “asset” column, while lack of size will always be in the “disadvantage” column, whether you like it or not. When a smaller makes it, they make it DESPITE their stature. I know it’s fun to cheer for underdogs, but there’s a reason why teams pay up for size and snarl at the TDL going into the playoffs.

If Viggo Bjorck were 6’1”, he would be up there with Stenberg and McKenna- maybe #1.

Plus the extra reach that comes naturally with size, allowing players to reach for passes, break up passes more easily, or for poke checks and zone denial. The latter 3 being particularly good things for defensemen.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Plus the extra reach that comes naturally with size, allowing players to reach for passes, break up passes more easily, or for poke checks and zone denial. The latter 3 being particularly good things for defensemen.

And the ability to protect out of the reach of poke-checks- although some larger players have to learn how to handle closer to their feet.