2026 NHL Draft Thread

[sch19lks]

Originally Posted by dino7c

These days if you want eyeballs a controversial take is the way to go...Not drafting McKenna #1 is smartest guy in the room stuff and will end badly for someone IMO. Ranking him 4th is pure clickbait.

I wish it were true because that would give the Flames a very good chance to take him

As usually happens with guys hyped up huge when they’re 15/16, scouts and fans tend to pick their game apart by the time draft day comes around.

I’m not sure that’s true for McKenna. He made the jump from the Dub to NCAA. He’s been hot lately in NCAA, but I’m not sure if the criticism is unwarranted.

I’ll start off by saying, I’m a big fan of his. Tons of skill, there’s games where you don’t really notice him and he ends up with a goal and two assists. My issue with him, is that he’s a perimeter player. Yes, he attacks the middle of the ice, but he doesn’t do that very often. That’s my biggest red flag with McKenna.

He’d be a great complimentary piece to play with a stud #1 centre, but we don’t have that. I see the Kucherov comparisons and I somewhat agree. But I don’t see his ceiling as anywhere near Kuch

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Jan.28th: Scouts were no doubt waiting for "B"-rated LD Charlie Morrison (6'3.25",198lbs) to return from the injury that cost him the first 14 games of the season; after 10 games back, and 2 contests in the CHL-USA Prospect Challenge (no points), he sat at 3 points, with a +4, and 12 PIM, for the 13th-place (out of 18 teams) Quebec Remparts. In 14 games since the Prospects Challenge, he has only produced 3 points, which gives him a total of 6 points in 24 games, while the Remparts have improved to 10th in the standings. Morrison should have a few more points, based on his 15 points in 2024-25, but he will surely be taken high in the draft- perhaps even in the second-round. In their Mid-Term Rankings, Central Scouting put him at #29 for North American Skaters.

Morrison is a mean and gritty two-way performer, who intimidates with his size, hard-hitting physicality, and frightening mobility. With high-end athleticism, he exhibits smoothness and speed in all directions, making him first to loose pucks, able to outrun and outmaneuver forecheckers, and capable of surfing across the ice to close out attackers quickly. Standing at almost 6'4", with a long reach and a well-timed stick, his footwork and mobility give him enormous range, and the capacity to effectively cut off huge swaths of ice. He applies stifling gaps and brings a tunnel of death to his rush-defense, separates man from puck with an active stick, makes smooth retrievals with speed and agility, and gets the puck moving the other way with calm, poised breakout passes. Morrison can carry through the neutral zone, availing himself of his reliable handling and well-honed protection skills, and contributes intelligently to the rush, supporting the offense with sound decision-making, as well as high-IQ processing. There are flashes of quality playmaking acumen, as well as some glimpses of creativity and vision at times, and he has shown the ability to create space by pinching in to the play once in a while, but he is mainly focused right now on his defensive duties, and is deployed a lot against opposing teams' top players. Morrison is a quality shut-down artist, a first-rate match-up option, and a minute-muncher, but also a calming, stabilizing force on the backend. I think he looks like a possible #4 defenseman on an NHL-squad in the future.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Jan.28th: To boost their Memorial Cup aspirations, the powerhouse Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL made a late-October trade with Oshawa that brought defensive standout D Ben Danford and Zackary Sandhu into the fold, with D Lucas Moore, D Luca DiPlacido, numerous draft picks, and "B"-rated draft-eligible LW Aiden O'Donnell (6'0.75",182lbs) going the other way. It was a good news/bad news proposition for O'Donnell, as on one hand, he got a new start with a new team after his disappointing offensive output with a deep and talented Bulldogs squad- only 8 points in 14 games. On the other hand, the Generals are the worst team in the league this season, as well as the lowest scoring (106 goals to date, compared to the Bulldogs' 210), which is part of the reason that O'Donnell has provided only 6 goals and 11 points in 21 games with his new team, for a total of 19 points in 35 games. Central Scouting puts him at #84 for North American Skaters in their Mid-Term Rankings, but he was a 14th-overall pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection.

At his best, O'Donnell is a very well-rounded, all-situations power-forward, who skates well, plays with pace and physicality, and exerts a detailed defensive game. He has a hard shot with a deceptive release, smooth hands around the crease, and a nose for the net- most of his play-creation revolves around his shoot-first mentality. There are flashes of high-end vision at times though, and he has shown solid instincts in the offensive zone, but he hasn't put it all together yet, and a lot of his ideas go unrequited on a team like the Gens. He has a good knowledge of how to use opposing defensemen as screens to fool goalies, is able to shoot while in-flight, and can fire off the catch. While he is willing to do the dirty work for his linemates along the boards and in front of the net, he is more of a supporter and opportunist in the offensive zone, rather than a true play-driver. O'Donnell uses his frame well to fend off checks while in-motion, exerts deft puck-protection skills, and will lean into defenders to push his way inside. He works hard, goes to all the battle areas of the ice, and will plant himself in front of the net for second-chance opportunities. He is stronger than he looks, can outwork bigger opponents in 50/50 contests, and can dole out crushing hits. O'Donnell seemed like a sure-fire second-rounder at the start of the season, but his poor offensive output will likely put him in the third, or fourth-round.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Has anyone ever gone back and looked at any of Pronman's weird rankings in the past and seen if they actually panned out long term?

Ranking McKenna 4th is hilarious.

Cosentino on Sportsnet has McKenna ranked 3rd. Multiples NHL scouts at the WJCs told the Athletic they don’t have him in the top 2.

Won’t be a surprise at all if he goes 3rd or 4th.

[CalgaryFan1988]

Reading that Joe Iginla's stock is rising (just realized the article I read is old). Central Scouting had him ranked 124th for North American skaters. Be curious to see where he's ranked in a couple months.

[Tbull8]

Of course it is. He’s an Iginla. I won’t be surprised if he goes as high as late 2nd

[mile]

He has 1 point in his last 10 games - it's hard to see him being more than a 3rd round pick

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by mile

He has 1 point in his last 10 games - it's hard to see him being more than a 3rd round pick

Poor kid was traded to the Vancouver Giants at the deadline too- they are near the bottom of the WHL standings. No points in 2 games.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Yes, character matters. But lots of 18 year old kids struggle with commitment and such. Then they mature.

When you're drafting at the top of the list, you have to go for talent and upside.

Andersson dropped to the second round because of concerns about his effort IIRC

[Sandman]

Liam and Markus Ruck are now 3 and 4 in the WHL scoring race- Liam has 66 points in 47 games, while Markus has 65. Both are projected to be at about 95 points apiece at season’s end.

Daxon Rudolph must be tired of hearing about the other 3 big D in this draft (Verhoeff, Reid, and Carels), cuz he’s put up 24 points in his last 15 games, for 54 in 46- to place 3rd in scoring by D in the WHL, behind Pickford and Woo.