2026 NHL Draft Thread

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Royle9

Viggo Bjorck making a name for himself as I suspected at the WJHC’s.
His offensive instincts and shot have him tied for scoring lead.

If he were 2-3” taller he’d be a top 3 pick for sure.

Really hoping CGY takes a shot at him.

His nose for the net and creating offense is one thing. That's land him top ten on its own. But his motor is non stop. He's fighting for pucks in the corners and grinding away and winning puck battles. That's what sends it over the top for me. Size be damned. And any Calgary flames fan worrying about size should be ashamed since the smallest player we ever had was once the biggest and brightest star of an era. #13.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Draft-Eligibles to watch in the WJC:

USA:
-D Chase Reid
-D Dakota Rheame-Mullen (D+1)
-G Brady Knowling

SWEDEN:
-W Ivar Stenberg
-D William Hakansson
-C Viggo Bjorck
-W Liam Danielsson (D+2)

SLOVAKIA:
-C Tobias Tomik
-C Tomas Pobezal (D+1)
-D Adam Goljer
-C Tomas Chrenko
-LW Adam Nemec
-D Luka Radivojevic (D+1)

SWITZERLAND:
-RW Lars Steiner
-D Daniil Ustinkov (D+2)
-Robin Nico Antenen (D+2)
-LW Jamiro Reber (D+1)

GERMANY:
-C Elias Schneider (D+1)
-LW Gustavs Griva (D+1)

FINLAND:
-D Juho Piiparainen
-D Niklas Nykyri (D+2)
-D Mitja Jokinen (D+2)
-LW Jasper Kuhta (D+1)
-RW Leo Tuuva (D+2)
-C Oliver Suvanto
-LW Matias Vanhanen (D+1)
-G Patrik Kerkola (D+1)

CZECHIA:
-D Tomas Galvas (D+2)
-D Vladimir Dravecky
-LW Adam Novotny
-D Jakub Vanecek
-G Ondrej Stebetak (D+1)
-G Michal Orsulak (D+1)

CANADA:
-D Carson Carels
-D Ethan MacKenzie (D+1)
-LW Gavin McKenna

LATVIA:
-C Rudolfs Berzkalns
-D Alberts Smits
-C Olivers Murnieks
-RW Bruno Osmanis (D+1)

Galvas is having himself a tournament with another assist so far today.

He's one of the older players, and is still really small for a d-man, but with what he's doing in the Czech league and his performance at the WJC, an NHL team has to take a crack at him as a later round draft pick this year.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

Totally forgot we have vancouvers 3rd rounder this year from the zadorov trade. If the season ended right now it’s 64th overall because of Ottawa forfeit pick. Not too shabby

Wouldn’t mind taking a flyer on Joe with one of those early 3rds

If there is one team other than the Flames that would place any type of 'over-value' on Joe, it would have to be Utah since they could combine the brothers.


Utah may grab him in the 2nd, I think. They don't have their own 2nd round pick for the 2026 draft, but they have NYR's and Ottawa's 2nds. I will guess that he gets taken with one of those picks if he is still on the board.

[Sandman]

In the last 30 years in the SHL, with a minimum of 5 games-played, Viggo Bjorck has the 13th-best ppg by a U-18 player (0.33), which is ahead of William Nylander, Lucas Raymond, Daniel Sedin, Leo Carlsson, Marco Kasper, Adrian Kempe, and others.

He is also tied with Noel Gunler, and just behind Magnus Paajarvi (0.34), Alex Holtz (0.46), and Robert Nilsson (0.51).

Bjorck's 8 points in 24 games are already 17th-best by a U-18 player in the SHL in the last 30 years.

[shutout]

Originally Posted by Sandman

In the last 30 years in the SHL, with a minimum of 5 games-played, Viggo Bjorck has the 13th-best ppg by a U-18 player (0.33), which is ahead of William Nylander, Lucas Raymond, Daniel Sedin, Leo Carlsson, Marco Kasper, Adrian Kempe, and others.

He is also tied with Noel Gunler, and just behind Magnus Paajarvi (0.34), Alex Holtz (0.46), and Robert Nilsson (0.51).

Bjorck's 8 points in 24 games are already 17th-best by a U-18 player in the SHL in the last 30 years.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/692...-adam-jiricek/

Athletic - Wheeler

Bjorck is Sweden’s youngest player and has been one of their best. He has three goals and has averaged 18:17 per game.

He’s also playing center as a 17-year-old and is 39-25 in the faceoff circle (61 percent). Bjorck has looked crafty with the puck, has flashed a ton of vision

He has also looked strong on pucks in battles and just seems to consistently affect play.

He’s got skill, craft and competitiveness, and he’s a top 10-15 prospect in this draft

[mile]

https://twitter.com/user/status/2006140522411213013

[Royle9]

That’s an interesting take.
I’d bet good money right now that he doesn’t.
He’s been ok so far, I’d love to sit and talk about what he’s seen that would give him that impression.

No doubt he’s a pro scout and I’m a nobody, but I’m not seeing it.

[Monahammer]

It would be crazy to take Smits top 10 even at this point. Not a game breaking talent. Probably not chance in ever being one. Steady pro likely but you cant pick for floor in the top 10.

[Roof-Daddy]

Smits isn't going off the board before Verhoeff

[Sandman]

I did a little write up on the previous page on Smits- he’s been a beast at the WJC.

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

It would be crazy to take Smits top 10 even at this point. Not a game breaking talent. Probably not chance in ever being one. Steady pro likely but you cant pick for floor in the top 10.

Even before this Tournament he was getting top 10 love from quite a few rankings. Highly unlikely he goes before Verhoeff, but decent chance of top 10. And hes playing Liiga this season and putting up decent points for that league sp theres some offensive play there too.

[Naitix]

I would take Smits easily in the top 5-7 range. In general this drafts first round is weaker than the previous years, especially outside the top 5. Imo a 7th pick vs 13th doesn’t matter much this year

[Sandman]

More Thoughts on Central Scouting's Preliminary Rankings:

-"C"-rated RG Yegor Rybkin may just have his foot in the door as a top-64 pick in the 2026 Draft, based on his size (6'7",207lbs) and supreme athleticism alone- but scouts seem to find it hard to get a proper read on this one. He is currently plying his trade with Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL), backing up starter Marat Sabitov, while posting a 5-2-0 record, with a 2.56 GAA, and a .915 SV% (T-22nd for players 18-and-under). I wouldn't want to have to be the one trying to put a puck past this kid, as he already covers the entire net with his immense build, even when down on his knees. Any scouting report you read on Rybkin will undoubtedly make reference to his "high-end" athleticism, as he moves incredibly fast in the blue paint, and has the flexibility to seal off the entire bottom of his net with his pads. His RVH is also seemingly more impenetrable than most other netminders, and completely shuts the door to his posts, but he is too quick in moving off of them. His movements are incredibly fluid and controlled, as he skates well and owns smooth edges, and his up-and-down mobility is lightning-quick; he does however, tend to go down prematurely, and scouts say he bites on a lot of fakes. To me, he looks like his stance is too low when tracking the puck, meaning that he drops his hands too much and loses the top of his net- however, scouts claim that it's more difficult to beat him him high than low, despite his enormous five-hole. His glove-hand looks good, but he can beaten blocker-side, and his hockey-sense isn't as good as one would hope. Like most goalies his age, he stays too deep in his crease, and could use greater leg-strength for a more explosive push off of his posts. Rybkin has the calm demeanor, as well as the poise that is needed to play in the big leagues, and he possesses a competitive nature.

-Despite having the unenviable task of backstopping the 17th-place (out of 18 teams) Gatineau Olympiques in his D+1 season, "C"-rated LG Danai Shaiikov (6'2",192lbs) has put up a respectable 12-12-1 record, with a 2.60 GAA (5th), and a .907 SV% (7th). Shaiikov was Gatineau's 2nd-round draft choice, 64th-overall, in the 2025 CHL Import Draft, after a 2024-25 season that saw him post a 4-0 record, on a 1.62 GAA, and a .921 SV% in just 5 MHL games with Omskie Yastreby in his draft season (he spent the majority of the year in the U18 league). He was touted as the Olympiques' new backup, but he wrestled the starters' job away from last year's #1, Nathan St.Pierre. While he has a solid technical foundation, Shaiikov tends to be quite aggressive in his net, and relies alot on his speed and athleticism. Unlike most netminders of his age, he comes out to challenge a lot- sometimes, to his detriment, as he lacks the explosiveness and flexibilty to retreat back laterally, or to stop back-door chances. Despite this, he shows a good battle level in stopping second, and third-chances, and he doesn't get rattled in scrambles. His edges are strong, and he can micro-adjust to cut down angles quickly, and his movements are efficient and controlled. He resets faster than most from butterfly position, but looks hunched-over and small when he's down on the ice, and while his arms are fast and active, he gives up a lot at the top of his net- he can also over-slide on his pads at times. Shaiikov scans well, and has solid tracking skill, but his hockey sense and anticipation might be his best assets. Despite being a draft re-entry, with an April 13th, 2007 birthday, he might be one to watch, as he has single-handedly won plenty of games this season for Gatineau.

-"C"-rated RG Tobias Tvrznik (6'3",180lbs) has a lot of parallels to fellow netminder Danaii Shaiikov, in that he's a draft re-entry (July 29th, 2007), playing on a very poor CHL team, and getting positive results. The current 17th-place (out of 23 teams) Wenatchee Wild selected Tvrznik with the 10th-overall pick in the 2025 CHL Import Draft, and he has certainly paid dividends for them, with a 2.87 GAA (12th), and a .919 SV% (3rd). Last season, in his draft year, he put up a 17-7-0 record, on a 2.59 GAA (13th), and a .926 SV% (9th) in Czechia's U20 league for HC Sparta Praha. In his first WHL game of the regular season, he set a franchise record with 60 saves in a 4-3 SO loss to the high-powered Everett Silvertips. Tvrznik has solid technique, but leans a lot into his speed, reflexes, and athleticism. He shows good body language that suggests that he's calm and composed, and he resets well after a goal; he comes back strong after a bad period, or a bad game. Though he seems poised at all times, he's also a battler, and has to be on the Wild- he fights hard in scrambles and stays focused, and is solid in making saves on 2nd, and 3rd-chances. Though he's not perfect, his rebound-control is considered a strength, as he is able to direct the pucks out of danger that he can't immediately swallow up in his chest. He exhibits solid scanning habits, tracks well, and owns top-notch hockey sense to be proactively set for the shot, with the right save-selection, and his angling is a strength. His positioning is also a strength, and he has the edgework to micro-adjust to stay square, and the speed to move well side-to-side, as well as up-and-down. Going forward, he might need to incorporate more technique into his game, so that making reactive, desperation stops becomes less necessary. Like Shaiikov, he needs to increase leg-strength, in order to get faster in his lateral pushes.

-Omskie Yastreby is one of the top teams in Russia's MHL league, sitting 2nd in the Eastern Conference-Gold Division, while being backstopped by their #1 Goalie, Colorado Avalanche-prospect Ivan Yunin. Their back-up, 17 year-old LG Dmitri Ivchenko, is one of two highly-touted netminders coming out of Russia this year for the draft next summer, the other being Yegor Rybkin. Ivchenko, born on June 29th, 2008, is a 6'3",179lb lefty, who sports a 6-4-0 record, with a 2.27 GAA, and a .909 SV%, with 2 shutouts in his last 3 starts. Ivchenko moves around the blue paint with quickness, and uncommon fluidity in all directions, and also goes up-and-down with lightning-speed. When he slides on his pads, he doesn't overcommit, showing efficiency and control in his movements. His acute tracking acts as a facilitator for his high-end anticipation, giving him the ability to be ready and set for the shot proactively; he reads the play well, and knows the right time to come out to the top of the crease to challenge, and when to stay deeper in net. He angles proficiently, and is most-often well positioned, but makes small adjustments with skillfulness and acuity on his strong edges to stay square to the puck.. His wide stance helps him to seal off the bottom the net, and gives him an advantage in shutting down his posts quickly, as well as in stopping back-door chances, but may hurt his lateral explosiveness. He scans well, but needs plenty of work in his tracking through heavy traffic, and needs to improve how he deals with screens. His rebound control is another area of improvement, and affects both his hands, as well as his pads. Ivchenko has an excellent base to work with, and plenty of potential.

-While he was given a "W" as a player to watch by Central Scouting, LG Martin Psohlavec (6'5",185lbs) has stats that are hard to ignore, and definitely stands out with his physical attributes. With HC Energie Karlovy Vary U20 this season, he is 19-9-0, with a 1.95 GAA (2nd-overall), and a .926 SV% (3rd-overall)- impressive, considering that he doesn't turn 18 until May. Psohlavec is a hybrid goalie who seems to have a bit of everything, but isn't at an elite level in any one area yet. He is huge, and covers a ton of net, showing the ability to make quick, calculated, and efficient movements around his crease with reasonably good control, but there are some who would like him to be a little more explosive, and a lot more fluid. There is room to improve when it comes to his skating, and his edgework, plus- he can lose his net when sliding on his pads. He has a good grasp of when to move up to the edge of the crease to challenge shooters, and when to stay deeper in his net, and he does a good job of controlling the angles, and shuffling his feet to stay square to the puck. He displays the knack most of the time in seeing around, through, and over traffic, and owns solid hockey-sense and anticipation, but also does well in scrambles by staying even-keel, while stretching out to corral loose pucks. His legs are long as well, which enables him to cover the entire length of the net while down in the splits, and his hands look well-placed and active. There are issues with his ability to swallow shots up in his chest, and his rebound-control is an issue, but he looks rather proficient and confident in handling the puck, and making the odd pass.

-"W"-rated LG Vladimir Selivanov (6'1",187lbs) won't turn 18 until July 25th, but he has already played in 2 KHL games (4.63 GAA, .889 SV%). Dynamo Moskva had injuries to their backup, so Selivanov was called up to presumably sit on the bench for a few games, but he was tapped on the shoulder in his 4th game in a backup role to relieve the starter, who had given up 6 goals in the first 43 minutes. Selivanov stopped all 11 shots he faced in 17:18 TOI. His second game between the pipes didn't go as smoothly, as he gave up 2 goals on 7 shots in 8:37 TOI. For Dynamo Moskva's MHL team this season, he is 8-1-0, with a 2.21 GAA, and a .919 SV%. Selivanov is a little raw, and perhaps relies too much on his athleticism over technique, but he exhibits sharp reflexes, excellent flexibility, and quick feet; he is a good skater, and displays strong edges. His pushes are strong, and give him the ability to move well laterally, and he does so with control and efficiency; he shuffles in order to stay in position, and doesn't over-commit, or over-slide on his pads. His hands are quick and active, and his positioning is ideal; his footwork is fluid, but he is often too deep in his net, and his rebound-control needs a bit of work. Selivanov's mental make-up has been questioned, as he seems to lose his composure at times, looks a bit uncontrolled and erratic in scrambles, and his focus wanes when the puck is the defensive zone for longer sequences; his consistency is another area of area of concern. Selivanov owns well-developed puck-tracking, and beats the puck with proactive positioning, and explosive lateral mobility. He uses his posts well, and seals them off with acuity. There's an excellent toolbox here, that only needs a bit of refinement.

[sureLoss]

Eliteprospects has a write up on Bjorck

https://www.eliteprospects.com/news/...y-for-a-reason

Like Rossi and Stankoven, Björck is compact and strong. He is not shy about playing through traffic. He will engage physically along the walls. He does not drift to the perimeter to avoid contact.

One NHL scout summarized it this way.

“I think what those little guys (Rossi and Stankoven) prove is that the one non-negotiable thing a player like that has got to have is compete,” the scout said. “You watch Viggo, and the brain is there, the mitts are there. Yeah, the boots aren’t as quick as you’d like, but he’s fearless. He’ll never be confused for Tom Wilson, but he’s in the battle. He works. He’ll body up and play on the wall. I don’t think you have to worry as much about him not being able to do it against NHLers at his size because he’s already showing he can play a more pro-style offensive game.”

That said, there is a clear separator between Björck and his closest stylistic comparables.

Rossi entered his draft year as a high-end skater. Elite Prospects scouts graded his skating a seven in 2020, representing a first-line calibre mover.

Björck's skating, while improved from last season, projects closer to the average. His straight-line speed and first-step quickness remain areas of focus.

That is the question scouts continue to come back to.

“He’s a player we’ve watched closely, as there’s a good chance he’s in our range,” said one NHL executive. “The question is, will he be able to stay at centre at his size and if he can get to pucks quickly enough. We love his decision-making and ability to create.”

Those questions will follow Björck all the way to draft day and beyond. But they exist alongside a growing body of evidence that he compensates for his limitations in other ways.

His puck skills and play-creation are plus-rated. He processes the game extremely quickly. He anticipates where the puck is going, not where it has been. And he has shown, repeatedly, that he can hold his own physically against older competition.

[JTech780]

It will be interesting to see where Tomas Chrenko goes in the draft. He is leading the WJC in goals, as a 1st year draft eligible, and tied for the tournament lead in points with 8 (4GP-5G-3A-8P). It is hard to get a read on players playing in Slovakia.

Someone has to take Tomas Galvas in this draft, he has been an impact player for the Czech’s. Same can be said but maybe to a lesser extent for Ethan MacKenzie.

Not sure what his ceiling is offensively, but you see why scouts like Oliver Suvanto. Smart, straight line player with size. He has all the tools to be a very good middle 6 center in the NHL for a long time.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by JTech780

It will be interesting to see where Tomas Chrenko goes in the draft. He is leading the WJC in goals, as a 1st year draft eligible, and tied for the tournament lead in points with 8 (4GP-5G-3A-8P). It is hard to get a read on players playing in Slovakia.

Someone has to take Tomas Galvas in this draft, he has been an impact player for the Czech’s. Same can be said but maybe to a lesser extent for Ethan MacKenzie.

Not sure what his ceiling is offensively, but you see why scouts like Oliver Suvanto. Smart, straight line player with size. He has all the tools to be a very good middle 6 center in the NHL for a long time.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but McKenzie has been draft-eligible twice already, meaning any NHL team can sign him if they come to a contract agreement with him.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Eliteprospects has a write up on Bjorck

https://www.eliteprospects.com/news/...y-for-a-reason

When you look at the traits the flames seem to covet over the last couple of years my bet is Bjork is really high on flames list if not right at the top.

[playmaker]

Caleb Malhotra currently has 48 points in 35 games for Brantford in his first OHL season. Has anyone watched him enough to get a sense of whether he has #1C potential? As a natural center and one of the youngest players in the 2026 draft, he’s listed at 6'2" and 185 lbs, so there’s a good chance his playing size in the NHL could end up closer to 6'3" and 200 lbs. Those stats are pretty impressive, especially considering he's likely been playing as the #2C behind Jake O'Brien for most of the season.

[Ba'alzamon]

Originally Posted by playmaker

Caleb Malhotra currently has 48 points in 35 games for Brantford in his first OHL season. Has anyone watched him enough to get a sense of whether he has #1C potential? As a natural center and one of the youngest players in the 2025 draft, he’s listed at 6'2" and 185 lbs, so there’s a good chance his playing size in the NHL could end up closer to 6'3" and 200 lbs. Those stats are pretty impressive, especially considering he's likely been playing as the #2C behind Jake O'Brien for most of the season.

That's tricky, because I've pretty much stopped watching him because I felt myself developing a bias. However, I'm kind of inclined to establish him as a probable 2C. He'll be really, really good, I think kind of in the Kadri/Trocheck tier.

One thing I'll say is I don't believe for one second that he's actually 6'2". He was listed at 6'0" at the start of the season and I found that very believable. He is visibly smaller than O'Brien, who is also listed at 6'2".

[fotze2]

Can we get everyone to declare if they have actually watched a player or just aggregating online scouting nerd drivel?