top draft-eligible<\/a> shouldn\u2019t be expected to play many minutes at the tournament.<\/p>\n5. Gavin McKenna, LW, Canada (2026 NHL Draft)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 5
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 3<\/p>\n
McKenna possesses off-the-charts vision and puck skills that allow him to pick apart defenses and generate high volumes of scoring chances. A 2026 draft eligible, McKenna projects as a dynamic top-line playmaker who will quarterback Canada\u2019s power play.<\/p>\n
6. Alberts Smits, LHD, Latvia (2026 NHL Draft)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 6
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 9<\/p>\n
Smits offers a complete package of size and mobility. He will be the top defenseman for Latvia, and excels at killing plays with his length. He has a big point shot and can make enough plays to generate offense as well.<\/p>\n
T7. James Hagens, C, USA (Boston Bruins)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 9
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 7<\/p>\n
Hagens is a high-tempo offensive driver who uses elite edge work and vision to create plenty of chances in open ice. He projects as a top-line center for USA who can dominate possession and should be a top scorer in the tournament.<\/p>\n
T7. Chase Reid, RHD, USA (2026 NHL Draft)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 8
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 8<\/p>\n
Reid is a dynamic offensive catalyst from the blue line, using speed, vision and hands to generate chances and act as a fourth forward off the rush. While his defensive game is average, his ability to quarterback a power play and push the pace makes him a significant weapon in transition and provide much-needed skill to Team USA\u2019s blue line.<\/p>\n
T9. Zayne Parekh, RHD, Canada (Calgary Flames)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 12
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 6<\/p>\n
Parekh projects to run the first power-play unit for Canada with his elite ability to see the ice. His capacity to create scoring chances out of nothing makes him a game-changing offensive weapon, even if his defensive play isn\u2019t a selling point.<\/p>\n
T9. Carson Carels, LHD, Canada (2026 NHL Draft)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 7
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 11<\/p>\n
Carels is a powerful two-way force who uses his fluid skating to close plays physically and escape pressure with the puck. He projects as a reliable defender, even as a 17-year-old, who can kill penalties for Canada.<\/p>\n
11. Anton Frondell, C, Sweden (Chicago Blackhawks)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 11
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 10<\/p>\n
Frondell is a versatile offensive threat who blends smooth puck skills with a lethal shot that can beat goalies from range. He projects as a top-six center who can finish plays or set up teammates, while offering a strong physical presence that allows him to compete in the hard areas.<\/p>\n
12. Cole Hutson, LHD, USA (Washington Capitals)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 10
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 12<\/p>\n
Hutson is an offensive dynamo from the back end, using elite agility and vision to walk the blue line and make plays to his teammates. Expect him to be a top point-producer among defensemen in the tournament.<\/p>\n
13. Caleb Desnoyers, C, Canada (Utah Mammoth)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 15
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 13<\/p>\n
Desnoyers is a prototypical two-way center who can be trusted to play in defensive situations while also providing some offense. His blend of size, speed and playmaking intelligence makes him a candidate to play in any situation.<\/p>\n
14. Kashawn Aitcheson, LHD, Canada (New York Islanders)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 14
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 15<\/p>\n
A miserable-to-play-against defender, Aitcheson brings a physical edge and agitation that wears down opponents. He projects to shut down top forwards while contributing secondary offense through his strong skating and heavy point shot.<\/p>\n
15. Tij Iginla, C\/LW, Canada (Utah Mammoth)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 17
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 14<\/p>\n
Iginla is a pure scorer who thrives in one-on-one situations, using his quick hands and release to beat defenders and goaltenders alike. He projects as a top-six forward who can create his own shot and break open shifts with his individual skill, although he can play center as well.<\/p>\n
16. Brady Martin, C, Canada (Nashville Predators)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 16
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 16<\/p>\n
Martin combines high-end skill with a punishing physical game, making him a unique presence in the top nine. He projects to win battles and provide offense in the hard areas.<\/p>\n
17. Michael Hage, C, Canada (Montreal Canadiens)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 21
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 18<\/p>\n
Hage is a dynamic skater with the creativity to generate offense at top speed, making him a threat in transition. He projects as a reliable top-six forward who will help Canada\u2019s power play and consistently drive play with his skill and pace.<\/p>\n
18. Oliver Suvanto, C, Finland (2026 NHL Draft)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 13
Wheeler\u2019s rank: Not ranked<\/p>\n
Suvanto is a heavy, direct center who blends a large frame with soft hands to make flashy plays in tight. He projects to play significant minutes for Finland down the middle, even as a player who is days away from being eligible for the 2027 draft.<\/p>\n
T19. Will Horcoff, LW, USA (Pittsburgh Penguins)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 21
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 23<\/p>\n
One of the breakout sophomores in college hockey this season, Horcoff is a big forward with legit skill who should be an important player for Team USA up front.<\/p>\n
T19. Ryker Lee, RW, USA (Nashville Predators)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: Not ranked
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 17<\/p>\n
Lee is an extremely gifted puck handler who can dazzle with his one-on-one skill and possesses an NHL shot and a sneaky competitive streak.<\/p>\n
21. Braeden Cootes, C, Canada (Vancouver Canucks)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 18
Wheeler\u2019s rank: Not ranked<\/p>\n
Cootes is a hardworking, competitive center whose consistent effort level and impact make him a projectable middle-six NHL center \u2014 and someone some observers believe will wear a letter in the league. He may not have the high-end skill of many on this list, but he\u2019s well-liked.<\/p>\n
T22. Adam Jiricek, RHD, Czechia (St. Louis Blues)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 19
Wheeler\u2019s rank: Not ranked<\/p>\n
Jiricek is entering his third World Juniors for Czechia and should be one of the top defensemen in the tournament this year.<\/p>\n
T22. Cole Eiserman, LW, USA (New York Islanders)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: Not ranked
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 19<\/p>\n
Eiserman is a sniper whose diverse shooting arsenal makes him a threat from anywhere inside the offensive zone and a marked man on the power play. He\u2019s got the ability to be a one-shot game-breaker for Team USA.<\/p>\n
T24. Cole Reschny, C, Canada (Calgary Flames)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 23
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 24<\/p>\n
Reschny is slated to play a prominent role for Canada. The highly intelligent and competitive center is a two-way player who can be used in a bunch of different ways.<\/p>\n
T24. Carter Bear, LW, Canada (Detroit Red Wings)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 20
Wheeler\u2019s rank: Not ranked<\/p>\n
Carter Bear will likely start the tournament as a healthy scratch for Canada, but could be a versatile addition for them later in the tournament. He can score, PK and plays quite hard.<\/p>\n
Honorable mentions (received votes)<\/p>\n
Radim Mrtka, RHD, Czechia (Buffalo Sabres)<\/p>\n
Pronman\u2019s rank: Not ranked
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 21<\/p>\n
Victor Eklund, RW, Sweden (New York Islanders)
Pronman\u2019s rank: Not ranked
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 22<\/p>\n
Cameron Reid, LHD, Canada (Nashville Predators)
Pronman\u2019s rank: No. 24
Wheeler\u2019s rank: No. 25<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every year, The Athletic\u2019s prospects experts Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler produce a joint ranking of the top…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":364457,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[556],"tags":[64,63,575,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-364456","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-nhl","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/364456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=364456"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/364456\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/364457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=364456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=364456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=364456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}