After months of talks with more than two dozen NHL scouts, scouting directors and front-office executives, the consensus for the 2026 NHL Draft is that we have a very tight group at the top, led by a deep crop of defensemen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t want to be picking 1 this year,\u201d said a scouting director. \u201cThere\u2019s a very good chance the best player in this draft doesn\u2019t even go in the top five. I also think whoever goes 1 will have unrealistic expectations put on them. None of these guys are (Matthew) Schaefer, (Macklin) Celebrini (or Connor) Bedard.\u201d<\/p>\n
That lack of a singular, defined tier has created a fractured landscape across the league.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no clear guy this year. There\u2019s a group,\u201d said another scout. \u201cAnd I could see that group go in almost any order, although I think Gavin McKenna should be in the top two somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are six, seven guys for me, and they are all very close: McKenna, (Chase) Reid, (Ivar) Stenberg, (Carson) Carels, (Caleb) Malhotra, (Alberts) \u0160mits, (Keaton) Verhoeff,\u201d said one scout.<\/p>\n
Another director said he has a group of nine players that he could put in any combination, adding Viggo Bj\u00f6rck and Daxon Rudolph to the above-mentioned players. \u201cThere\u2019s no A\u2019s this year, just a bunch of B+\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re debating between wingers and centers or defensemen, the wingers can\u2019t just be close; there needs to be some separation,\u201d another NHL executive noted. \u201cI\u2019m not completely convinced that McKenna or Stenberg showed that separation this season from guys like Reid, Verhoeff, Malhotra, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what the people making the picks are saying about the prospects at the top of the 2026 class.<\/p>\n
Draft defined by debate at No. 1<\/p>\n
For the better part of three years, McKenna has been the presumptive No. 1 pick. His offensive toolkit, elite skill level and scoring track record are among the very best we\u2019ve seen in recent years from a prospect. But projecting players comes down to more than just points. Evaluators are forced to weigh his immense scoring upside against real questions about how his game will translate to heavy, playoff-style hockey.<\/p>\n
\u201cMcKenna is the most talented player in the draft. But is he the most likely guy to win a championship?\u201d one scouting director asked. \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re going to be talking about in meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s an excellent player,\u201d said a veteran scout. \u201cIn the middle of the season, I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll see some highlight-reel plays, and some four- or five-point nights. But when things get tough, if that\u2019s the guy you\u2019re leaning on in the playoffs, our guys would be so excited to play against him. I would take Stenberg, Reid (and) Malhotra ahead of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s going to score a ton in the NHL. He\u2019s special with the puck and on the power play,\u201d said an executive. \u201cMy concern is he\u2019s like Artemi Panarin. He\u2019ll get his accolades, but he\u2019ll also be on three to four teams and never make real noise in the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got to be one of the most unusual top Canadian prospects I\u2019ve seen,\u201d said a scout. \u201cYou can\u2019t find him some nights, and he can be so frustrating, but his talent is freakish. He can not really try and still have three points.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, passing on a player with McKenna\u2019s raw talent and elite offensive brain is a terrifying proposition for a general manager.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would have a really hard time passing on the special skill,\u201d said a veteran scout. \u201cThat\u2019s the kind of stuff that gets you fired.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are overthinking this one,\u201d said a scouting director. \u201cHis scoring track record is special. His offensive brain and stick are special. He rips up the WHL for years and then rips up college hockey and was a top scorer at the World Juniors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think McKenna is separated from the pack,\u201d said a scout who had him at 1, \u201cbut I would still just take the guy with 100-point potential.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m normally the first one who puts centers and defensemen ahead of wingers on my list,\u201d said another scout, \u201cbut I think there\u2019s a separation between McKenna and the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI get the concerns, and I have them as well, but there is a realistic chance he\u2019s Patrick Kane or Nikita Kucherov. His brain and hands are that special,\u201d said another scouting director. \u201cThis isn\u2019t a Shane Wright situation with McKenna, where (Juraj) Slafkovsk\u00fd pulled away from Wright and Wright didn\u2019t have a great draft season. McKenna had a great season. He deserves to be in this conversation. The issue is his profile isn\u2019t amazing, and there are guys who are close to him. But if you don\u2019t take him and he becomes what some think he can, you look like an idiot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think his development will go similarly to Jack Hughes,\u201d added an executive. \u201cIt may take a minute in the NHL for him to adjust physically, but he\u2019s so good that eventually he will become a premier scorer. Even if you\u2019re not a huge McKenna believer, at some point this conversation gets ridiculous, and I say that admitting that he drives me crazy. Maybe you like Stenberg or Reid more, but very quickly he becomes dramatically more skilled than the next best player.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because the gap between McKenna and the rest of the top tier is perceived to be narrow, the ultimate decision might be taken out of the scouting department\u2019s hands entirely, even with some of the concerns they may have.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what the scouts think when you win the lottery,\u201d one veteran evaluator said. \u201cThe GM can wipe their ass with your list. At that point, it becomes a management, if not even an ownership call.\u201d<\/p>\n
Is Stenberg the smarter bet?<\/p>\n
As we approach the draft, there\u2019s a growing debate between McKenna and Stenberg. The gap in dynamic talent between the two wingers is distinct, but teams are deeply divided on who possesses the more translatable NHL game.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly two right answers to who to go 1. McKenna or Stenberg, don\u2019t get cute,\u201d a scouting director said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love Stenberg. He\u2019s been so good this season,\u201d raved a scout. \u201cIn the medal round of the World Juniors, the way he elevated was very impressive. He\u2019s very talented, and the way he grinds for pucks will translate to the NHL. I would take him at 1.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stenberg is a 5-foot-11 winger, but his compete level, direct style and willingness to play inside the dots appeal to evaluators who worry about McKenna\u2019s perimeter tendencies.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s not as smart or skilled as McKenna, but the way he plays and how he generates his offense translates better to the NHL,\u201d said a director. \u201cHe\u2019s direct, he gets to the net, he gets the puck on net, he can make high-end plays, but he\u2019s not looking to be fancy when the play isn\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another scout pointed out the stylistic difference: \u201cHe doesn\u2019t have McKenna\u2019s hockey sense, but his shot is elite, and he gets to the net to score, which McKenna doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, drafting a sub-6-foot winger high always carries inherent risk. If the offense doesn\u2019t pop at an elite level, the value plummets quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Stenberg doesn\u2019t score a lot, I don\u2019t love his backup game,\u201d cautioned a scout. \u201cIf he\u2019s a 50-point, 5-11 wing, it\u2019s not a very valuable piece. For those D like \u0160mits, Reid, Verhoeff or Carels, even if they\u2019re not running a power play at the end of the day, they can be useful parts of a playoff lineup. There\u2019s more B-game there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because of that limited B-game, several evaluators pushed back on the idea that Stenberg is a lock for the top two.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe media talks about him and McKenna like they\u2019re the consensus top two guys, but I don\u2019t think teams have it that way,\u201d an executive revealed. \u201cMy guess is most teams have one of those guys in their top 2, and then a defenseman or Malhotra. I could honestly see Stenberg get closer to 5 than to 1; he\u2019s not the same type of talent as McKenna.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another scout was even more direct: \u201cPeople talk about this guy like he\u2019s a slam dunk to go 1 or 2. It reminds me of William Eklund\u2019s hype; he was in everyone\u2019s top five, and then he goes 7. When teams get to meetings, and they describe a smaller winger who isn\u2019t dynamic to their GMs, he will start moving down lists.\u201d<\/p>\n
The strength of this class: A deep, debated blue line<\/p>\n
There\u2019s an immense amount of love for this year\u2019s top defensemen. The sheer variety of profiles \u2014 from towering, physical defenders to elite, smooth-skating puck movers \u2014 means teams will have their pick of premium assets. It also means no two teams have them ranked in the exact same order.<\/p>\n
Keaton Verhoeff<\/p>\n
Verhoeff\u2019s massive size and soft touch make him a unicorn in this class, though his decision to play college hockey this year has made his evaluation a bit trickier than his CHL counterparts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m probably an outlier with the season he had, but I have him 1,\u201d said an executive. \u201cIt\u2019s so rare to find a defenseman his size, who can move, who can make plays and can defend very well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe looks special,\u201d said a scout. \u201cThe soft plays he can make with the puck, his vision, his athleticism. He\u2019s the kind of defenseman you can typically only get with a top-three pick.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe reminds me so much of Aaron Ekblad,\u201d said another. \u201cHe\u2019s big, heavy, he can make a pass.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some evaluators, however, push back on his ultimate offensive ceiling and processing speed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have questions on his hockey sense,\u201d said a scouting director. \u201cNot major ones, I think he plays all day, but the level of offense he brings may be closer to someone like Simon Edvinsson than a true power-play type, and he\u2019s smaller than Edvinsson.\u201d<\/p>\n
An executive was harsher: \u201cHis brain is so-so. He\u2019s a good player, but I don\u2019t see any special traits in his game when I watch him, other than maybe his shot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, a scout defended his collegiate context: \u201cPeople will beat him up a bit for his year in college, but if he was back in the WHL, he would have had the years guys like Carels and Rudolph did without question, especially when you consider his production in the WHL a year ago. He should still be in the conversation to be the first defenseman.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chase Reid<\/p>\n
If you want pure offensive talent from the back end, Reid is the guy.<\/p>\n
\u201cReid is a strange prospect. Two years ago, he got cut from the USHL. Now we\u2019re talking about him in the top three,\u201d said an executive. \u201cBut his play has deserved it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a rare defense prospect,\u201d a scout gushed. \u201cHis combination of skating, size, skill, brain; I may have seen a handful of guys in the CHL in my time who are this talented.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has elite skill, great feet, he makes an impact all over the ice. He has star potential,\u201d said an executive.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has a real chance to become a No. 1 defenseman,\u201d added another scout. \u201cHe should be in the conversation with McKenna\/Stenberg for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
The knock on Reid is predictable for a highly offensive junior blueliner. \u201cHis defending is a concern for me,\u201d said a scout. \u201cHe\u2019s gotten a lot better in that area, but he definitely cares more about scoring than he does about playing in his own end.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor as much as he\u2019s talked about as this elite puck-mover, Carson Carels and Daxon Rudolph produced more while being much younger,\u201d added another scout.<\/p>\n
Alberts \u0160mits<\/p>\n
The top European defender in the class has fervent supporters and highly skeptical detractors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think McKenna goes 1, and then the conversation for \u0160mits starts at 2,\u201d an executive said.<\/p>\n
A scout went even further on his translatability: \u201cI have \u0160mits at 1. Reminds me of (Moritz) Seider. He\u2019s not as physical, but he\u2019s detailed, competitive, can move pucks, makes a lot of stops while being able to help a power play. An NHL coach will give him a ton of minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s easy to see him playing top-four minutes,\u201d another scout agreed. \u201cHe looked so good versus men this season. He can skate, he can move pucks, he is a very good defender.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the puck skills and processing are debated at the top of the board. \u201cI have questions on his hockey IQ,\u201d a scouting director said. \u201cI don\u2019t think he sees the game at a high level like some of the other top defensemen in this draft. He reminds me of Sam Dickinson a bit, but maybe not quite as good a skater.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another executive added, \u201cI don\u2019t see the hype with \u0160mits. He\u2019s a good player, but he\u2019s very vanilla with the puck.\u201d<\/p>\n
But others aren\u2019t deterred by those offensive critiques. \u201cPeople said a lot of the same stuff about Moritz Seider, and he seems to be doing fine,\u201d countered one scout.<\/p>\n
Carson Carels<\/p>\n
Among the defensemen, Carels has earned widespread praise for his highly translatable, winning profile.<\/p>\n
\u201cCarels is an all-day top-four NHL defenseman,\u201d a scouting director said. \u201cGreat, fluid skater who is an elite defender, and he has a lot more offense than some give him credit for. He could be the best defenseman in this draft.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a guy you win with,\u201d a scout agreed. \u201cSuch a detailed, smart, all-around defenseman. He skates very well, he lays out his body, he can make plays.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are times I questioned how much offense he has exactly, especially coming into the season,\u201d another scout acknowledged, \u201cbut then he had a monster year and elevated in big moments over the season. He\u2019s silenced any doubts you may have had about him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, early physical maturity can sometimes trick evaluators at the junior level. \u201cI worry he\u2019s a bit maxed out,\u201d cautioned a scouting director. \u201cHe competes, he\u2019s hard to play against, but I don\u2019t see the elite brain to continue developing offense at the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daxon Rudolph<\/p>\n
Rudolph relies on high-end processing and poise, slotting in right behind the top tier for many teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be between him and Reid for who is the most purely talented defenseman,\u201d an executive said. \u201cI think he has more skill in his game than Verhoeff. He may not be as competitive as some of the other guys, but his hockey sense is among the best in this draft.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s so poised, smart and patient,\u201d a scout noted. \u201cI think his game can be too sleepy at times for guys who want a big, hard defender. That\u2019s not what he is, but he will be a great NHL defenseman.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s not with Reid, \u0160mits, Verhoeff for me, likely behind Carels too, but only narrowly,\u201d an executive assessed. \u201cI think around 6-8, the conversation for him starts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malte Gustafsson<\/p>\n
A massive riser following a standout performance at the U18 World Championship, Malte Gustafsson has forced his way into the top-tier conversation among defensemen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t see the offense to start the season, but he was so good at the 18\u2019s,\u201d said an executive. \u201cHe could go top 10.\u201d<\/p>\n
His profile is drawing some lofty comparisons from evaluators who love his physical tools. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of similarities between him and Simon Edvinsson at the same age,\u201d said a scout.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think teams are slow rolling him right now,\u201d another scout added. \u201cHe\u2019s going to go 8-13. Big, mobile puck-movers don\u2019t last long.\u201d<\/p>\n
The centers<\/p>\n
The conversation down the middle is focused on three centers with very different profiles: Malhotra, Bj\u00f6rck and Tynan Lawrence.<\/p>\n
Caleb Malhotra<\/p>\n
Because premium center prospects are so difficult to acquire outside the draft lottery, Malhotra\u2019s stock has steadily climbed into the elite tier.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn meetings, centers and defensemen, especially centers, always get moved up higher than people expect,\u201d said an executive. \u201cIt\u2019s very hard to find good centers anywhere other than the draft.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s contributing to Malhotra pushing up the board.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s the best center in the draft,\u201d a scout said. \u201cHis stick and scoring may not get you super excited, but he is a very good player.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s just coming into his own, his physical development has come late,\u201d an executive said. \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t surprise me if some teams had him No. 1. He\u2019s a detailed, two-way center with great skills. In two to three years, he will be a star.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t put a ceiling on how high he could go,\u201d another scout agreed. \u201cHonestly, I think some teams will debate him at 1. He has the best chance, even if not the likeliest outcome, of anyone in this draft to become a No. 1 center.\u201d<\/p>\n
One scout compared his two-way profile to Caleb Desnoyers: \u201cHe may not be as good a two-way player, but he might have even more offense in him.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, another scout pumped the brakes on his offensive ceiling: \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of buzz about this guy. There are teams who have him comfortably in their top five. I like him a lot, but I would have concerns stepping up that high to select a player I think offensively tops out as a second-line center if it means taking him over McKenna or Stenberg.\u201d<\/p>\n
Viggo Bj\u00f6rck<\/p>\n
Bj\u00f6rck\u2019s pure talent is top-five worthy, but his 5-9 frame makes him a tricky projection and a highly debated prospect inside draft rooms.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis range may be the widest of the top prospects,\u201d a veteran scout said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be surprised if he goes 5, or if he goes 15.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been impressive, if not outright dominant at times at every level he\u2019s played at for years,\u201d another scout said. \u201cDon\u2019t overthink it, he\u2019s a stud.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLove the player. So smart, so skilled, so competitive. Plays a pro-style game,\u201d added a third scout. \u201cThere are more sure things with some of the centers and defensemen, but right after they go, he should be the next guy up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another scout even argued he belongs in the uppermost tier: \u201cHe could be better than Stenberg. He was better than him at the World Juniors, plays a more premium position. He doesn\u2019t have quite as much offense, but he\u2019s more well-rounded and a play-driver.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look at the little guys in the NHL who have success, they are all elite competitors. Bjorck has that in his game,\u201d said an executive.<\/p>\n
But size remains the ultimate sticking point for front offices.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt that size, 5-foot-9, you need to be absolutely convinced,\u201d an executive warned. \u201cIf he underachieves a little, that\u2019s a player who will struggle to hang onto a roster spot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not much B-game with him,\u201d another scout added. \u201cYou\u2019re either getting a top-six center, or a guy your coach will cringe having to play if he\u2019s a small forward without elite offense. In the top 10, I think you need more certainty.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe top group, the no-doubters, however many deep you go \u2026 it would be tough for us to elevate a 5-9 center into that level,\u201d a scouting director concluded. \u201cOnce all those guys are gone, though, Bj\u00f6rck is squarely in that conversation. I think he goes 6-12. If he went as high as 5, I wouldn\u2019t even be surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tynan Lawrence<\/p>\n
While Malhotra represents projection and Bj\u00f6rck represents talent, Lawrence\u2019s evaluation is the most complicated of the three centers after a bumpy transition to college hockey.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a disastrous decision it was for him going to college,\u201d an executive lamented. \u201cHe was in the conversation for us at No. 1 in the fall, now I\u2019m not even confident if he will go top 10.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe college level exposed some parts of his game,\u201d a director added. \u201cHe\u2019s very fast and competitive, but he can\u2019t make complex plays. He doesn\u2019t see the game very well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t really do much in his games, there\u2019s no offensive impact,\u201d another executive said.<\/p>\n
However, a vocal contingent of evaluators believes punishing Lawrence for an aggressive development curve is a mistake, leaning on his dominant USHL track record to keep him firmly in the top 10.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are overthinking this one too much based on a rushed decision to college,\u201d an executive argued. \u201cHe\u2019s a lot like Dylan Larkin in the way he plays. His skating is outstanding, he has a good stick. He\u2019s still a top-10 pick.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a dog on a bone,\u201d a scout agreed. \u201cHe flies around the ice, great pace, great effort level. His hands and playmaking are average, though, from what I saw in college, but at the USHL level, he looked like a no-doubt top-five pick. You don\u2019t want to erase what he\u2019s done in junior based on a bad half-season in school. He carried Muskegon to a title as an underage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cullen\u2019s quick ascent<\/p>\n
Wyatt Cullen used a strong push between the final few months of the season and at the U18 World Championship to vault his name into the premium tier of draft boards.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s physically grown a lot, one of the youngest players in the draft. When he\u2019s healthy, he was the clear best player on the NTDP,\u201d said one scout, with several others echoing similar sentiments. \u201cHe has elite skill. He deserves to be mentioned in the top-10 conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think in a few years we\u2019ll be talking about him as one of the best players in the draft,\u201d said one director. \u201cIf he was born a few days later and his draft season was next year, I think we would be discussing him as a top-three pick.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, his overall production and decision-making this season worried some evaluators, who questioned his off-puck details and consistency.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis habits are concerning,\u201d said another scout. \u201cHe can be a bit selfish, one-way and try too much. I think the lack of scoring reflects that a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n
What about the goalies?<\/p>\n
The goaltending crop isn\u2019t expected to make noise early in the first round, but a few names have separated themselves for Day 2.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the goalie guys were going in to watch Filip Ruzicka towards the second half of the season,\u201d a scout said. \u201cHe\u2019s a little unorthodox, but big and talented.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s between (Tobias) Trejbal and Ruzicka likely for the top goalie. Both probably go in the second round,\u201d another scout said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTobias Trejbal is a late first\/early second type of goalie,\u201d said an executive.<\/p>\n
However, one executive prefers a different target entirely: \u201cDmitri Borichev is the guy for me. He\u2019s better than the two Russians (Pyotr Andreyanov, Semyon Frolov) last year. I would take him late first if I had multiple picks.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Borichev\u2019s evaluation requires heavy projection.<\/p>\n
\u201cBorichev is a tough evaluation,\u201d a scout countered. \u201cHe\u2019s talented, smart, technically sound. But he split starts with four guys in the silver division in the MHL. That is a tough body of work to step up high to take a goalie. He would be closer to the third round for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other scouts nominated Brady Knowling, Jan Larys, Patriks Plumins and Martin Psohlavec as top 3-4 round considerations. Other than Trejbal, though, there isn\u2019t much consensus on who will be the first two or three netminders picked.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After months of talks with more than two dozen NHL scouts, scouting directors and front-office executives, the consensus…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":726020,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[556],"tags":[64,63,575,85],"class_list":["post-726019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nhl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/726019","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=726019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/726019\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/726020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=726019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=726019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=726019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}