Today, I update my 2026 NHL Draft board as the junior and college seasons are well underway.
Gavin McKenna remains the top prospect. He looks like a standard first-overall type of prospect, analogous to someone like Jack Hughes in his draft year. Although neither is my second-ranked player, Keaton Verhoeff and Ethan Belchetz are commonly thought of in the league as potential challengers to McKenna as the season progresses. The class as a whole looks about average right now, with a typical handful of very exciting players before the drop-off happens.
Tier Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4 Tier 5
Position C D LW RW
League FINLAND NCAA (BIG10) NCAA (NCHC) OHL QMJHL SWEDEN SWEDEN-2 SWEDEN-JR. USHL WHL
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McKenna is a game-breaker who possesses off-the-charts puck skills, vision and overall offensive creativity. He’s a strong skater who can generate a ton of chances with pace. He has a decent shot, but is a pass-first player who projects to run a power play at a high level. He’s not overly physical, but he competes well enough. His play off the puck will be the only minor question in his game. He projects as a star scoring winger.
Photo:
Chris Coduto / Getty Images
Tier 2
Tier: Bubble NHL Star and top of the lineup player
Lawrence is an excellent skater with a strong motor who brings a lot of pace and energy to his shifts. He’s a very strong puck handler who creates chances on the move. He isn’t an elite offensive threat due to having good, not great, vision, but he has the traits to be a great two-way play-driving center in the NHL, potentially even a No. 1 center if the offense really clicks.
Photo:
Courtesy Muskegon Lumberjacks
Verhoeff is a big two-way defenseman. He is a strong skater, especially for his size. He isn’t flashy offensively, but he has good skill and makes difficult plays with a great point shot that will be a threat in the NHL. He’s hard on his checks and uses his size. He projects as a tough-minutes top-pair defenseman who could score at a quality clip.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Tier 3
Tier: Top of the lineup player
Villeneuve is a dynamic defenseman. He has excellent speed and edge work that allows him to evade a lot of pressure. His hands and vision are high-end, and he projects to score a ton in the NHL. He’s a small, light defenseman who doesn’t play the body, and his defense as a pro will be a significant question mark. His skating and skill combination is so good, though, that I think he will play major minutes and run a first-unit power play.
Photo:
Blainville-Boisbriand Armada / QMJHL
Belchetz is an elite athlete. He’s massive at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, while having the quick-twitch feet and hands of a smaller forward. He projects to be able to create in transition in the NHL. He plays a heavy game and uses his big frame to win battles and dislodge pucks from opponents. He’s great around the net, showing the skill to create in tight and has a shot that can finish from range. His playmaking is fine, but not a selling point. He projects as a top-line winger.
Photo:
Natalie Shaver / OHL Images
Stenberg is an electric offensive talent. He’s a high-end puck handler, passer and shooter who can make difficult plays with the puck routinely and is a natural scorer. He isn’t that big or mean, but he works hard and has shown he can win battles against men. His frame and good (but not great) small-guy skating will be concerns on his NHL projection. He could be a top-line winger.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Carels is a strong two-way defender. He’s a powerful, fluid skater who can get up the ice easily. He closes on checks well, using his feet and body to break up a lot of plays. Carels has very good hands and vision and can activate into plays. He doesn’t project as a PP1 type in the NHL, but he should generate offense. He could be a great top-four defenseman who will play significant NHL minutes.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Tier 4
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player
Rudolph is a well-rounded defenseman who isn’t overly flashy. He has a strong level of puck skills and hockey sense, displaying great poise and vision with the puck. He can run a power play effectively. Rudolph is a mobile defender who closes on checks well and is an effective defender who competes well despite not being overly physical. He projects as a top-four defenseman.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Suvanto is a big, heavy center with a high skill level. He has the hands and offensive sense to make flashy plays off the perimeter, but he plays the game in a direct way that should translate to NHL offense. He is a competitive two-way center who, despite his so-so skating stride, projects to play tough minutes as a pro. As long as he can handle the pace at the next level, he has the traits to become a second-line center.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Smits is a tall defenseman with impressive mobility and smarts. He can make a reliable first pass and has a big point shot, projecting to have quality amounts of offense at the top level. He defends very well due to his length and feet, while also competing hard and being willing to play the body. He projects as a top-four defenseman.
Malhotra is a very skilled center who can make a ton of creative plays. His skating has progressed notably, allowing him to attack with pace. He breaks down opponents one-on-one very well and is a great passer. Malhotra competes well enough and projects as a responsible NHL center. He has the traits to be a top-six forward.
Photo:
Brandon Taylor / OHL Images
Reid is a talented defenseman with a lot of offensive tools. He has the speed, hands, vision and shot to generate chances and score at the next level. Reid can create in transition and off the blue line with his feet and creativity. Reid has decent length, but he’s not overly physical and is just an average defender. The hope is that he makes just enough stops with his offense to be a top-four defenseman.
Photo:
Soo Greyhounds / OHL Images
Hermansson is a highly skilled winger. He makes a ton of plays through defenders and to his teammates. He’s a good skater who can play with pace. Without the puck, he’s just OK and can be pushed to the outside when he does have it. He could be a top-six winger, but his playing style may frustrate coaches.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Roobroeck is a very toolsy winger. He skates and handles the puck quite well, especially for a tall forward. On his best shifts, he looks like a potential top offensive threat in the NHL with his touch, vision and shot. Despite his frame, he doesn’t play hard, and the consistency in his effort level is a question. He projects as a top-six winger, but he will likely frustrate coaches at times.
Photo:
Brandon Taylor / OHL Images
Tier 5
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Bjorck is a slick, playmaking center. He has tremendous creativity as both a puck handler and passer. He’s small and a good, not great, skater, which raises some concerns about his NHL projection, particularly if he can stay in the middle. He’s a battler, though, who’s responsible off the puck and held his own versus men this season at the SHL level in terms of the physicality. He projects as a third-line center who can put up points at a notable level.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Gustafsson checks a lot of boxes NHL teams want in a defenseman. He’s tall, mobile for his frame, competes defensively, and has solid puck skill. He’s not a natural puck-mover, but he projects to make a first pass and have secondary NHL offense while being a quality stopper. He could be a No. 4/5 defenseman.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Hakansson is a huge defenseman who skates quite well for his size. He competes well and can kill a lot of plays. His pure puck play won’t overly excite teams, but he has decent enough hands and can make a reliable first pass. There’s nothing high-end about his game other than his frame, but he checks all the boxes you would want in an NHL defenseman.
Rogowski’s tools are easy to see. He’s a 6-foot-7 center who moves very well for his size. He has good puck skills and can generate a lot of controlled entries. His playmaking is just OK, but he creates offense in the hard areas and is a competitive player. He projects as a third-line center.
Photo:
Terry Wilson / OHL Images
Lin is a super smart defenseman. He has the high-end vision and poise to run an NHL power play and makes tremendous passes at both ends of the ice. He’s a smaller defenseman, but plays hard and wins a surprising amount of battles for his size. His skating is fine, but it’s an issue for his frame, and his defense at the next level will be a question.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Piiparinen does a lot of things effectively. He’s a mobile right-shot who can skate and pass pucks up the ice well, while also being a solid defender who breaks up a lot of plays. He’s not overly physical, but he gives a solid effort and is often relied on by coaches. His offense won’t pop, but Piiparinen can make plays off the blue line, and he makes a lot of smart decisions.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Hurlbert is a dynamic scoring winger who has been off to a great start in the WHL this season. He’s very creative as a puck handler and passer while also having a good shot. With the puck, he looks like an NHL player, but his effort level and speed are average and will be minor concerns for teams projecting a winger with his frame to the top level.
Photo:
Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDP
Novotny is a well-rounded winger. He’s a good skater with above-average stick skills. He’s not a high-end scorer, but he has good enough sense to make plays at higher levels. Novotny is competitive and can play in traffic, although he’s not overly physical. He projects as a middle-six winger.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Hemming’s on-ice tools are highly intriguing. He’s a big winger with legit offensive abilities. He can make difficult plays with consistency and has a good shot from range. His skating is a bit heavy, though. Hemming has yet to play this season due to an ongoing contract dispute with his team in Finland as he attempts to start his career in North America.
Shilov is a highly creative center with the vision to run an NHL power-play unit. He’s a good skater who can drive play with his speed and skill. His effort level is a minor question. He’s not overly physical, but Shilov gets to the inside often enough that it shouldn’t be a major issue in the NHL.
Morozov is a big center who can skate and is playing a major role on Miami’s team this season. He is good with the puck, although he’s not a true top-tier playmaker. Morozov competes well enough and is smart enough to go with his natural tools that he could become a third-line center or a middle-six winger.
Nordmark has a lot of NHL traits. He’s 6-foot-2, skates well, is a gifted puck handler and can both pass and shoot the puck like an NHLer. He’s a flashy forward who can break open a shift. His effort level is just OK, though. He’s not soft, but he’s certainly not a hard-to-play-against type and fades into the background for stretches. He projects as a middle-six winger.
Steiner is an excellent skater with the quick twitch to get by a lot of NHL defensemen. He has a high skill level and creates chances with pace. He shoots it well and can set up plays. He’s small and struggles to get to the inside of the ice consistently, but he’s quite physical. He projects as a middle-six winger.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Preston is a very talented winger. His skating is very good, showing the quick-twitch first step and speed of top NHL forwards. He has excellent hands, and can score from range. His playmaking is good, but not great. He is also a 5-foot-11 winger who plays on the outside too much. On his best shifts, he looks like a top-six winger in the NHL, but those best shifts are inconsistent.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Oct 29, 2025
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