2026 NHL Draft Top Rankings

Earl Hosack � 22 June 2026 � Subject: Evaluation

This is my final rankings of the top 2026 NHL draft prospects prior to draft day. This is how I would pick them based on projected careers, not necessarily a prediction of how they will be picked or short term success.

1 Gavin McKenna (LW, Penn State / NCAA) – Electrifying puck control and vision; manipulates defenders, finishes from anywhere, motor never quits. Franchise-forward upside.
2 Ivar Stenberg (LW/RW, Frölunda / SHL) – Already contributing against men; NHL-level skating stride, heavy release and reliable 200-ft detail. Safe top-line winger projection.
3 Chase Reid (RD, Soo / OHL) – Right-shot rover who eats minutes, skates effortlessly and quarterbacks the power play; defends with a long stick and inside-out positioning.
4 Keaton Verhoeff (LD, North Dakota / NCAA) – Rangy two-way defender with plus retrieval speed, smart first passes and a booming point shot. Looks tailor-made for top-pair duty.
5 Alberts Smits (RD, Jukurit / Liiga) – Plays big pro minutes at 17; calm break-out decisions, excellent gap control and deceptively quick feet. High-floor, top-four profile.
6 Carson Carels (LD, Prince George / WHL) – Produces while logging all situations; sturdy frame, punishing net-front defender, sneaky puck skills.
7 Xavier Villeneuve (LD, Blainville-Boisbriand / QMJHL) – Head-up distributor who activates with timing; silky hands, patient on the blue line, improving rush defense.
8 Caleb Malhotra (C, Brantford / OHL) – Powerful north–south center, wins draws, backs defenders off with speed and owns the middle in the D-zone.
9 Viggo Björck (C/RW, Djurgården / SHL) – Cerebral play-driver; anticipates two plays ahead, soft hands in traffic, quick pivots to escape pressure.
10 Adam Novotny (LW/RW, Peterborough / OHL) – Attacking winger with an NHL-calibre snapshot, relentless on the fore-check and finishes through contact.
11 Oliver Suvanto (C, Tappara / Liiga) – Mature, two-way centre already trusted by a Liiga coach; strong small-area routes and subtle playmaking touch.
12 Ethan Belchetz (LW, Windsor / OHL) – 6-foot-3 scorer who lives inside dots, protects the puck along the wall and owns a quick catch-and-release.
13 Ryan Lin (RD, Vancouver / WHL) – Elite four-way mobility, pushes play north, deceptive at the blue line; upside spikes if defensive reads keep trending.
14 Oscar Hemming (F, Boston College / NCAA) – Versatile forward with hockey-sense dialed up; constantly supports underneath, quick one-touch passer, penalty-kill asset.
15 Wyatt Cullen (F, USNTDP) – High-motor driver, explosive first three steps, inside-lane mentality and hounds pucks defensively; coach’s dream complementary piece.
16 Malte Gustafsson (LD, HV71 U20) – Reliable shutdown instincts, physical stick-on-puck defender, flashes sneaky transition passing.
17 Daxon Rudolph (RD, Prince Albert / WHL) – 6-foot-2, mean in corners, clears the crease and owns a low, heavy point shot; steady PK specialist.
18 Nikita Klepov (F, Saginaw / OHL) – Pure scorer with hands that can beat goalies clean; finds soft ice and releases in a blink.
19 Ilia Morozov (F, Miami-OH / NCAA) – Long, rangy forward who drives entries with pace; projects as a matchup centre/wing with secondary offense.
20 Yegor Shilov (C, Victoriaville / QMJHL) – Creative puck control, lateral deception and excellent small-area passing; needs more pace but offense is real.
21 Alexander Command (C, Örebro U20) – Intelligent two-way pivot; wins board battles, distributes on the cycle, sneaky defensive stick.
22 Jaxon Cover (LW, London / OHL) – North–south winger, heavy fore-checker, flashes a lethal one-timer on the half-wall.
23Juho Piiparinen (LD, Tappara / Liiga) – Quietly effective pro defender; simple outlet game, strong posture and closes gaps early.
24 Giorgos Pantelas (LD, Brandon / WHL) – Physical bruiser who punishes entries, shoots to create rebounds and owns leadership intangibles.
25 Mathis Preston (F, Spokane / WHL) – Creative offensive mind, layers fakes, delays to open seams and can finish off either foot.
26 Nikita Shcherbakov (RD, Salavat Yulaev / KHL) – Rare KHL exposure; 6-foot-3 with mobility, clears the slot and moves pucks safely.
27 Liam Ruck (F, Medicine Hat / WHL) – Goal-scoring winger, good off-puck timing, competes in traffic; middle-six finisher ceiling.
28 Elton Hermansson (RW/LW, MoDo / Allsvenskan) – Energizer with plus speed and fearless fore-check; disruptive and can chip in offensively.
29 Maddox Dagenais (C, Québec / QMJHL) – Well-rounded centre, supports low, decent vision, wins interior ice; projects as a steady 3C.
30 Ryder Cali (C, North Bay / OHL) – Straight-line attacker with quick acceleration, engages physically, reliable inside his dots.
31 Dmitri Borichev (G, Loko-Yaroslavl / MHL) – 6-foot-4, explosive pushes, tracks laterally with composure; raw but true No. 1 upside.
32 Tynan Lawrence (C, Boston University / NCAA) – Smart support pivot, quick stick in defensive zone, flashes sneaky playmaking; projects as a low-maintenance depth centre who can kill penalties.