As we continue thru the Olympic break for the NHL and get to the middle of February, it’s time for us to unveil our own rankings of the top 50 prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The 2026 NHL Draft has already seen a number of picks traded, especially in the second-half of the draft. It’s considered a defense-heavy draft at the top with a couple elite offensive forward prospects and good size on the blue line.
Teams heading into the 2026 NHL Draft should be able to add good depth throughout the first two rounds, especially teams like the Blackhawks that have multiple picks. How many picks are ultimately moved between now and the NHL’s Trade Deadline on March 6 will be fascinating. And how many teams maneuver up and down the draft board targeting specific players when the NHL draft takes place in Buffalo will be interesting as well.
Note: the stat cards I’m embedding from the wonderful folks at Elite Prospects update in real time, so if you’re visiting these rankings the players’ stats should be up-to-date. Also, make sure to check out my most recent two-round 2026 NHL Mock Draft.
Let’s get into it. Here are our top 50 prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft.
IIHF2026 NHL Draft — Top 50 Prospects
1. Ivar Stenberg, RW
6-0, 181DOB: Sept. 30, 2007Shoots: Left
Stenberg’s stock got a big bump after a stellar performance at the World Junior Championship. Since then, he’s been almost universally ranked the No. 1 prospect in this year’s NHL draft class. Everything about his game is excellent with maybe the only exception being his skating, which is at least very good. He’s going to make a general manager at/near the top of the draft very happy for a long time.
2. Gavin McKenna, LW
5-11, 170DOB: Dec 20, 2007Shoots: Left
Yes, there are legal concerns now hanging around in the background for McKenna. And, yes, his numbers early in the season weren’t what people expected after he averaged better than two points per game in the WHL last year. There are some questions about his skating and compete, and he isn’t the most defensively responsible forward, but everything about his offensive game is elite.
3. Keaton Verhoeff, RHD
6-4, 212DOB: June 19, 2008Shoots: Right
If a team is looking for a big, physical two-way defenseman who also happens to shoot right-handed early in the draft, Verhoeff presents a great chance to get a top-pair fixture for the foreseeable future. His performance (and usage) at the World Juniors left something to be desired, but he’s been very good at the college level as a teenager at North Dakota. He’s in the mix to be the first name called in June for sure.
4. Chase Reid, RHD
6-2, 187DOB: Dec. 30, 2007Shoots: Right
Reid’s stock has had helium since November, and hasn’t stopped climbing. He isn’t as physical as Verhoeff, but he has a bomb for a shot and is a terrific offensive defenseman. He’ll be able to run a power play in the NHL and put points on the board.
5. Tynan Lawrence, C
6-0, 185DOB: Aug. 03, 2008Shoots: Left
Lawrence made the choice to jump from the USHL to the NCAA level at Christmas, joining Boston University mid-season. His numbers haven’t overwhelmed since that move, but he’s arguably the top center in this NHL draft class. He’s a better skater than Stenberg or McKenna and projects to being a terrific two-way center who can drive offense and still play a responsible game.
6. Alberts Šmits, LHD
6-3, 205DOB: Dec. 02, 2007Shoots: Left
Šmits stock is also up this season since a nice — but not overwhelming — performance at the World Junior Championship. He’ll skate for Latvia in the Olympics as an 18-year-old, which is rare. Again, a very good skater with a hammer of a shot who projects to being a top-pair defenseman with very good puck-moving ability.
7. Caleb Malhotra, C
6-2, 183DOB: June 02, 2008Shoots: Left
Malhotra, like Reid, has seen his stock skyrocket during this season. Playing with a lot of NHL talent in Brantford doesn’t hurt, either. He has very good size and being the son of a long-time NHL player doesn’t hurt. He projects as a very good all-around top-line center who does everything very well. He may ultimately be a top-five overall selection in the NHL draft in June.
8. Carson Carels, LHD
6-2, 194DOB: June 23, 2008Shoots: Left
Carels has decent size, but he plays a physical game. He’s a responsible defender who can also move the puck well and drive offense. He probably projects as more of a penalty killer than a powerplay quarterback at the NHL level, but that doesn’t mean he can’t help his team’s offense. Carels is a good skater who plays the body well.
9. Viggo Björck, C/W
5-10, 172DOB: March 12, 2008Shoots: Right
If Björck was two inches taller, he would probably be in the mix for the top five in this NHL draft class. His stock was up before the season, but the height issue saw a bit of a slide — especially if teams project him on the wing at the NHL level. But his performance at the World Juniors elevated his stock once again. Every aspect of his game is outstanding… except his physical measurements.
10. Ethan Belchetz, LW
6-5, 227DOB: March 30, 2008Shoots: Left
Belchetz might not win many races on the ice, but if a team is looking for a player in the Tkachuk model this is your guy. He’s a big, legit power forward who has great hands and handles the puck very well. But his calling card is going to be physical play; he wins board battles and plays strong around the net. His stock has come down a bit over the past month or so, but there’s a lot to like based on his size and ability.
11. Daxon Rudolph, RHD
6-2, 203DOB: March 06, 2008Shoots: Right
It might sound crazy, but Rudolph begins the second tier of defensemen in this draft class — and he might be a top-ten pick when the NHL draft takes place. He’s an incredibly smart defenseman who does everything well, but there isn’t one element of his game that really stands out above the rest. Good skater, good passer, smart, plays the body effectively. He’s a very safe defenseman who projects as a top-four guy in the NHL.
12. Oliver Suvanto, C
6-3, 209DOB: Sept. 03, 2008Shoots: Left
Suvanto is the first big center on in our NHL draft rankings. He uses his size well and has very good hands, but his skating leaves a little to be desired. He projects as a very good middle-six center who plays well around the net.
13. Adam Novotný, LW
6-1, 205DOB: Nov. 13, 2007Shoots: Left
Novotný is an elite skater with a very good shot. He has good size that should translate into an effective middle-six winger at the next level(s). He isn’t quite the playmaker that other forwards in this class might be, but his wheels could be a differentiator in the NHL draft.
14. Ryan Lin, RHD
5-11, 178DOB: Apr 18, 2008Shoots: Right
Lin is a very smart defenseman who can do some terrific things with the puck. The problem is his size. Lin isn’t an exceptional skater, so not being a big player could be problematic as he moves up to the professional ranks. But he competes hard and wins more battles than you might expect from a guy whose height begins with a five.
15. Oscar Hemming, LW
6-4, 198DOB: Aug. 13, 2008Shoots: Left
Hemming had some off-ice availability issues that needed to be resolved this year that led to a very late start to his season. But he’s looked the part of an effective power forward with terrific size and skating ability since joining Boston College. He uses his size well and likely projects as a middle-six winger.
16. Ilya Morozov, C
6-3, 205DOB: Aug 03, 2008Shoots: Left
Morozov is another player in our top-20 whose stock has climbed throughout this season. He has great size to be an effective center at the next levels and has produced well as a teenager in the college ranks. Morozov plays a heavy game that translates to the NHL postseason quite well, which should help him to hear his name called fairly early at the NHL draft.
17. JP Hurlbert, LW
6-0, 183DOB: April 11, 2008Shoots: Right
An electric offensive player who’s dominating the WHL this season, almost every element of Hurlbert’s game is outstanding. The biggest questions are his skating, and the fact that he’s probably a haircut under six-feet tall. He’ll move to the University of Michigan next season, which will be a great proving ground for him to take his offensive game to another level.
18. Xavier Villeneuve, LHD
5-11, 157DOB: Sep 29, 2007Shoots: Left
Villeneuve is another smart, relatively strong defenseman whose size is going to see him drop down the draft board. But his skating is great, his puck-handling and vision are terrific and he thinks the game well. He could ultimately be a power play specialist at the NHL level who would need help at even strength because of his frame.
19. Elton Hermansson, RW
6-1, 174DOB: Feb. 05, 2008Shoots: Right
Hermansson is an offensively gifted winger who has a terrific shot and playmaking ability. The concerns here are his average size and play away from the puck. He’s a first-round player who can probably work his way into being a top-six wing at the pro levels, but he needs to be more consistent.
20. Nikita Klepov, LW
6-0, 181DOB: June 27, 2008Shoots: Left
Klepov is having a phenomenal season in the OHL and will take his talents to the Big Ten next year at Michigan State. Great puck skills and a big-time shot are his hallmarks, and a year or two of college hockey will help his game develop. Again, he’s probably a haircut under six-feet tall, which could hurt his draft stock.
21. Malte Gustafsson, LHD
6-4, 201DOB: June 11, 2008Shoots: Left
Not a great skater, Gustafsson moves okay for a player with his size — a frame that’s going to get attention in the first round of the NHL draft. He’s probably a second- or third-pair defenseman when he gets to the NHL, but you can’t teach someone to be this big as a teenager.
22. Egor Shilov, C
6-1, 181DOB: April 30, 2008Shoots: Left
Shilov has terrific hands and he’s a good — not great — skater who drives offense. He plays between the circles, which some front offices and coaches are going to love. He’s committed to Boston University, which is a terrific place to work on developing further.
23. Juho Piiparinen, RHD
6-3, 203DOB: Aug. 10, 2008Shoots: Right
Piiparinen is a big, right-handed defenseman. That, alone, makes him interesting. But he’s also very young (August birthday), which makes him more intriguing in this NHL draft class. He gaps well and plays the body effectively. He’s an efficient defender. Not sexy, but strong — and that tends to win games. He projects as a middle-pair right-shot defenseman.
24. Wyatt Cullen, RW
6-0, 172DOB: Sept. 08, 2008Shoots: Left
The son of longtime NHL forward Matt Cullen, Wyatt has seen his stock go up tremendously since he showed very well at the Chipotle All-American Game. He’s a very good skater with terrific hands who’s shifty on the ice. He’s a tough player to pin down when he’s got the puck. He’ll head to play for the Gophers at some point.
25. Alexander Command, C
6-1, 185DOB: June 16, 2008Shoots: Left
We’ve reached the point in our NHL draft rankings that you’re going to start having names come off the board in a dealer’s choice lineup. Command is a good, cerebral center with decent size. His stock has also skyrocketed this year from being initially projected as a late-round prospect to now being in the late-first, early-second round consideration set.
26. Tomas Chrenko, C, HK Nitra (Slovakia)27. Marcus Nordmark, LW, Djurgårdens (SHL)28. Mathis Preston, RW, Vancouver (WHL)29. William Håkansson, LHD, Luleå (SHL)30. Nikita Shcherbakov, LHD, Tolpar (MHL)31. Liam Ruck, RW, Medicine Hat (WHL)32. Adam Goljer, RHD, Dukla Trencin (Slovakia)33. Ryan Roobroeck, C, Niagara (OHL)34. Simas Ignatavičius, C, Genève Future Hockey U21 (Swiss U21-Elit)35. Giorgos Pantelas, RHD, Brandon (WHL)36. Maddox Dagenais, C, Québec (QMJHL)37. Alessandro Di Iorio, RW, Sarnia (OHL)38. Niklas Aaram-Olsen, LW, Örebro (SHL)39. Brooks Rogowski, C, Oshawa (OHL)40. Jaxon Cover, LW, London (OHL)41. Adam Valentini, C, U. of Michigan (NCAA – Big Ten)42. Landon Amrhein, RW, Calgary (WHL)43. Jakub Vaněček, LHD, Tri-City (WHL)44. Axel Elofsson, RHD, Örebro (SHL)45. Casey Mutryn, C, USNTDP Juniors (USHL)46. Pierce Mbuyi, LW, Owen Sound (OHL)47. Ben Macbeath, LHD, Calgary (WHL)48. Ryder Cali, C, North Bay (OHL)49. Vladimír Dravecký, RHD, Brantford (OHL)50. Victor Plante, LW, USNTDP Juniors (USHL)
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