2026 NHL Draft List - Top 85

2026 NHL Entry Draft List

Shane Malloy

When constructing a list for the NHL entry draft, it becomes an interesting blend of live views, video, analytics, background information, and a bit of luck thrown in for good measure. The General Manager usually receives praise for a team's fortunes at the draft table, even though it takes an entire hockey operations staff to achieve them. For the most part, three aspects make the whole scouting and development process work. The first aspect is the amateur scouting department's ability to evaluate and project talent, which may be the most challenging. Next, the organization's player development department must mould prospects by providing them with tools to develop their talents. Perhaps most important is the prospect's responsibility to pay the price and make the sacrifices, a commitment that requires a tremendous work ethic. If any of these aspects fail, the likelihood that a prospect will have a long NHL career becomes remote.

Development time is needed because players from different leagues evolve in unique environments, and the road to becoming a professional is daunting. Secondly, the players who should be the core of your team will be in the 24-31-year-old age range. Each organization manages its assets differently, often trading draft picks for immediate help on its NHL teams. Now, some players may be late bloomers and eventually meet the criteria set in this analysis. It is fascinating to see the results, even at this stage of their development.

Criteria

Forwards – Defenseman Projection Goaltenders

200+ NHL Games projected 100+ NHL Games Played

(A+) = F1 or #1 Defenseman – Franchise Goalie ( 91-100%)

(A) = First Line Forward (F2 or F3) or #2 Defenseman or #1 Goalie (76-90%)

(A - ) = Second Line Forward (F4, F5, F6) or #3 Defenseman or # 1A Goalie (60-75%)

(B +) = F7 Third Line Forward or #4 Defenseman or 1B Goalie (40-60%)

(B) = F8 Third Line Forward or # 5 Defenseman or 2A Goalie (36-40%)

(B -) = F9 Third Line Forward or # 6 Defenseman or 2B Goalie 30-35%)

Forwards – Defenseman Projection Goaltenders

101-199 NHL Games projected 50 NHL Games Played

C + = Role Specific Forward (F10-12 or #7 Defenseman or #3 Goalie (24-29%)

Forwards – Defenseman - Call-Up Players Goaltenders

51-100 NHL Games projected 25 NHL Games Played

C = Call-Up Forward F13 or # 8 Defenseman or #4 Goalie (20-23%)

Forwards – Defenseman – Cup of Coffee Players

25-50 NHL Games projected

C - = Cup of Coffee Forward F14 or # 9 Defenseman (20%)

2026 NHL Draft List – Top 85 List

# Name Team League Pos Shot Grade

1 Gavin McKenna Penn State NCAA LW L A+/F1

2 Chase Reid Soo OHL D R A+/D1

3 Ivar Stenberg Frolunda SHL LW L A+/F1

4 Carson Carels Prince George WHL D L A/D2

5 Keaton Verhoeff North Dakota NCAA D R A/D2

6 Daxon Rudolph Prince Albert WHL D R A/D2

7 Caleb Malhotra Brantford OHL C L A/F2

8 Viggo Bjorck Djurgardens SHL C R A/F2

9 Alberts Smits Jukurit FIN D L A-/D2/3

10 Alexander Command Orebro U20 C L A-/F4

11 Tynan Lawrence Boston University NCAA C L A-/F4

12 Malte Gustafsson HV71 U20 D L A-D3/4

13 Ryan Lin Vancouver WHL D R A-D3/4

14 Ethan Belchetz Windsor OHL LW L A-/F5

15 Adam Novotny Peterborough OHL LW L A-F5

16 JP Hurlbert Kamloops WHL RW/C R A-/F5

17 Nikita Klepov Saginaw OHL LW L A-/F5

18 Liam Ruck Medicine Hat WHL RW R A-/F5

19 William Hakansson Lulea SWE D L A-D4

20 Nikita Shcherbakov Yulaev RUS D L A-D4

21 Juho Piiparinen Tappara FIN D R A-/D4

22 Oscar Hemming Boston College NCAA LW L A-/F6

23 Elton Hermansson MODO SWE RW R A-/F6

24 Wyatt Cullen USNDTP USHL LW L A-F6

25 Maddox Dagenais Quebec QMJHL C L B+/F7

26 Oliver Suvanto Tappara FIN C L B+/F7

27 Illya Morozov Miami NCAA C L B+/F7

28 Simas Ignatavicius Geneve SWI C R B+/F7

29 Tommy Bleyl Moncton QMJHL D R B+/D4/5

30 Ben Macbeath Calgary WHL D L B+D4/5

31 Adam Goljer Trencin CZE D R B+D4/5

32 Matias Vanhanen Everett WHL LW L B+/F7

# Name Team League Pos Shot Grade

33 Marcus Ruck Medicine Hat WHL C L B+/F7

34 Niklas Aaram-Olsen Orebro U20 RW L B+/F7

35 Jaxon Cover London OHL LW L B+/F7

36 Adam Valentini Michigan NCAA LW L B+/F7

37 Tobias Trejbal Youngstown USHL G L B+ (A-)

38 Giorges Pantelas Brandon WHL D R B+/D5

39 Gleb Pugachyov Novgorod RUS RW L B+/F7

40 Tomas Cherenko Nitra SVK C R B+F7

41 Yegor Shilov Victoriaville QMJHL C L B+/F7

42 Brady Knowling USNDTP USHL G L B+

43 Dmitri Borichev Yaroslavl RUS G L B+

44 Ryder Cali North Bay OHL C L B/F8

45 Ryan Roobroeck Niagara OHL LW L B/F8

46 Mathis Preston Vancouver WHL RW L B/F8

47 Casey Mutryn USNDTP MHL RW R B/F8

48 Pierce Mbuyi Owen Sound OHL LW L B/F8

49 Marcus Nordmark Djurgardens U20 RW R B+/F7

50 Egor Barabanov Saginaw OHL C L B/F8

51 Nils Bartholdsson Rogle U20 RW R B/F8

52 Samu Alalauri Pelicans FIN D R B-/D5/6

53 Timofei Runsto Victoria WHL D R B-/D5/6

54 Jakub Vanecek Tri-City WHL D L B-/D5/6

55 Ethan MacKenzie Edmonton WHL D L B-/D5/6

56 Thomas Vandenberg Ottawa OHL C L B-/F9

57 Brooks Rogowski Oshawa OHL RW R B-/F9

58 Chase Harrington Spokane WHL LW L B-/F9

59 Yaroslav Bryzgalov Medicine WHL LW L B-/F9

60 Luke Schairer USNDTP USHL D R B-/D6

61 Charlie Morrison Quebec QMJHL D L B-/D6

# Name Team League Pos Shot Grade

62 Jonah Sivertson Prince Albert WHL RW R C+/F11

63 Liam Lefebvre Chicoutimi QMJHL RW R C+/F11

64 Jack Hextall Youngstown USHL C R C+/F10

65 Xavier Villeneuve Blainville QMJHL D L C+/D7

66 Adam Andersson Leksands U20 C L C+/F10

67 Rian Chudzinski Moncton QMJHL RW R C+/F11

68 Yegor Rybkin Nizhny RUSJ G R C+ (B)

69 Alexander Bilecki Kitchener OHL D L C+/D7

70 Brek Liske Everett WHL D R C+/D7

71 Jonas Lagerberg Hoen Leksands U20 RW R C+/F11

72 Tomas Galvas Liberec CZK D L C+/D7

73 David Vermirovsky Pardubice CZKJ G R C+ (B)

74 Filip Ruzicka Brandon WHL G L C+ (B)

# Name Team League Pos Shot Grade

75 Axel Elofsson Orebro U20 D R C

76 Vladimir Dravecky Brantford OHL D R C

77 Victor Plante USNDTP USHL LW L C

78 Mikey Berchild USNDTP USHL LW L C+

79 Lavr Gashilov Avto MHL C L C

80 Beckett Hamilton Red Deer WHL RW R C

81 Landon Nycz UMASS NCAA D L C

82 Mans Gudmundsson Farjestad U20 SWE D R C-

83 Maksim Sokolovskii London OHL D L C-

84 Oscar Olsson Orebro U20 LW L C-

85 Evan Jardin Youngstown USHL LW L C-