Welcome to my complete review of the 2026 NHL Draft classes of all 32 teams, including thoughts on almost all of the 223 players selected.
This annual year-end analysis follows a season of travel and countless viewings and conversations with coaches, managers, scouts, agents and players. It’s meant to be your one-stop shop for the most comprehensive draft review available anywhere.
Note that this is not a look at the total value each club got out of its picks, but rather an examination of each team’s class relative to the location of their selections. Teams with more picks (or higher picks on average) are not guaranteed good grades, just as teams with few picks (or lower picks on average) are not guaranteed bad ones.
As always, my analysis of each team’s class is sorted into the following categories:
- Winners: Teams I believe will outperform where they selected.
- Overtime winners: Teams I believe will perform in line with or just above where they selected.
- Overtime losers: Teams I believe will perform in line with or just below where they selected.
- Losers: Teams I believe will underperform where they selected.
Winners
Toronto Maple Leafs
I liked John Chayka’s first draft class from top to bottom.
Alexander Bileceki makes a lot of sense for them. He didn’t get to showcase himself on a deep Kitchener blue line as much as he might have on a lesser team but he’s an excellent skater with real skill who will run their power play next year. He’s a wiry player who has legit physical development runway and took noticeable steps defensively this year, playing regularly into the Memorial Cup and making some high-end plays over the course of the year.
Toronto doubled down on mobility with overager Ethan Mackenzie in the early third round as well. He’s an excellent athlete who can be involved in a lot of what goes on on the ice because of his feet and instincts. I like North Dakota as a fit for his development too. He’s got a path to playing as a third-pairing two-way skating type.
As predicted, Gavin McKenna goes No. 1
The Athletic Hockey Show
Toronto tripled down on Mans Gudmundsson, who finished strong at U18 worlds playing big minutes on Sweden’s gold medal-winning first-pairing with Malte Gustafsson. His game is simple but he’s got size, he moves well, he’s efficient and he’s competitive. He could be a depth D someday.
In between Mackenzie and Gudmundsson I liked the third-round selection of Zac Olsen as well. He’s one of the hardest-working forwards in this age group, a great player (notably a Type 1 diabetic like the Leafs’ own Max Domi), and a projectable fourth-line checker because of his combination of motor and athleticism.
Patriks Plumins, who was the second goalie they took, was my third-ranked goalie in the entire class, too. His league (Latvia’s professional level) made him a tricky projection but his U18 worlds sold me.
Cooper Williams was one of the last guys on my list left late in the draft as well. He’s a smart, offensive thinker of the game who has pointed but he’s low-pace and slight and his game has frustrated scouts at time. Still, you like the bet on his IQ late in the draft.
Even Yaroslav Fedoseyev, who they took all the way down in Round 6, is peripherally interesting to me and was on my list. He’s a project but he had a strong first half in Russia this year and has some tools.
San Jose Sharks
I think the Sharks positioned themselves to win a future Stanley Cup this weekend. Ivar Stenberg is going to put an offence that already has firepower over the edge and Keaton Verhoeff and Ryan Lin give an organizational depth chart that was only missing a couple of stud righties, two of the top right-handed D prospects in the sport for me.
They didn’t pick after Round 1 until the end of Round 4, and while I have my reservations about NTDP goalie Brady Knowling, who is now bound for Saginaw ahead of BU, he’s toolsy and is a fine gamble there for an organization that already has two top young goalies in Yaroslav Askarov and Joshua Ravensbergen.
More than anything else, though: How about Alexander Karmanov getting picked?! The tallest draft pick in NHL history!
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings’ pool was bereft of skill heading into this year’s draft and they needed to really prioritize it. With their first pick, they did exactly that in taking Elton Hermansson, who was my top-ranked forward and the most skilled player available at No. 19. His effort level can waiver a little at times but he has been a big game player internationally and with his club team MoDo, and his one-on-one skill and shot both grade out right near the top of the draft. He’s got clear top-six, PP upside and immediately becomes the only player in their pool you can say that about.
They picked four good players in Rounds 2-4: Adam Goljer, an athletic, instinctual two-way D who should play; overager Liam Lefebvre was one of the last cuts for my top 100 but he was one of my final cuts, has size and an NHL shot, and plays a mean, physical game that could make him an effective bottom-six forward. And while Blake Zielinski doesn’t have a defining trait for a 5-11/6-foot forward, he was one of the better draft-eligibles in the USHL over the last two years, played well at the Hlinka, has average tools across the board, and works, which could give him a chance. And 67’s center Thomas Vandenberg is a lot like Zielinski, frankly. He was a very good OHL center this year and really works.
I don’t have much of a book on goalie Yegor Rybkin, who was highly ranked by NHL Central Scouting but didn’t play much this year after undergoing surgery to have a hematoma removed. He’s an athletic 6-foot-6 goalie and it’s a bet on the tools.
I’ve got time for Finnish D Vertti Svensk, whom they took with their first of two fifth-rounders as well. He’s small but he’s a great skater, he plays hard and he has a good track record in Finland. I expect him to play on the Finnish World Junior team in December. Giorogos Pantelas, their other fifth-rounder, doesn’t always look the part and can make mistakes on both sides of the puck, but has the athletic tools and is a great player. Both of those guys were on my list.
Overager Alex Kostov is interesting too and was one of my final cuts. He was a very good player for Flint.
I thought they added good volume and could have found a points guy with Hermansson.
Did the Ducks select Jayden Kurtz too early? (Mark Blinch / NHLI via Getty Images)
Anaheim Ducks
I really liked the Ducks taking a swing on two of the higher-skill wingers in the draft in the first round in the crafty Nikita Klepov and the frustrating but extremely talented Nordmark.
Their selection of Jayden Kurtz at No. 45 was the first pick of Day 2 that I felt strongly was too early though. He’s got the athletic traits but you’re counting on a lot of development there for a second-rounder.
They got right back to prioritizing skill with their very next pick, though, with Mathis Preston (who was in the 20s on my list) at No. 50. He grades out as one of the fastest and most skilled players in the draft, and while he didn’t live up to expectations this year and can come and go, the talent is first-round quality.
Hard-working American winger Rian Chudzinski, who offers secondary offense because of his shot, went right where he should have in the third round.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks didn’t pick until No. 34 and I loved that they used it — and the next pick at No. 35 — to operate from a position of strength with one of the deepest pools in the league and take two huge swings on Xavier Villeneuve and Ryan Roobroeck. They can afford to gamble a little on some guys now and there might not be a bigger one than Villeneuve and Roobroeck. They’ve got a ton of length on their backend and Villeneuve could complement that as a diminutive all-skill guy. And they’ve got a ton of diminutive speed up front and Roobroeck complements that as a big, high-skill, NHL-shot grade winger. Villeneuve needs to defend better and Roobroeck needs to compete harder, but the skill is legit with both.
Samu Alalauri early in the second round represented another cut, too. His weight and fitness have been a talking point but he’s got skill and has been a top player in the ’08 Finnish age group all the way.
Nashville Predators
I loved what the Preds did in this year’s draft.
I thought they had a great Day 1 with Wyatt Cullen (one of the most purely skilled players in the draft and a major injection of talent and upside into the organization) and Tommy Bleyl (one of the top skating D in the class).
I liked their Day 2, too. They took my top-ranked goalie in the third round in Russian Dmitri Borichev and one of my late-risers in Jakub Floris (a talented and confident 6-foot-3 right-shot D) all the way at No. 106.
It got a little off the rails with their last few picks for me, but I liked the first four enough to slot them as winners.
Overtime winners
Calgary Flames
The Flames’ class will be defined by the hand-to-glove fit that Carson Carels represents for them as a hard, great-skating, minute-eating, left-shot who could complement their offensively inclined righties (see: Zayne Parekh, Simon Nemec) down the line.
I liked the Jack Hextall pick at the end of the first-round as well. He’s a safe bet to become a well-rounded middle-six center and fills an area of need for them.
With their first pick of Day 2, they got one of the most competitive players in the draft in Chase Harrington as well. He’s a hard-to-play-against and while he may top out as a bottom-six checker, he might be a really good version of that.
Tobais Trejbal is a goalie I mocked to them and was the deserving first goalie off the board. They took Russian forward Alan Shaikhlislamov, who I had in the 80s, in the 50s, but he’s got some offensive traits and is one of the youngest players in the class so I can see it.
I frankly cannot believe the Flames took Joe Iginla in the third round. His profile as a small player who hasn’t produced does not warrant that slotting and I’m very confident they could have gotten him later. It’s a nice story, obviously. But it was also one of the biggest reaches of Day 2 for me.
They got back on track with Egor Barabanov, another in their long line of Gold Star clients. He’s a very smart offensive center with size and skill and was one of my top overagers in this class. He’s got to play with a little more intention and pace at times but there’s no denying the smarts.
Simon Katolicky was viewed as a first-round pick a year ago and is a big player who is a great athlete but lacks the hands and execution to go with the body.
If you close your eyes and forget the Iginla pick, I liked their draft.
Winnipeg Jets
I think Viggo Bjorck was the best-case scenario for the Jets at No. 8. They needed a top-six center of the future desperately and he gives them that for me. He’s just such a likeable, hard-working, smart, skilled player. One of my favourites.
And while I only ranked a handful of goalies in my top 100 this year, Samuel Hrenak was my final cut at the position and worthwhile third-round swing. He’s toolsy and had an excellent second half in both the USHL and at U18 worlds. I think he’s got a real chance to play games in the NHL someday.
I’ve got time for fifth-round overage D Alexandre Taillefer and sixth-rounder Landon Hafele (one of the faster players in the class) as well.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres did their work on Day 1 adding their top-ranked D in Daxon Rudolph at No. 4 and a projectable third-line center in Ilia Morozov at No. 9. Those guys were both taken a few slots in front of where I have them but in their range nonetheless. Everyone wants Rudolph to be a little harder and maybe a tiny bit more naturally mobile but his offence is real.
Hungarian Domán Kristóf Szongoth, a summer birthday who played in Finland’s junior league this year, was the first pick of the draft that I was unfamiliar with.
Saint John Sea Dog and Latvia’s ’08 first-line international center Olivers Murnieks was a worthy mid-round pick, though. He lacks skill and pace but he’s a complete center who was trusted enough to play for Latvia at men’s worlds this year and will have time to develop more scoring at Boston College. I thought about overtime losers for the Sabres but it felt harsh.
Carolina Hurricanes
I do wonder if the Canes move back too much at times and I would have liked to see them take a Mathis Preston (who was selected just before their second move-back to No. 51) but I still think they got good value in William Hakansson, who was a 30s guy for me. He’s a big, strong defender with a physical element. He needs to make better decisions at times but has the physical tools to develop into a No. 5-6 D and he’s got enough of a puck game.
Their three selections after that — Swedish waterbug Wiggo Sorensson, shifty WHL forward Zach Lansard, and small but stocky top NTDP forward Mikey Berchild — both have Hurricanes picks written all over them. Sorensson played in Sweden’s fourth level this year but consistently impressed and finished strong at U18s. He skates well and he’s smart. Lansard was a riser on my board who can break down D laterally and plays a pacey game. I didn’t ultimately have Sorensson on my list and the second round was a little rich for me, but I can understand the vision there. Berchild is a hard-working player with good skill and a good shot; people at the program will argue he’s been underrated.
Even diminutive goalie Ryder Fetterolf, who was excellent for the Ottawa 67’s this year, checks out as a Canes pick.
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche actually had a top-50 pick this year! And they used it to add skill to the pool with Egor Shilov, a low-pace but highly skilled and intelligent offensive center I had rated as a late-first.
I liked that they prioritized adding skill to their incredibly thin pool throughout as well. Shilov represented that with their first pick but so did Beckett Hamilton with their third-rounder at No. 74 and Axel Elofsson at No. 128. Both showed up in my player poll for their skill level. Hamilton really blossomed over the course of this season with Red Deer. He’ll work too. I’ve tabbed him as a breakout point producer in the WHL next year. Elofsson is a small, high-risk, give-and-take D with high-end talent on the puck but he has struggled to defend at times, he tries to do too much, and he’s small. Still, he was on my board and at the end of the fourth round they’ve all got flaws.
I didn’t love their other three fourth- and fifth-rounders around Elofsson but those picks matter less.
Columbus Blue Jackets
I was partial to Ethan Belchetz over Oscar Hemming if the Blue Jackets wanted to prioritize a left-shot wing with size and skill, but the Blue Jackets clearly prioritized the higher skating grade on Hemming and I can understand it.
I was softer on Sarnia’s Alessandro Di Iorio than most in the public sphere but his availability at No. 94 lined up more with where I was at on him and he was still higher on my list than where the Blue Jackets got them. He actually reminds me a little of former Blue Jackets draft pick Luca Del Bel Belluz as an average-tools guy who had some highs and lows with his OHL team.
Evan Jardine was one of the last undrafted players on my list when the Blue Jackets took him at No. 121. Skating pushed him into the middle rounds but he’s got legit puck skill and he’s a complete rat. If he can add a step, I think he’s one of the only late-round guys with a chance.
Dallas Stars
The Stars didn’t make a pick until No. 59 but I thought they did really well with it in taking Jakub Vanecek, who I had No. 42 at No. 59. He’s got a lot of pro attributes and had a strong year both in the WHL and internationally. He also announced his commitment to Western Michigan this week and I think they’re a great fit for him. He’s got size, will try things with the puck, can shoot it, and defends and skates well.
Ryan Brown wasn’t on my list and smaller guys without a defining trait typically don’t translate, but his second half with London was strong and he became a counted-upon player for them into the playoffs, which was enough to get picked.
Detroit Red Wings
I’ve been clamoring for the Red Wings to deviate a little from their focus on projectable competitors over the last several years and prioritize a skill swing and so I was happy to see them make that pivot with their first pick this year with JP Hurlbert. He’s a smart and talented forward with great sense and timing around the offensive zone and top-six upside if he can add a little more pace.
The selection of Victor Plante with their first pick of Day 2 was a little early for me but represented a similar swing for the Red Wings and is a hard pick to dislike (I’m a sucker for the story and taking Victor so that he and his big brother Max can be together is fun). He checks their work ethic box as well even though he’s on the smaller side.
Michal Orsulak was one of only a handful of goalies to make my list and while he was at the end of it and they took him in the 70s, his highs were really high in my viewings (his lows were also low).
Beckham Edwards had a difficult year in Sarnia and that pushed him into the draft’s later rounds but he’s a great athlete, he’s got an NHL shot, and I’ve always had time for him. I think Notre Dame will help him earn a pro contract in a few years too.
Sixth-round forward Lukka Arkko didn’t make my list but he’s a big player with some attributes.
I don’t view Adam Levac as an NHL prospect and Plante was early for me but I liked the rest of what the Red Wings did.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers didn’t pick until Day 2 after moving No. 9 and they beefed up their pool with three of the bigger, stronger athletes in the draft in Simas Ignatavicius and Ryder Cali, who were both right in that mix for me as BPA, and then Vilho Vanhatalo (an honorable mention for my list, drafted No. 168). I’ve got a lot of time for Cali in particular. Both he and Ignatavicius project as up-and-down-the-lineup heavy forwards. Vanhatalo projects as that but in the AHL.
I didn’t view 6-foot-6 Chicago Steel D Jonas Kemps, who they took in the early fourth round, as an NHL prospect (his puck game is nowhere near close enough).
I’ve got some time for Cole Zurawski, another good athlete who doesn’t have the size of the other three forwards they took but can shoot it, skates, works and has some skill. He’s going to Notre Dame but will return to the OHl next year.
The Rangers selected stud prospect Alberts Smits fifth overall at the 2026 NHL Draft. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
New York Rangers
The Rangers added three legit D prospects with their first two selections, taking Alberts Smits exactly where I had him ranked at No. 5, the balanced-skating Ben Macbeath (my 44th-ranked skater) at No. 64, and the athletic and competitive Charlie Morrison in the third round. Smits is a stud. I think Macbeath plays as a depth NHL defenseman with his mobility and smarts at 6-foot-2 even if he’s not flashy. I’ve been a little lower on Morrison, who I don’t think thinks it well and lacks the puck game but he’s big, hard and can skate and that gives him a shot to be a depth guy someday.
I viewed Gatineau overage goaltender Danai Shaiikov as more of a late-round pick than a 67th-overall one, so that selection surprised me a little. He’s a technically sound average-sized goalie with some parallels to Dylan Garand but Garand had more pedigree.
My favourite of the Rangers’ picks might have been Slovak forward Tomas Chrenko at No. 81. He’s sub-6-feet but he has consistently been a top player whenever he has played against his peers internationally, he has produced at a legit clip against men, he’s got a legit shot and skill, and he’s a willing worker.
Spencer Bowes wasn’t on my list and wasn’t particularly productive for a September ’07 with Ottawa this year but he’s got more skill than his profile indicates.
Seattle Kraken
The Kraken filled clear areas of need and got out of this year’s draft exactly what they should have tried to get out it. At No. 7, they finally got their first high-end D prospect as an organization with Reid, my top-ranked D in the draft. And at No. 38, after years of prioritizing skill throughout, they took a projectable athlete in Casey Mutryn, who I was lower on than most this year and view as a high-floor, low-ceiling type but has a clear path to a career as an effective bottom-sixer because of his combination of size, skating and physicality.
Fourth-round Russian center Viktor Fyodorov is a very likeable, hard-working, pro-habits player but it’s hard to be a sub-6-foot NHLer without a defining offensive attribute. Still, he was a bubble guy for my top 100 and was taken right there at No. 99.
St. Andrew’s College defenseman and fifth-round pick Finn Kearns was in my backyard this year and a fringe guy to get picked. I didn’t see anything personally but he’s a warrior who plays with an edge, has a big shot, and makes opponents pay and they’re likely hoping he’s a hard-to-play against depth AHLer when he gets done at UMass.
Sixth-rounder Ola Palme’s heavy boots kept him off my list but he’s an effective and big defender. The Reid pick is carrying their class here but it’s a big one.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Ruck twins, Tomas Galvas and Pierce Mbuyi screamed Kyle Dubas/Wes Clark and I thought the combined value for the two of them at 22, 39, 54 and 86 was strong.
I’m a big fan of Galvas, a third-time’s-the-charm pick who has been on my board three years running and is a high-end skater who has performed at the top of his age group both internationally and in Czechia’s pro ranks. He’s small but his feet give him a real chance to be an NHLer and he’s already at a level that would allow him to play top-four minutes in the AHL so there’s little risk for me at this point.
And while Mbuyi’s play internationally at the Hlinka and omission from the U18 roster hurt him, he’s a pacey rat with skill who was the OHL’s Rookie of the Year two seasons ago and fit as a third-rounder for me.
Double overage D Parker Von Richter has been a really solid defender in the OHL over the last couple of years but he has always felt like a solid future third-pairing AHLer to me.
St. Louis Blues
I thought the Blues had a good draft. They needed to add a legit center prospect and did that with Tynan Lawrence at No. 11, who could be a 2C for them long term. Though Maddox Dagenais is technically listed as a center, he projects as a winger for most and went a little early for some scouts at No. 16 (myself included). Still, his profile as a big, good-skating, skilled forward with an NHL shot and the ability to play a physical brand (it has been the consistency of his play and habits that has held some teams up) and I know other teams were prepared to take him shortly after the Blues did at No. 16.
American defenseman Luke Schairer represents a fine bet in the third round as well and went right around where I had him. He’s a big, strong, athletic player who wants to make a difference on the ice but has to make better decisions to do that.
Same goes for their next pick, Landon Nycz, a big, good-skating D. Nycz’s game with the puck is extremely simple but he’s an excellent athlete and by all accounts a mature player. He probably tops out as a No. 7-8 D but could play some games as a call-up guy. Expect him to spend four years at UMass though.
Lars Steiner was my favorite of their late-round picks. He was my top-ranked player left late in the game there and while he’s short and stocky, he works, he’s got an NHL shot, and he plays a power game for his size.
NTDP defenseman Nick Bogans and Guelph forward Carter Stevens were fine late-round picks, too, even if they’re depth AHL projections. Same goes for Colin Fitzgerald, whose stock plummeted this year when the skill just never came and he went from potential third liner to potential fourth-liner and then potential depth AHLer.
Utah Mammoth
I thought Ethan Belchetz was a perfect fit for the Mammoth at No. 17, adding more size and skill to an organization that has plenty of both while still giving them something a little different. He was my top-ranked forward there and if he can develop his first couple of steps could be a unique top-six winger in the league with his hulking frame and legit skill.
After prioritizing size up and down their drafts, I liked the decision at the end of the third-round to take Adam Valentini, who may be small but is built like an ox and checks their work ethic box. That was exactly the range you take that player profile. He’s a legit player in this age group but wasn’t viewed as a legit NHL prospect because of his listed height.
Their late-round picks? Meh. But I liked the first two a lot.
Vancouver Canucks
I thought this draft was a really good first step in what should still be a long road for the Canucks. Caleb Malhotra belonged at No. 3 no matter what anybody tells you and I really liked the fast, strong, competitive and hard-shooting Adam Novotny in the second half of the first round.
And while I felt Brooks Rogowksi was a little early at No. 33 (I don’t love the lack of hardness and pace), you can understand the decision to bet on the big and decently talented center.
My favorite pick of their draft might have been the selection of Niklas Aaram-Olsen at No. 41. He was rated at the end of my first round, is a strong athlete and skater, and has an NHL shot and legit skill off of the flank and in open ice. He was one of the only forwards selected on Day 2 that I could see playing on an NHL power play someday.
Overager Yaroslav Bryzgalov is peripherally interesting as well and sixth-round Slovak forward Lucian Bernet is 6-foot-3 with some skill and a good shot (though I think he has a bit of an identity crisis and he’s not going to be the skill guy he thinks he is up levels).
Overtime losers
New Jersey Devils
In Sunny Mehta’s first draft at the helm of the Devils, they added two projectable players with their first two picks, taking the incredibly likeable Alexander Command (who projects safely as a future middle-six C who can play with anybody and has excellent contact skills) and rangy and mobile Russian defenseman Nikita Shcherbakov (who just got re-measured from 6-foot-3 to 6-foot-5 at Gold Star’s camp).
In between them, they took an interesting swing on overager Matias Vanhanen at No. 37 as well. That was early for me (he was one of my honorable mentions for my top 100) but he was one of the smartest offensive thinkers in the WHL this season and grew from 5-8 in his first year of eligibility to 5-10 at 19 this year.
Lavr Gashilov getting remeasured from 6-foot-2.5 to 5-foot-11 the week before the draft didn’t help his case but he was still one of the more talented players taken in the later rounds as well. Pace and compete are concerns and don’t go well with his size, but I still like the dice roll at No. 119.
They were bubble overtime winners and overtime losers for me and their last couple of picks slid them here but I thought they had a fine-to-decent two days.
New York Islanders
The Islanders bolstered the depth of their pool on the backend this weekend, a year after using two first-round pick on D in Matthew Schaefer and Kashawn Aitcheson.
Malte Gustafsson gives them a third lefty and positions that side of their blue line perfectly for the future. Lincoln Kuehne, who they got in Round 4, and Vladimir Dravecky, who they got in Round 5, are righties with very different attributes. Kuehne is a vanilla player but has the athletic tools and size. And Dravekcy is the opposite of vanilla, with some real offensive swagger to his game while still having the athletic tools. Dravecky was my top-ranked D when they picked him. He’s going to put up big numbers and run the power play for the Memorial Cup hosts in Guelph next year.
Vegas Golden Knights
I’ve felt that Finnish D Juho Piiparinen, despite being a captain and top player in his age group who played a ton of pro games this year, was too vanilla to be a first-round pick and is more of a second-round guy, but I liked the Golden Knights’ decision to take overager Ben Wilmott at No. 92. He wasn’t in my top 100 but was on my overagers list and I watched him a fair amount on my backyard in Barrie this year. He probably becomes AHL depth but every organization needs that.
Forward Jonah Sivertson in Round 4 was an honorable mention on my list has the tools to play outside of his feet and sixth-round goalie Matthew Minchak played very well in stretches in the OHL this year.
Fifth-round D Will McLaughlin is an interesting one. He’s got the smarts and had a very positive year but his knees knock and people had a tough time getting past that.
Their class was bleh for me but I don’t hate it.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild didn’t pick until No. 83 and they prioritized size and competitiveness with the picks they did have, which might produce a fourth-liner but won’t produce much else. I liked their selection of big, strong Swedish forward Adam Andersson. The production hasn’t been there but he’s got the tools and profile of a lot of bottom-six forwards in the NHL. Kayden Lemire, who they took in the fourth round, is one of the most competitive players in the class but I worry it stops there.
They definitely took a more ambitious swing in Round 5 on towering Brandon goalie Filip Ruzicka, whose movement is a predictable concern at times but is just huge and fit as a worthy gamble in that range.
Boston Bruins
I’ve got time for the two Swedes the Bruins took this year but they’ll probably be lucky to get an NHLer out of this group.
Nils Bartholdsson is a shifty, crafty, skilled forward who has consistently impressed me with the Swedish national team and in the J20 level, where he has produced and looked like a top player. His challenge: He’s tiny and while he’s willing to take pucks to the net, he can get knocked around out there.
Oscar Olsson is at the opposite end of the size spectrum and was an honorable mention for my list. He scored some pretty goals this year for a 6-foot-4 winger but his skating looks awkward.
Russian winger Matvei Kotkov was also an honorable mention for me and very close to cracking my top 100. He’s an August birthday and made some skill plays while also playing on his toes.
Second-round goalie Yuri Ivanov wasn’t on my list but he’s one of the youngest players in the class and he’s very quick. It just felt early for me. There’s a lot of projection happening there.
Late-round goalie Roberto Henriquez is also semi-interesting and is a player I’ve watched, oddly enough, a lot of over the last couple of years.
Ottawa Senators
I liked the Senators’ overall approach at this year’s draft more than I have in the past. I thought they took their first two players a little early relative to some of the other skill guys who were available at the end of the first-round, but I appreciate that they took some swings on the talent upside of Jonas Lagerberg Hoen and Jaxon Cover.
From a value perspective, I liked the third-round selection of Adam Nemec at No. 91 (who I had No. 48). His athletic profile is average but he’s a smart player who goes to good spots and has well-rounded skill. There isn’t a single defining tool for him in the way that Lagerberg Hoen (skill, shot) and Jaxon Cover (skill, shot) have a legit tool or two but I like the player.
Oscar Holmertz at No. 87 was exactly where the skilled and crafty Swedish center belonged and he’s a player I’ve had a bit of a soft spot for (probably too much of one). Their four picks after that were a mixed bag though and that was their class for me as a whole.
Philadelphia Flyers
A year after they took forwards with five of their six picks in the first two rounds, the Flyers prioritized added to the depth of their pool on the backend with their early picks this year. You’re counting on a lot of continued development with the hulking Maksim Sokolovskii at No. 27 (I would have felt a lot more confident with the risk in how raw he is in the second round) but they weren’t alone in their belief in him there. Everett D Brek Liske was more of a third-rounder than a second-rounder for me as well but his strong postseason put him in that range. He’s got a chance to be a third-pairing guy.
Czech goaltender Martin Psohlavec was a riser for me and others this season as well, becoming the guy for a Czech age group with a ton of strong goalies and performing both domestically and internationally into U18 worlds.
KJ Sauer is a player I did some tape on late in the year. He wasn’t on my list but he pointed in high school and briefly the USHL and he’ll play next year for the Edmonton Oil Kings. He’s a big, strong player, too. He’s a long shot though.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals only made four picks and only one of them was in the first three rounds. So when I didn’t like that one pick, it was going to be hard for me to give them a positive grade. I’ve got time for Tyus Sparks, who was an honorable mention for me and got some love from his peers in my player poll. He’s got a good shot and some skill, it’s just going to be about developing more consistency.
Losers
Edmonton Oilers
I didn’t like the Oilers draft but it’s also hard to be too hard on them when they’re picking as late as they did. Rudolfs Berzkalns is big and has clear pro attributes as a potential future bottom-sixer. He was loser on my list than where they took him but I mocked him as a bubble late-second/early-third round guy and he’s got tools. Everyone just wants to see him make the finishing play more.
I don’t view any of their other guys as NHL prospects.
Montreal Canadiens
I understand the Canadiens’ desire to add more size and athleticism to the organization, but I do think they chased it a little. I thought No. 26 was early for Pugachyov even though that was his range. He projects as a third-line wing for me, but there’s no denying he’s an impressive athlete. Overager Cooper Cleaves was a solid contributor as a freshman at Dartmouth to put himself into the draft conversation. He’s another big body but I assessed his ceiling as an AHL one.
The pick between those two, Timofei Runtso, I have a lot of time for (and others around the WHL do). He was one of the last cuts for my list and the 50s was a little rich for me but he’s a well-liked athlete who could become a solid third-pairing D.
Parker Trottier is one of the hardest players in the class to play against but I’d bet he’s a fourth-line AHL version of that at best.
D Brayden Klimpke could be organizational depth.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning went off the board with all of their picks for me except maybe toolsy late-round goalie Stepan Shurygin (who still needs to stop more pucks). Diminutive Halifax Mooseheads import Oleg Kulebyakin, whom they took No. 52, looked like a junior playmaker who may struggle to be that beyond the AHL to me this year. And while big overager Tomas Kralovic, drafted No. 90, had a really strong year in Slovakia’s top pro flight, I’m confident they could have got him later.
The same goes for everyone they took.
I really don’t think they’ve drafted well for a while here (Benjamin Rautiainen in the fourth round last year maybe excluded).
