Prospect Info: The 2026 NHL Draft First Round Thread - Part 4

[MarkusNaslund19]

Cam Robinson's scout poll came out, which is meant to replicate what Bob Mackenzie used to do. He polls scouts from 10 different teams to see how they're feeling about players, and is meant to be used as a snapshot for how NHL teams are viewing the class. Very importantly, it is not a mock draft. Cam noted the divide in scouts rankings felt substantial, with 57 different players ranked for the top 32 - top was consistent, middle had disagreement, and the back end of the first was wide open.

I'll post the list and add some comments as I go:

1. Mckenna - 9 first place votes
2. Malhotra - 1 first place vote, 4 second place votes. One scout "By far the best center in the class, only definite top 6 center."
3. Stenberg - 3 second place votes, "Everything you want from a 1st line wing except size"
4. Carels - Most consistently ranked, one team had him 6th, the rest had him top 5, highest was one team at 3
5. Reid
6. Bjorck - Only player outside of Mckenna, Malhotra, & Stenberg to get a top 2 vote (note: this doesn’t add up but I’m just posting what Cam wrote)
7. Smits
8. Verhoeff
9. Rudolph
10. Belchetz
11. Lin (this was surprising to me given his size, very curious what his height come out to at the combine)
12. Lawrence
13. Gustafsson
14. Cullen - widest range of opinions on him, one scout said he had a little Jack Hughes in him
15. Hemming
16. Suvanto
17. Hermansson
18. Dagenais
19. Novotny (My comment: he's fallen a lot on draft boards as teams are viewing him as a more finished product with his size/weight + age)
20. Bleyl
21. Command
22. Klepov
23. Hurlbert
24. Liam Ruck
25. Morozov
26. Villeneuve
27. Nordmark (despite the work ethic concerns, the production + size combo must have scouts intrigued)
28. Preston
29. Piiparinen
30. Shilov (this was a bit surprising to me given offensive guys in the Q rarely work out unless the production 1.5 PPG+, and Shilov's motor is garbage)
31. Pugachyov
32. Rogowski (highest ranking was 22, 4 teams had him with a 1st round grade)
33. Markus Ruck

Hilarious that the Ruck's happened to place exactly at our 2nd and 3rd picks. Wyatt Cullen is the fastest riser, went from unranked in January to top 15. From 18-33, only 4 of these guys were ranked in January (Villeneuve, Hurlbert, Novotny, Piiparinen), the rest were all risers.

Also shout out to a BC guy taking over Mckenzie's old role, you have to work really hard to get scouts to trust you enough to provide this level of info to you. On a personal note, I'm happy with how my list + insights progressed over the course of the year, particularly toward the top of the draft. Very comfortable in where I agree/disagree with the general community, and excited to see how that changes over time.

I'm sure we'll all have a very reasonable, nuanced discussion about NHL scouts viewing Caleb as a potential top 2 pick this draft now Clearly it was our local media pumping his tires that led to NHL scouts placing him here.

Appreciate you posting this and appreciate the work you've done on this year's draft to spur conversation with nuanced thoughtful takes. Look forward to reading your posts every day.

 

[CanaFan]

Sorry, are we saying that people think Malholtra skating is a weakness? Is it the way his edges/technique look, because I thought he was a good skater?

He’s a good skater in terms of speed and power but some of his mechanics aren’t the best. It shouldn’t hold him back but it’s not a strength at the current time. Duchene is in the top 5% best skating forwards in the league.

 

[thecupismine]

Now this brings me to Dagenais lol. I'm probably going to look dummy in the end but he's a guy I like here as I think he fits a lot of what we should be looking for and have neglected in the past. Speed, toughness, size, really good playmaking and IQ, and some clutch goal scoring prowess. Even if he ends up on the wing. Seems like a hard-working kid and great teammate. Go for the double instead of the homerun.

@thecupismine - I see Dagenais is 18 on Cam's scout list so he's holding strong even though I know you're not a fan. I also think Morozov would be absolutely awesome. What he's doing as the youngest player in Miami is impressive. High ceiling but also super high floor and all the intangibles. My favorite! Plus he's a big center. I'd probably be running to the podium. My list (so far) at our #24 pick.

Morozov
Command
Klepov
Bleyl
Hermansson
Dagenais
Hemming
Piiparinen
Ignatavicius
Mutryn
Shcherbakov
Hextall
Macbeath
Shilov
Suvanto

I'm just gunning for a player here. I should probably have Hemming higher but I just don't get the vibes from him and he tailed off a lot. Also, I see Rogowski always rated high but I don't like him at all. He's a transformed baseball player with no grit. 6'7" pilon. People just love his size but you gotta be able to hockey too.

If he was actually a good skater or had better IQ I’d like him more, right now his physicality never feels like it’s impactful or in the run of play unless he’s making a reverse hit to protect the puck. Otherwise the hits are coming a second after the pucks already moved on to the other player.

I see the appeal from scouts, but to me he’s a lot riskier than guys like Gleb, Mutryn, and Cali because his B game is a lot weaker. If he pops he has the potential to be a big, mean power forward who puts up 40 points in your top 6, but nothing I’ve seen about his motor or defensive IQ suggests he has the ability to adequately play a bottom 6 role without a very specific set of accompanying linemates.

It’s very similar to a guy like Raffi Torres, where he was a great physical third line winger who could pop in some goals if he was with exactly two high motor, high quality defensive players who can do the dirty work of actually getting the puck to him in space.

I’d rather have the physical guys who do that kind of dirty work more consistently like the other 3 I just mentioned. I have a second round grade on him because I think there’s better all around bets than him, but I do understand where scouts are coming from.

 

[Canucker]

All fine and fair. But people need to stop acting like there is a single, definitive “BPA” and that Malhotra is an egregious error to be considered at 3.

Don't disagree at all...a case can be made for quite a number of players at #3.

 

[sting101]

Sorry, are we saying that people think Malholtra skating is a weakness? Is it the way his edges/technique look, because I thought he was a good skater?

He is a good skater i'm not sure where this weakness narrative is coming from. He's currently an average NHL skater with some explosion/power needed to pop as a top10 pick which will undoubtedly come.
This is not Bo Horvat in his draft year skating or Aaty Raty. Nor is it Stutzle Larkin Barzal. it's average with a strong likelihood it becomes a plus trait

Only Carels and Reid at the top of this draft are plus NHL skaters currently. All should improve

 

[Icebreakers]

Centers win championships.

People talking about 60 point all situations C like that's bad. Bergeron was a 57 point center the year they won the cup.



Orielly was a #1 C on a cup winning team and he's a 60 point C with no skating.

Poll scouts if they rather take a all situations 60 point C or a PPG winger and I bet you they all pick the C and it's not even close. The only wingers that are comparable are the Kaprizovs of the world but they cost you 17 mil, instead of the 60 point C costing half as much.

 

[VanJack]

I get that the Canucks are saying all the trite things about drafting Caleb Malhotra at #3 overall, with his father Manny now ensconced behind the bench.

But frankly I'd now be a bit shocked if it happened. There's enough pressure on these highly drafted kids already, without the added pressure of potentially having your father as your NHL coach.

I suppose there's the argument that Caleb is heading to the NCAA, and will probably play there for two seasons. And might even need a year in Abbotsford after he is signed. And who knows what the Canucks coaching situation will look like by then?

But by far the safest option is to simply draft the guy the Sharks pass on--Stenberg or Reid.

 

[BWJM]

I mean, this is a crazy take given that Cam Robinson just published his draft rankings showing Malholtra at 2 which are based on ten different NHL scouts' rankings.

10 NHL scouts…

We can disagree about his rankings but the fact you roped the anti father/son circle jerk into the “crazy take” is wild.

You guys better not go into hiding if we end up the laughing stock of the league over the drama this will cause if he busts.

 

[CanaFan]

10 NHL scouts…

We can disagree about his rankings but the fact you roped the anti father/son circle jerk into the “crazy take” is wild.

You guys better not go into hiding if we end up the laughing stock of the league over the drama this will cause if he busts.

10 NHL scouts are very likely to have similar opinions to other NHL scouts.

And your last line is ridiculously immature and frankly pathetic. You’re the one coming here all hot and bothered spitting fire about how there’s no way Caleb Malhotra is the “bpa”. You then get shown that he very much is the “bpa” - if such a thing actually exists - and you react with “you guys had better be right”. Like dude, we’re just reporting what is out there instead of whatever little fantasy you’ve whipped up in your own head. I can’t predict if Caleb will bust or not, no one can. NHL scouts are wrong lots of times about players. But they’re a helluva lot more informed than you, so if there is a “bpa”, their opinion counts more than yours does.

 

[EpochLink]

Let’s make sure it’s not one of these stinkers lmao

 

[BWJM]

10 NHL scouts are very likely to have similar opinions to other NHL scouts.

And your last line is ridiculously immature and frankly pathetic. You’re the one coming here all hot and bothered spitting fire about how there’s no way Caleb Malhotra is the “bpa”. You then get shown that he very much is the “bpa” - if such a thing actually exists - and you react with “you guys had better be right”. Like dude, we’re just reporting what is out there instead of whatever little fantasy you’ve whipped up in your own head. I can’t predict if Caleb will bust or not, no one can. NHL scouts are wrong lots of times about players. But they’re a helluva lot more informed than you, so if there is a “bpa”, their opinion counts more than yours does.

Coming in all hot and bothered? You’re absolutely ridiculous lmfao.

 

[Zombotron]

Let’s make sure it’s not one of these stinkers lmao

No picks between 33OA and 145OA at that point in their contention window is unacceptable. Parlaying the compensatory 2nd for not signing White into Christian Ehrhoff was great, though

 

[CanaFan]

Coming in all hot and bothered? You’re absolutely ridiculous lmfao.

Nah, pretty spot on actually.

What the hell is wrong with this organization. If they had such a raging hard-on about drafting Caleb Malhotra you don’t name his dad the head coach.

Common sense. Fire Todd Harvey.