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

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Preston at 24 works for me. It’s a letdown overall, and Cam Robinson reiterated this is a weak draft in his latest video. He added our best bet is for a prospect from the 10-21 range to fall to us here. Preston’s peers consider him an elite player, plus he’s a BC boy. Let him live out his dream bleeding blue and green.. Learning under Malhotra would be ideal for him, and hes one of our point leaders at the U18 for the red and one. I'm down with Preston at 24.
 
Jerry the great said:
it was a 26 year sample size, and the only guy better in that 26 year period also had a late birthday.

And really, it's not like his birthday was Sept 16th or something he was two days away from being born in 2008 (so he played half the season at 16/17)
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It doesnt matter if he was born on Sept 16 or Dec 31st. They still have a full year of hockey more than the non late birth years.

Its like comparing a grade 12 to a grade 11. Doesnt matter if the grade 12 is a dec 31st birthday and the grade 11 is a Jan 1st birthday. One day apart in real age, but one of them is an entire grade ahead in terms of their education. Its the same concept in hockey.

Pre draft wise, you cant compare d-1 in a vacuum, you can only do it with birth years or if they have the same birth years.
 
Icebreakers said:
It doesnt matter if he was born on Sept 16 or Dec 31st. They still have a full year of hockey more than the non late birth years.

Its like comparing a grade 12 to a grade 11. Doesnt matter if the grade 12 is a dec 31st birthday and the grade 11 is a Jan 1st birthday. One day apart in real age, but one of them is an entire grade ahead in terms of their education. Its the same concept in hockey.

Pre draft wise, you cant compare d-1 in a vacuum, you can only do it with birth years or if they have the same birth years.
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This is true as a rule but that’s because most late birthdays enter the CHL in their D-2 and have already played a season before they start their D-1. Reid had a weird path going USHL in his D-2 to NAHL then OHL in his D-1. That makes his D-1 a lot more comparable to the D-1 of those with early birthdays, or at least somewhere in between.
 
Jerry the great said:
really? Just based on his U18? He was barely a PPG player in the USHL way back in March.

I swear his stock went only parabolic when the CSS final rankings came out and he'd grown almost two inches since the mid term list. I mean people were chattering about him, but it instantly turned into a dull roar. I see the excitement that extra two inches caused and all i can think about is: poor Viggo. :(

top 10 is kind of a reach for this player IMO. skilled winger, great with the puck on his stick, but only semi productive with little grit to his game. How is he really a much better bet then Hermansson or Klepov?
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well you can go back on my history and see he was top10 for me way back to start of the year and then he was barely 5'11. I waned for awhile during the doldrums as scouts talked me back into the teens but after getting to see him more and with a little more size to fill into i'm back on the train.

He has insane skill and his upside is similar to a Kyle Connor or JT Miller type if he was to fill out that now 6"1 frame. I think he has C potential and is in the group with Carels Reid Rudolph Stenberg Bjorck Malhotra where it's pick the stylistic player you like best as they all could be 1st liners.

Klepov is close Hermansson is a nice prospect as well. I think Cullen attacks with more vigour and intent. Klepov has some Goldobin in his game where he doesn't attack the middle enough and Hermansson is tough to get a read on. Looks like a potential top line talent one game and then a nothing player for a couple. Not a huge fan of his engagement but i still have him into my top20 because of how talented he is
 
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Pronman's final ranking is out and it's...different. He says the class is below average, led by a strong group of dmen but slightly underwhelming group of top forwards. Top of the class is fairly standard, but lacks your typical premier talent. Mentions there's a good goalie class.

He also really devalues skill players this year, and it feels like he's overcompensating for some mistakes he made in prior year rankings. Di Iorio being ranked higher than Tommy Bleyl, Klepov, Hurlbert, and Aarom-Olsen for example seems wild to me based on my viewings. Also is really high on a couple power wingers, but not on their big center counterparts.

Just a weird list, and I wish he explained his methodology a little more up front. Right now it feels a little rage-baity rather than fully thought out. That's not entirely fair to him as you can tell from the podcasts he's on he's put in the work, but when you don't put that info in the front-end you let the read come to their own conclusions on how you made it.

Anyways, here's some of the ranking and his tiers:

Tier 1:

1. Reid
2. Smits
3. Verhoeff
4. Mckenna
5. Stenberg

Tier 2

6. Bjorck
7. Malhotra
8. Carels
9. Gustaffson
10. Rudolph
11. Cullen
12. Belchetz
13. Hemming
14. Mutryn
15. Pugachyov

Tier 3

16. Lawrence
17. Suvanto
18. Command
19. Hextall
20. Rogowski
21. Lin
22. Goljer
23. Gudmundsson
24. Hakansson (this is a good example of not explaining things well - he has him rated at below average for everything except compete, but puts him at 24)
25. Dagenais
26. Hermansson
27. Ruck
28. Novotny
29. Harrington
30. Ignatavicius
31. Hoen
32. Chudzinski
33. Trejbal
34. Plumins
35. Morozov
36. Scherbakov

Tier 4

37. Di Iorio
38. Villeneuve
39. Bleyl
40. MacKenzie
41. Piiparinen
42. Vanecek
43. Alalauri
44. Cali
45. Hurlbert
46. Klepov
47. Aaram-Olsen
48. Preston
49. Normark
50. Nemec
51. Sivertson

Still recommend giving it a read, as understanding people you disagree with is valuable. My best bet at second glance is he's saying size/physicality + compete is extremely valuable for at least getting a middle of the lineup player (defensible). However, I think he's underrating the value in making a bet that has a 20% chance of being right, but a complete gamechanger for your team's trajectory if it is.

Balancing these things is key to making a good list, and I don't think he has the balance right here.
 
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thecupismine said:
Pronman's final ranking is out and it's...different. He says the class is below average, led by a strong group of dmen but slightly underwhelming group of top forwards. Top of the class is fairly standard, but lacks your typical premier talent. Mentions there's a good goalie class.

He also really devalues skill players this year, and it feels like he's overcompensating for some mistakes he made in prior year rankings. Di Iorio being ranked higher than Tommy Bleyl, Klepov, Hurlbert, and Aarom-Olsen for example seems wild to me based on my viewings. Also is really high on a couple power wingers, but not on their big center counterparts.

Just a weird list, and I wish he explained his methodology a little more up front. Right now it feels a little rage-baity rather than fully thought out. That's not entirely fair to him as you can tell from the podcasts he's on he's put in the work, but when you don't put that info in the front-end you let the read come to their own conclusions on how you made it.

Anyways, here's some of the ranking and his tiers:

Tier 1:

1. Reid
2. Smits
3. Verhoeff
4. Mckenna
5. Stenberg

Tier 2

6. Bjorck
7. Malhotra
8. Carels
9. Gustaffson
10. Rudolph
11. Cullen
12. Belchetz
13. Hemming
14. Mutryn
15. Pugachyov

Tier 3

16. Lawrence
17. Suvanto
18. Command
19. Hextall
20. Rogowski
21. Lin
22. Goljer
23. Gudmundsson
24. Hakansson (this is a good example of not explaining things well - he has him rated at below average for everything except compete, but puts him at 24)
25. Dagenais
26. Hermansson
27. Ruck
28. Novotny
29. Harrington
30. Ignatavicius
31. Hoen
32. Chudzinski
33. Trejbal
34. Plumins
35. Morozov
36. Scherbakov

Tier 4

37. Di Iorio
38. Villeneuve
39. Bleyl
40. MacKenzie
41. Piiparinen
42. Vanecek
43. Alalauri
44. Cali
45. Hurlbert
46. Klepov
47. Aaram-Olsen
48. Preston
49. Normark
50. Nemec
51. Sivertson

Still recommend giving it a read, as understanding people you disagree with is valuable. My best bet at second glance is he's saying size/physicality + compete is extremely valuable for at least getting a middle of the lineup player (defensible). However, I think he's underrating the value in making a bet that has a 20% chance of being right, but a complete gamechanger for your team's trajectory if it is.

Balancing these things is key to making a good list, and I don't think he has the balance right here.
Click to expand...
I don’t think Pronman has ever been high on smaller defensive prospects tbh. He had Sprong rated higher than Makar back in the day IIRC, Silayev and a boatload of others over Hutson in his Sep 2024 edition of best U23 players.
 
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LemonSauceD said:
I don’t think Pronman has ever been high on smaller defensive prospects tbh. He had Sprong rated higher than Makar back in the day IIRC, Silayev and a boatload of others over Hutson in his Sep 2024 edition of best U23 players.
Click to expand...

He was YEARS ago. Pronman was doing this a long time. When he first gained notoriety, he massively overrated Russians and tiny defencemen. In the last 5 or so years he's shifted his mentality to focus on what NHL teams are looking for.
 
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AquiliniHurtsMySoul said:
Mallet was one of the worst picks I've ever seen then make. An overager from the Q.
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Especially when Severson was sitting right there. I remember the province doing an article on Severson and Sissons 2 Western Canadian kids who fit our 2nd round profile. Sissons went at 50 but Severson who i actually liked more we passed on for Mallett. That one hurt
 
thecupismine said:
Pronman's final ranking is out and it's...different. He says the class is below average, led by a strong group of dmen but slightly underwhelming group of top forwards. Top of the class is fairly standard, but lacks your typical premier talent. Mentions there's a good goalie class.

He also really devalues skill players this year, and it feels like he's overcompensating for some mistakes he made in prior year rankings. Di Iorio being ranked higher than Tommy Bleyl, Klepov, Hurlbert, and Aarom-Olsen for example seems wild to me based on my viewings. Also is really high on a couple power wingers, but not on their big center counterparts.

Just a weird list, and I wish he explained his methodology a little more up front. Right now it feels a little rage-baity rather than fully thought out. That's not entirely fair to him as you can tell from the podcasts he's on he's put in the work, but when you don't put that info in the front-end you let the read come to their own conclusions on how you made it.

Anyways, here's some of the ranking and his tiers:

Tier 1:

1. Reid
2. Smits
3. Verhoeff
4. Mckenna
5. Stenberg

Tier 2

6. Bjorck
7. Malhotra
8. Carels
9. Gustaffson
10. Rudolph
11. Cullen
12. Belchetz
13. Hemming
14. Mutryn
15. Pugachyov

Tier 3

16. Lawrence
17. Suvanto
18. Command
19. Hextall
20. Rogowski
21. Lin
22. Goljer
23. Gudmundsson
24. Hakansson (this is a good example of not explaining things well - he has him rated at below average for everything except compete, but puts him at 24)
25. Dagenais
26. Hermansson
27. Ruck
28. Novotny
29. Harrington
30. Ignatavicius
31. Hoen
32. Chudzinski
33. Trejbal
34. Plumins
35. Morozov
36. Scherbakov

Tier 4

37. Di Iorio
38. Villeneuve
39. Bleyl
40. MacKenzie
41. Piiparinen
42. Vanecek
43. Alalauri
44. Cali
45. Hurlbert
46. Klepov
47. Aaram-Olsen
48. Preston
49. Normark
50. Nemec
51. Sivertson

Still recommend giving it a read, as understanding people you disagree with is valuable. My best bet at second glance is he's saying size/physicality + compete is extremely valuable for at least getting a middle of the lineup player (defensible). However, I think he's underrating the value in making a bet that has a 20% chance of being right, but a complete gamechanger for your team's trajectory if it is.

Balancing these things is key to making a good list, and I don't think he has the balance right here.
Click to expand...
I wonder how he comes up with his rankings, it looks more like he projects future ice time over point totals which might explain putting the PPQB D-men over the forwards and defensively oriented D-men. IDK, but with this draft he could end up looking like a genius or totally out to lunch.

32. Chudzinski I think he just made up that name to see if people are paying attention. That can’t be a real name but if it is, I hope his first name is Chad
 
Vector said:
He was YEARS ago. Pronman was doing this a long time. When he first gained notoriety, he massively overrated Russians and tiny defencemen. In the last 5 or so years he's shifted his mentality to focus on what NHL teams are looking for.
Click to expand...

His trajectory from the biggest pusher of tiny little Russian forwards to the biggest pusher of no-talent coke machines has been absolutely hilarious.

Like I've said a few times, this is a guy who REALLY REALLY REALLY wants to be a scouting guru but just does not understand hockey or understand how to project players. He realized what he was doing previously was turning out really badly and now all he's done is do the polar opposite thing, and to me it feels like a purely reactionary change rather than something coming from any real understanding.
 
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Zombotron said:
Chudzinski is real and he's one of Tommy Bleyl's teammates
thehockeywriters.com

Rian Chudzinski – 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile - The Hockey Writers Latest News, Analysis & More

Rian Chudzinski is a good two-way winger whose calling card is his physical play, causing chaos around the net whenever he can.
thehockeywriters.com thehockeywriters.com
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Real.gif
 
  • Haha
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