Prospect Info: The 2026 NHL Draft First Round Thread - Part 5

[Grinner]

Being top-2 in the draft, regardless of how you end up there, is winning in my books.

Ah! The Sharks were the bottom of the barrel NHL team. In my book, those picks were well earned

 

[CanaFan]

I do think going from CHL to NCAA as basically a GR 12 is a massive jump given the competition in NCAA is 18-23 years of age. BCHL to CHL same age range, but better players. Reid is a Late Bday and he didn't dominant like you would want from someone with his tools.

That said, I would still go Carels as my pick on D. He's likely not a #1, but I think he can be a very good #2. Plus the intangibles seem good as well. Western CAD kid and wants to play for a CAD team. Knows and understands what it would mean.

Sure but making the jump doesn’t automatically make you a top-3 pick. You still have to earn it and show the growth. This isn’t any different for Verhoeff as for any player ever. Makar was drafted 4th out of the AJHL, the weakest league you can basically be drafted out of, but he showed the skill, skating, vision regardless of being in a weaker league. Bjork jumped into the SHL at the same age as Verhoeff jumped to NCAA, and he excelled. Because he’s good. Elton Hermansson played in the Allsvenskan against men at the same age as Verhoeff.

Good players adapt and play well in harder leagues all the time.

 

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

Verhoeff has the most offensve upside of the dmen...

Don't see it. I don't think he runs a PP1 in the NHL. Verhoeff is probably more of a 40-50 point defenseman that gets PP2 scraps. He just doesn't have the agility or process the game offensively like a true pp QB.

If we are talking pure offense I think Rudolph might have the highest offensive ceiling. If he finds himself in the right situation I could see him producing at a high clip.

If you asked me to bet on who will have the most career points among the D class is probably say Carels or Reid. A lot of that depends on where they are drafted and how well they develop in the next few years.

 

[Quinton Byfield]

I know what positions they play lol.

I just dont see a fit on this team. I dont care if Reid is 6'9, they play the same kind of game. I dont see him into this dynamic PP 1 kind of player he was barely that in the OHL. Hes a smooth skating dman who can jump up on the rush.

Id see his realistic upside to a Bowen Byram or Rasmus Andersson type. That is a valuable piece I mean we just saw Byram go for #4, but he has a higher chance of hitting that with a better team with forwards to play with.

I honestly dont understand the hype with this player. Do people watch him and actually see dynamic offensive upside?

That being said , IF the Canucks do draft him im going to be optimistic and have an open mind and hope he proves me wrong.

You can't just ignore size and height. That is a big fundamental part of hockey and athletics in general.

You just named 2 6'1, 200lb players. Reid is a late blooming 6'2.5", who apparently grew like 3 inches the last two seasons. A converted forward just 7 years ago. So you assume there's a different growth curve than others. He's already 195lbs, which suggests, again, there's more growth indicated there. Maybe he plays at 210, 215 when he's a man. Who knows?

Height equates to a longer stick, longer wingspan, greater reach. Taller means better leverage, size means easier boxouts, less fear in puck retrievals, better lane disruptions, more chances to win puck battles. Hockey is basically won or lost with just margins.

They say that 1 inch means 20lbs in extra leverage, whether that's stick checks, board battles, net front scrums, etc. It just matters, period.

Of course there's always valid criticisms of players. If he ends just a 2/3 defenseman, that's actually f***ing fantastic. An elite skating 2/3 RHD that controls the game with his own timing, rangy stick, some offense and ability to eat up big minutes will always have value.

It's a weak draft, there isn't guaranteed superstars. Carels doesn't have the offensive vision or creativity to translate his junior production to the NHL. Feel free for people to disagree, but either you see the hockey sense in players or you don't. Reid has higher hockey sense, but does not impose his will onto the game. Both players have flaws you can pick at all day.

Now, I don't want for us to draft Reid either, but that's for other reasons. The Canucks will pick whoever they pick. What sense is there to argue about it? If he gets picked at 3rd, there's nothing you can do. If we pick Carels/Malhotra/Bjorck, there's nothing you can do. The fact you said hope he proves you wrong is some narcissist shit. He will succeed or fail independent of you, me or anyone on here.

 

[Aquilini2Benning]

Why should a D-0 (it’s not his D-1, that was last year) need an entire season to adapt? I’ve never heard any other player get that kind of rope, especially when they actually start out ok and then regress as the season goes on.

Making the NHL is hard. Becoming a top 2/3 D is even harder. It isn’t gifted to you just because you score 21 goals in your D-1, and yet I see people contort themselves into knots to explain why they should excuse Verhoeff’s struggles in his D-0.

Viggo Bjork is the same age as Verhoeff and excelled in a far harder league than NCAA. When you’re good, you’re good. No excuses needed.

Like I say, it’s absolutely bizarre.

Well I didn't say "an entire season to adapt" in my post, and even said Verhoeff's 2nd half was concerning. However, I did say that a 3rd OV (post draft) should be able to adapt almost immediately, and I stand by that, as a year makes a big difference at that stage of their development. So yes, players like Reid and Malhotra get significantly less leeway on adapting to the NCAA in the upcoming seaon.

 

[Icebreakers]

You can't just ignore size and height. That is a big fundamental part of hockey and athletics in general.

You just named 2 6'1, 200lb players. Reid is a late blooming 6'2.5", who apparently grew like 3 inches the last two seasons. A converted forward just 7 years ago. So you assume there's a different growth curve than others. He's already 195lbs, which suggests, again, there's more growth indicated there. Maybe he plays at 210, 215 when he's a man. Who knows?

Height equates to a longer stick, longer wingspan, greater reach. Taller means better leverage, size means easier boxouts, less fear in puck retrievals, better lane disruptions, more chances to win puck battles. Hockey is basically won or lost with just margins.

They say that 1 inch means 20lbs in extra leverage, whether that's stick checks, board battles, net front scrums, etc. It just matters, period.

Of course there's always valid criticisms of players. If he ends just a 2/3 defenseman, that's actually f***ing fantastic. An elite skating 2/3 RHD that controls the game with his own timing, rangy stick, some offense and ability to eat up big minutes will always have value.

It's a weak draft, there isn't guaranteed superstars. Carels doesn't have the offensive vision or creativity to translate his junior production to the NHL. Feel free for people to disagree, but either you see the hockey sense in players or you don't. Reid has higher hockey sense, but does not impose his will onto the game. Both players have flaws you can pick at all day.

Now, I don't want for us to draft Reid either, but that's for other reasons. The Canucks will pick whoever they pick. What sense is there to argue about it? If he gets picked at 3rd, there's nothing you can do. If we pick Carels/Malhotra/Bjorck, there's nothing you can do. The fact you said hope he proves you wrong is some narcissist shit. He will succeed or fail independent of you, me or anyone on here.

? What does this even mean? What are you going on about?

Im just saying im not high on the player, but if the Canucks draft him im not gonna be a debbie downer and not support him. When I say I hope he proves me wrong I legit mean I hope he does well as a Canuck if we take him. You are going too many layers deep in this.

 

[Rowlet]

Do they know Canucks are picking Reid?

TOR - McKenna
SJ - Stenberg
VAN - Reid
BUF - Malhotra
NYR - Smits
CGY - Carels
SEA - Verhoeff

Or

TOR - McKenna
SJ - Stenberg
VAN - Malhotra
BUF - Bjorck
NYR - Reid

No, 4 was the lowest they could be to ensure they got one of the top 2 C's in the draft.

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

Looking like Reid, Malhotra, Carels, Verhoeff and I bet they go Verhoeff at 3rd when the dust settles.

I’m prepared for a very underwhelming draft and off-season while they learn on the job. “It is what it is”

 

[CanaFan]

Well I didn't say "an entire season to adapt" in my post, and even said Verhoeff's 2nd half was concerning. However, I did say that a 3rd OV (post draft) should be able to adapt almost immediately, and I stand by that, as a year makes a big difference at that stage of their development. So yes, players like Reid and Malhotra get significantly less leeway on adapting to the NCAA in the upcoming seaon.

I agree they should, just like I would have expected Verhoeff to this year.

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

What a hellacious year.

Be the worst team in the league by a country mile in a weak draft year, lose both lotteries, miss out on the top two franchise calibre talents, the next best forward is your coach's f***ing son, and then the best defenceman is a bible thumping Trump supporting American.

f*** me actually sideways

Can't disagree but on the flipside you could say: McKenna's got more question marks than any first rounder in recent memory, and it's a pretty flat draft after that. So if ever you were going to lose 2 draft spots...this would be the year

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

Stenberg might not be an option



If McKenna and Stenberg are the first two off the board then the Canucks have to take Malhotra. Taking a D feels like a mistake unless they have a trade lined up to swap Buium/EP2 for a good young C

The 2027 and 2028 1st rounds are littered with centers....

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

What a hellacious year.

Be the worst team in the league by a country mile in a weak draft year, lose both lotteries, miss out on the top two franchise calibre talents, the next best forward is your coach's f***ing son, and then the best defenceman is a bible thumping Trump supporting American.

f*** me actually sideways

Ok... everyone needs to calm down. The 2027 and 2028 drafts are the very good center/offensive drafts. This draft is full of dmen and big guys with the odd project. This is the year to go big d and big forwards cause they take longer than elite centers which the canucks can look at in the next 2 drafts (unless they win Dupont next year).

 

[VanJack]

So the fourth and ninth overall picks in this draft have already changed hands. Not sure what to make of this.....other than some teams aren't valuing it very highly.

Can't remember a year when two picks in the top-10 changed hands, and we aren't even to draft day yet.

 

[StreetHawk]

So the fourth and ninth overall picks in this draft have already changed hands. Not sure what to make of this.....other than some teams aren't valuing it very highly.

Can't remember a year when two picks in the top-10 changed hands, and we aren't even to draft day yet.

Did one of the local shows say a scout said they wish their club traded their 26 picks away?
So either a weak draft or teams have been directed by owner to aim to improve next season.

 

[Agent007]

So the fourth and ninth overall picks in this draft have already changed hands. Not sure what to make of this.....other than some teams aren't valuing it very highly.

Can't remember a year when two picks in the top-10 changed hands, and we aren't even to draft day yet.

The value of draft picks might be changing as the cap grows and free agency weakens.

So many teams are also pushing to make the playoffs vs waiting 3-4 years for a 1st round pick to pan out.

 

[Rowlet]

So the fourth and ninth overall picks in this draft have already changed hands. Not sure what to make of this.....other than some teams aren't valuing it very highly.

Can't remember a year when two picks in the top-10 changed hands, and we aren't even to draft day yet.

Really? I can remember a year when 3 of the top 4 picks changed hands...