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

[Jack Burton]

Good overview.

They have:

1. Carels
2. Verhoeff
3. Reid
4. Gustafsson
5. Rudolph
6. Smits
7. Lin

I also like that they have a scout that explains the Verhoeff bet and correctly does the "He is not like Ekblad at all... way more dynamic" point. Correctly note he's a 4-5 year bet.

Point on Reid is his development curve seemed flat over the year, other than his shot improved.

They loved Gastafsson's D-side and Rudolph's offensive side.

They have Smits as a "mean K'Andre Miller" but they believe his powerplay ability is limited to a 2nd unit shooter.

They think Lin is incredibly smart but will always be a smaller d-man who takes a lot of hits.

I don't totally agree but a better overview than most.

Not bad but I think it’s totally obvious who the top Dmen are in this draft

Reid
Verhoff
Carels
Smits
Rudolph
Gustafsson
Lind

And Smits is the dark horse. This kid is probably going to have a very good NHL career…cant miss prospect I believe.

 

[Beerz]

lol wow a 360. welcome

Grab a beer and start from our draft thread part 3.

The concern among “some” Canuck fans are US born players lack of interest in a western Canadian team. Example sizes provided, recent ptsd (Hughes) , and earlier in January our management literally went to pay Verhoeff a visit.

Just hire Babcock and have him go thru his phone and make sure he isn't in that group chat

 

[StreetHawk]

I'd take Gustafsson over Smits I think.

Gustafsson/Carels and Willander as your top pair freeing up Buium for secondary matchups would be good.

With Verhoeff the skating just concerns me alot as a top pair high-min D.

If skating is an issue, I recall in 2018 I preferred Dobson over Bouchard because of that. Bouchard was a PP QB while Dobson considered a better all aroun defender.

Come playoffs, you need to be able to skate well enough to log big minutes every other day.

 

[Jack Burton]

I'd take Gustafsson over Smits I think.

Gustafsson/Carels and Willander as your top pair freeing up Buium for secondary matchups would be good.

With Verhoeff the skating just concerns me alot as a top pair high-min D.

Fair.

I don’t give a sh*t about Verhoffs skating or what people have said the last 4 weeks.
All the mechanics are their and he will easily improve.

 

[lawrence]

I think Malhotra is the pick and always has been. Gotten to much attention so they are making a smokescreen so it's not as obvious.

I think the management didn’t like how (through his own opinion) at the time on other shows saying the Canucks will take Caleb regardless, and it turns out he might be right. Than Vancouver might have submitted their draft list and it’s exactly where it was so cam Robinson wanted to do some damage control. He also doesn’t want one less team making submissions to website. The reputation on elite prospects is literally the submissions from nhl teams.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Updated today..NHL.coms mock draft with Buffalo picking 4th. Both experts have SJS picking Stenberg at 2.

Mock 2026 NHL Draft: 1st-round predictions after trade frenzy | NHL.com

Sabres move up to No. 4 by sending Byram to Blackhawks; Sharks pick twice in top 9

www.nhl.com

 

[Tobi Wan Kenobi]

Fair.

I don’t give a sh*t about Verhoffs skating or what people have said the last 4 weeks.
All the mechanics are their and he will easily improve.

He walks the line well imo

 

[Tobi Wan Kenobi]

I think the management didn’t like how (through his own opinion) at the time on other shows saying the Canucks will take Caleb regardless, and it turns out he might be right. Than Vancouver might have submitted their draft list and it’s exactly where it was so cam Robinson wanted to do some damage control. He also doesn’t want one less team making submissions to website. The reputation on elite prospects is literally the submissions from nhl teams.

Carels have 0 concussions, and he completed every evaluation at the combine. Where did this concussion thing come from ?

What do you mean they submitted a draft list? Cam has no idea who the Canucks have on their list.

 

[aregora]

Carels have 0 concussions, and he completed every evaluation at the combine. Where did this concussion thing come from ?

From New York Times article here. My concern is not just the initial concussion, but also the lingering symptoms that caused him to miss the combine more than 2 months later. He was at the combine, but only did interviews and medical tests. Skipped the physical tests/workouts.

There are varying levels of concern among NHL talent evaluators about a concussion Carels sustained in Prince George’s playoff opener on March 27. He missed the next two games before returning for the team’s final nine, but lingering symptoms caused him to skip testing at the recent NHL Draft Combine, colleague Corey Pronman reported on “The Athletic Hockey Show.”

 

[lawrence]

Just hire Babcock and have him go thru his phone and make sure he isn't in that group chat

Those idiots from Edmonton already hired him.

 

[lawrence]

From New York Times article here. My concern is not just the initial concussion, but also the lingering symptoms that caused him to miss the combine more than 2 months later.

There are varying levels of concern among NHL talent evaluators about a concussion Carels sustained in Prince George’s playoff opener on March 27. He missed the next two games before returning for the team’s final nine, but lingering symptoms caused him to skip testing at the recent NHL Draft Combine, colleague Corey Pronman reported on “The Athletic Hockey Show.”

wow, that’s scary. Shit so we don’t drsft Reid because he’s American we don’t pick Malhotra cause we chicken shit, we don’t draft Carels because maybe concussion so we stuck with Verhoeff.

This shit has to happen when we pick 3rd.

 

[Beerz]

Those idiots from Edmonton already hired him.

Give it a week

 

[Jack Burton]

Still think it’s going

McKenna
Reid

Then it’s us

 

[MS]

please explain

He doesn’t process the game well defensively, isn’t physical, and his skating is suspect.

If everything turns out perfectly he’s a Jakob Chychrun level player.

 

[lawrence]

Still think it’s going

McKenna
Reid

Then it’s us

I think we want this. It means we got Stenberg but I doubt San Jose skips out on him.

 

[Jack Burton]

I think we want this. It means we got Stenberg but I doubt San Jose skips out on him.

If Stenberg is available at 3 then I believe we’ll definitely draft him…I think he’s been the Canucks target all year.

If Stenberg is gone by 3 then a whole jar of pickles opens up.
Not sure who is going to win this one…….the Canucks scouting staff or “the people’s champion” in Malhotra?

 

[Bleach Clean]

Donnie and Dhali - The Team | CHEK

Follow along with Donnie and Dhali as they interview guests, and have fun discussing the latest in sports news.

cheknews.ca

38:30 min mark:

Dhaliwal:
- If SJ goes Reid at #2, it's between Stenberg or Malhotra for VAN
- VAN didn't take Caleb to dinner. Big thing for Dhaliwal. Mckenna, Stenberg and Reid were taken out.
- Are they worried about the Caleb/Manny situation? Possibility.
- Thinks they will take Reid if Mckenna and Stenberg are off the board.
- Heard BUF wants Malhotra at #4.

Their caveat: Everyone wants to keep everyone guessing this time of year.



Edit: Actually, Malhotra declined dinners with all teams:

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

I will be Juolevi over Tkachuk level pissed if the Nucks take Verhoeff.

 

[thecupismine]

Donnie and Dhali - The Team | CHEK

Follow along with Donnie and Dhali as they interview guests, and have fun discussing the latest in sports news.

cheknews.ca

38:30 min mark:

Dhaliwal:
- If SJ goes Reid at #2, it's between Stenberg or Malhotra for VAN
- VAN didn't take Caleb to dinner. Big thing for Dhaliwal. Mckenna, Stenberg and Reid were taken out.
- Are they worried about the Caleb/Manny situation? Possibility.
- Thinks they will take Reid if Mckenna and Stenberg are off the board.
- Heard BUF wants Malhotra at #4.

Their caveat: Everyone wants to keep everyone guessing this time of year.

The dinner thing is wild because Malhotra had dinner scheduled with Vancouver & a bunch of other teams but then had to cancel with all of them for some reason.

Seems like a nothingburger, as the 4 guys Vancouver had scheduled to go out with were Reid, Malhotra, Stenberg, & McKenna, which are the 4 they've been the most interested in. Only other one that's come up is Verhoeff, which is very suspect in my eyes.

He doesn’t process the game well defensively, isn’t physical, and his skating is suspect.

If everything turns out perfectly he’s a Jakob Chychrun level player.

Yeah, after reviewing all the tape on him I put him down to around 12th, and behind the big group + Gustaffson. He's a fine bet to make in the teens (much like Arizona did with Chychrun), but there's a few more interesting guys I'd rather take my chances on.

 

[Tobi Wan Kenobi]

He doesn’t process the game well defensively, isn’t physical, and his skating is suspect.

If everything turns out perfectly he’s a Jakob Chychrun level player.

He's one of the youngest players in the draft and had a late transition to D. I think the prcoessing the game is overblown. He can see the second layer insanely fast offesnevly. It means he has incredible vision. Playing goalie has given him a good perspective i think hell learn and learn quick as he has already. In terms of Chychrun there's no way you can say he ever had the offensive upside that Verhoeff has

 

[Tobi Wan Kenobi]

This is all moot though cuz they're taking Bjorck

 

[Dwarfrogue]

I will be Juolevi over Tkachuk level pissed if the Nucks take Verhoeff.

Letting the old head Todd Harvey's guy be the pick because big and RHD would make me lose all faith in the FO already. Would much rather Caleb Malhotra even with the awkward coach-son situation over that.

 

[Joe Rogan]

This team has no high end forward prospects (Cootes has Middle 6 potential) and 4 guaranteed NHL'ers (Buium, Willander, Dpetey, Kudryavstev) 2 with top pairing potential.

Passing on Malhotra for defencemen that don't have #1 upside would be a Bourdon over Kopitar level travesty. Stockpiling defencemen while having a sorry-ass forward core never results in trade value being recuperated. Look at the Islanders (Toews) or LA ( Have almost nothing to show from Durzi, Faber, Cernak, Roy). Look at Chicago panicking now and making desperation trades, trying to exit a rebuild while their franchise C grows frustrated with having garbage linemates (and wasted lottery picks on Korchinski and Levshunov)

Carels and Reid (MAGA) are worse prospects than Buium, and low IQ, poor skating defencemen like Verhoeff are being phased out of the league and being victimized in the playoffs by fast, heavy forechecking teams.

 

[Icebreakers]

Id rather Bjork or Wyatt Cullen than Verhoeff. Verhoeff is worst possible scenario at 3.