The Periferal [Not Dead] Official 2026 NHL Draft Thread (June 26-27)

[boredmale]

Novotny is 6'1", 200lbs and is a very good skater. And he has a good all-around game and he plays hard. If he turns into a 25g/50pt winger in the NHL, he'd be fine as a #13 pick. He could be Thomas Hertl 2.0 - was he worth it as a #17 pick? I'd say absolutely, he was.

Still I much rather take a chance on a guy who has some skill that stands out, I would go with Belchez or Hemming over Novotny, even though at the end of the day Novotony has an equal chance as the other 2 being the best of the 3.

Going one step further I might even say Novotny has the best chance of the 3 of not busting and his bottom projections are probably better than the other 2 of being a very serviceable 3rd liner(say like a Holmstrom), but still the high end potential of the other 2 intrigues me more

 

[SI]

Top 13 -

1. McKenna, LW - Toronto.
   • There is a chance it could be Stenburg, but I will go with the rumours that they have already spoken to McKenna that he will be #1.
2. Reid, RHD - San José.
   • Stenburg is BPA, but with that young forward group, they may go WITH positional need
3. Malhotra, C - Vancouver.
   • Canucks go with Malhotra, again forgoing the BPA for a sentimental choice. They have a positional need for a C, but IMO, Stenburg should be the pick.
4. Stenburg, LW - Chicago.
   • Hawks are on their way. Stenburg will play right away, and having Frondell and Stenburg together for the next decade will be special.
5. Carels, LHD - Rangers.
   • Rangers go BPA, and that is also the best D man available.
6. Bjork, F - Flames
   • Flames land their version of Logan Stankoven - plenty of picks to address D.
7. Verheoff, RHD - Seattle
   • This could very easily be Rudolph/Gustafsson. I think they go with the BC kid.
8. Lawrence, C - JETS
   • Forever looking for a 2C. If Lawrence is here, this is the pick.
9. Smits, LHD - Panthers
   • Fits the Panthers profile and can be ready to jump into the NHL rightaway.
10. Rudolph, RHD - Predators
    • Rudolph all the way if Preds have an opportunity to draft the RHD.
11. Gustafsson, LHD - Blues
    • Blues have another pick at 15 and will have a chance to select Command, Suvanto, or Morozov then.
    • If somehow Predators draft Gustafsson over Rudolph, then Darche should try to leap over the Devils to acquire Rudolph.
12. Cullen, C - Devils
    • Call it insurance in case Devs lose their Captain.
13. TRADE down? DRAFT one of Belchetz?, Hemming?, Command? Suvanto?, Novotny? Lin? Hermansson?
    • Ethan Belchetz, LW - Islanders - Very close friends to Schaefer 6'5 225, elite forechecking ability (Monster f1), strong front net presence, dominant on the boards.

 

[crashthenet]

Still I much rather take a chance on a guy who has some skill that stands out, I would go with Belchez or Hemming over Novotny, even though at the end of the day Novotony has an equal chance as the other 2 being the best of the 3.

Going one step further I might even say Novotny has the best chance of the 3 of not busting and his bottom projections are probably better than the other 2 of being a very serviceable 3rd liner(say like a Holmstrom), but still the high end potential of the other 2 intrigues me more

I think about Suvanto this way. He will likely enter the league at 6'4" 220 or a bit bigger. I have always been a fan of the way the game gets taught in Finland. Novotny is obviously one of the older 1st rounders. Suvanto turns 18 in September. They both however seem to have more pro elements developed than some others. Given the choice between these two I would take Suvanto (over Hemming as well). You mentioned Novotny as a 25 goal scorer. I agree that potential exists. He has an excellent shot and finds his way to the front of the net. My thought and yours seems similar- might be a good player to draft but also the type of player that you can trade for or sign on FA day. Suvanto though, if his floor is shutdown 3C with a little offense, those guys cost 1st rounders come TDL day and get overpaid on 7/1. He's very young and playing at a high level. The offense may very well come but may look a little different then some.

Belchetz a different story. Is his pace and skating going to be NHL level? Maybe. Lin is going to warrant some consideration regardless of some chatter. Dagenais as a trade back target is something worth considering as well.

All goes out the window if Lawrence actually slips. He would have dominated the USHL had he stayed. A borderline no brainer.

 

[mm11]

Novotny is 6'1", 200lbs and is a very good skater. And he has a good all-around game and he plays hard. If he turns into a 25g/50pt winger in the NHL, he'd be fine as a #13 pick. He could be Thomas Hertl 2.0 - was he worth it as a #17 pick? I'd say absolutely, he was.

imagine the 13th overall turned into a calder winner, multiple 80 point seasons and a big contributor to multiple playoff round series wins all before age 28? Novotny sounds interesting. The big 6'5 swede d-man may be our guy....

 

[scott99]

One guy that I keep coming back to is righty shooting dman Tommy Bleyl. Some may see him as a reach at 13, but there’s no denying his talent level and his production (record breaking). Add in that he’s from New York, and I could see him being attractive to the Isle’s management.

There’s no secret that Darche was trying like crazy to get James Hagens last year in the draft. A Long Islander & Isle’s fan who would’ve been a massive get for the Islanders. I know Bleyl is a Ranger’s fan, but he’s a helluva prospect.

I think he’s rated lower than #13 because he’s a thin guy, and needs to put on weight. He’s 6’0”, so not tall, but not exactly tiny in height. The guy is an excellent skater, and elite passer. He made the jump US high school to a stacked Moncton team, and broke several Moncton records this year.

I’m not a fan of trading down. If you love the guy, draft him.

 

[beach]

One guy that I keep coming back to is righty shooting dman Tommy Bleyl. Some may see him as a reach at 13, but there’s no denying his talent level and his production (record breaking). Add in that he’s from New York, and I could see him being attractive to the Isle’s management.

There’s no secret that Darche was trying like crazy to get James Hagens last year in the draft. A Long Islander & Isle’s fan who would’ve been a massive get for the Islanders. I know Bleyl is a Ranger’s fan, but he’s a helluva prospect.

I think he’s rated lower than #13 because he’s a thin guy, and needs to put on weight. He’s 6’0”, so not tall, but not exactly tiny in height. The guy is an excellent skater, and elite passer. He made the jump US high school to a stacked Moncton team, and broke several Moncton records this year.

I’m not a fan of trading down. If you love the guy, draft him.

If the Isles use their 13th on Bleyl, that will be a huge mistake. He's ranked 18th in one service, lands between 22-30 on several, and below 30 on a few. If that's who they want, they had better trade down.

 

[boredmale]

Belchetz a different story. Is his pace and skating going to be NHL level? Maybe. Lin is going to warrant some consideration regardless of some chatter. Dagenais as a trade back target is something worth considering as well.

All goes out the window if Lawrence actually slips. He would have dominated the USHL had he stayed. A borderline no brainer.

If Lawrence could somehow slip to 13 I would be upset if we didn't take him. My guess is he probably goes 10(St Louis) or 11th(Nashville) but we will see. Assuming Lawrence gone as are all the other "top guys including Cullen I am not sure if I want Gustafsson(who probably will be the best guy left on the board although I could see him gone as well or Lin who to me screams high end 2nd pairing 2 way defenseman. If Lin can somehow grow 2 inches I think a few team may regret not picking him. I am also open to Beltchez(who I think it more likely to be picked before us then not), Command or Hemming in that order. Suvanto is intergueing but I put him just after those guys.

As for Novotny I would put him in a tier just after Suvanto, along with Bleyl who is an interesting prospect but as somebody say I rather trade down(say to 20) to get him a long with a few other guys

I do think SI's post sums up if the draft goes the way he says(excluding Gustafsson possibly) for 11 of the 12 picks I seriously think trying to trade down a few spots. If St Louis drafts a forward at 10 and Malte is still on the board we might be able to pick up a few decent draft picks from them for moving down 2 spots.

 

[doublechili]

I’m not a fan of trading down. If you love the guy, draft him.

Amen.

 

[Bill Herlyn]

Brock Otten, who covers the OHL, just wrote up his OHL rankings and while he likes Novotny he does not feel that he will have time to get off his shot in the NHL to be a prolific scorer, more of a 3rd line forward is his take. I would pass on him at 13. Brock thinks he should be locked in the 20s range

 

[scott99]

If the Isles use their 13th on Bleyl, that will be a huge mistake. He's ranked 18th in one service, lands between 22-30 on several, and below 30 on a few. If that's who they want, they had better trade down.

Once again, I’ll repeat this as many times as possible. Forget about the services, the draft guides, the people on TV, even Central Scouting. Teams have their own rankings, their own scouts, their own write ups on each player. I think trading down gives you less chances of your guy being there when it’s your turn.

Further proof of my point about the services, the guides, and the TV guys, is Beckett Sennecke. NOBODY, I mean NOBODY had him ranked even in the top 10, he went 3rd overall. Hockey News had him 12th. Central Scouting had him as their 13th best North American skater. Went 3rd overall, bravo this the Duck’s scouts and GM.

 

[doublechili]

Brock Otten, who covers the OHL, just wrote up his OHL rankings and while he likes Novotny he does not feel that he will have time to get off his shot in the NHL to be a prolific scorer, more of a 3rd line forward is his take. I would pass on him at 13. Brock thinks he should be locked in the 20s range

IDK, after reading your post I looked at some Novotny videos and don't see that. There were cases where he had time and took it, but he also scored on one-timers, backhands, deflections, wrap-arounds, etc.. And even when he had some time to shoot, the actual release on his wrist shot is still quick - faster than say Brock Nelson, for example, who has a great wrist shot but a long release.

 

[doublechili]

FWIW, Cam Robinson's final rankings:

 

[doublechili]

BTW, I'm not a big Pronman fan, but he wrote something recently that is likely true. Something like, many teams look at one prospect as a potential 50 point all-around C and another prospect as a 70 point winger, and they'll prefer the 50 point C and select him. Something to keep in mind for guys like Command and Suvanto.

 

[WangMustGo]

BTW, I'm not a big Pronman fan, but he wrote something recently that is likely true. Something like, many teams look at one prospect as a potential 50 point all-around C and another prospect as a 70 point winger, and they'll prefer the 50 point C and select him. Something to keep in mind for guys like Command and Suvanto.

Those 50 point two way centers are good picks, and every cup winning team seemingly has a couple of them, but you also need dynamic forwards that can put the puck in the net. Something which we are desperately lacking.

I’m hoping Cullen somehow falls to us, if not Lawrence or Gustaffson would be great picks if they are there.

 

[WangMustGo]

If Lawrence could somehow slip to 13 I would be upset if we didn't take him. My guess is he probably goes 10(St Louis) or 11th(Nashville) but we will see. Assuming Lawrence gone as are all the other "top guys including Cullen I am not sure if I want Gustafsson(who probably will be the best guy left on the board although I could see him gone as well or Lin who to me screams high end 2nd pairing 2 way defenseman. If Lin can somehow grow 2 inches I think a few team may regret not picking him. I am also open to Beltchez(who I think it more likely to be picked before us then not), Command or Hemming in that order. Suvanto is intergueing but I put him just after those guys.

As for Novotny I would put him in a tier just after Suvanto, along with Bleyl who is an interesting prospect but as somebody say I rather trade down(say to 20) to get him a long with a few other guys

I do think SI's post sums up if the draft goes the way he says(excluding Gustafsson possibly) for 11 of the 12 picks I seriously think trying to trade down a few spots. If St Louis drafts a forward at 10 and Malte is still on the board we might be able to pick up a few decent draft picks from them for moving down 2 spots.

To me Gustafsson has legit #1 potential. Fantastic size, very good skater, and very physical. He seems to think the game at a high level too. Very young for the draft class. I know LD is the least of our needs, but he the high end forward prospects are gone I would be thrilled to land Gustafsson. One of Schaefer or Gustafsson being on the ice for 50 minutes a night? Yes please. Gustafsson is a true building block to me.

 

[doublechili]

Those 50 point two way centers are good picks, and every cup winning team seemingly has a couple of them, but you also need dynamic forwards that can put the puck in the net. Something which we are desperately lacking.

I’m hoping Cullen somehow falls to us, if not Lawrence or Gustaffson would be great picks if they are there.

I think the rationale behind taking the 50 point C is that they're valued at least as much as a 70 point winger and they're a rarer commodity. IOW, you can trade one for a 70 point winger, or it's easier to obtain the 70 point winger in a deal. I don't disagree with your point that we need skill though.

You're preaching to the choir re: Gustafsson - I might have been the first one on his train. I watched his videos a while back when he was projected in the 15-20 (or later) range and didn't get it. He looked like an NHL defenseman making NHL plays. Great skating and great sense. Unfortunately, he might be gone before Verhoeff or Rudolph, let alone making it to #13.

I need to watch videos of more prospects in the next handful of days leading up to the draft. Guys like Lawrence are still pretty much just names to me.

 

[beach]

Once again, I’ll repeat this as many times as possible. Forget about the services, the draft guides, the people on TV, even Central Scouting. Teams have their own rankings, their own scouts, their own write ups on each player. I think trading down gives you less chances of your guy being there when it’s your turn.

Further proof of my point about the services, the guides, and the TV guys, is Beckett Sennecke. NOBODY, I mean NOBODY had him ranked even in the top 10, he went 3rd overall. Hockey News had him 12th. Central Scouting had him as their 13th best North American skater. Went 3rd overall, bravo this the Duck’s scouts and GM.

That's one in a thousand. I'll gladly go with the consensus of 6-10 scouting services that do this for a living. Taking him with the 13th pick, when there are so many significantly higher ranked players would be pure stupidity.

 

[Konk]

BTW, I'm not a big Pronman fan, but he wrote something recently that is likely true. Something like, many teams look at one prospect as a potential 50 point all-around C and another prospect as a 70 point winger, and they'll prefer the 50 point C and select him. Something to keep in mind for guys like Command and Suvanto.

This has always been the case. People tend to forget and just look at stats during the year, but this is why Reid and Malhotra might go ahead of Stenberg at the draft. Even if Stenberg puts up more points, the other two play more important positions which almost always go higher in the draft.

With that said, there's always exceptions and all it takes is one team liking a W (Cullen) better than a C (Lawrence) or D (Gustafsson) for them to be available at 13.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

You can tell a lot about a person based on whether they prefer external consensus or internal evaluation in order to form their opinion.

 

[Zeeker]

You can tell a lot about a person based on whether they prefer external consensus or internal evaluation in order to form their opinion.

My rugged individualist self would have a hearty laugh at those in the former camp

 

[scott99]

That's one in a thousand. I'll gladly go with the consensus of 6-10 scouting services that do this for a living. Taking him with the 13th pick, when there are so many significantly higher ranked players would be pure stupidity.

Actually it’s not 1 in a thousand. I’ve watched every draft since 1989 (when I finally got cable). So 36 years, and EVERY broadcast they are talking about, “Off the board” or “reaches”, every single broadcast in the 1st round, even top 10. Taking the top player on YOUR board isn’t stupidity, it’s why teams pay scouts who go by THEIR rankings, not by Mckeens or The Hockey News.

 

[Throttle]

The devils selecting Cullen would be downright hilarious. Something tells me Sunny Boy isn’t drafting another player of the same ilk as half the current roster.

 

[NC 1972]

I have a feeling we will be dealing the pick, my logic is with PDB as our coach he will be fielding a veteran team and doesn’t care about some kid who is years away from an NHL roster. Should we actually make the pick I believe it will be Ryan Lin he addresses a need and his high end skills and exceptional skating and still has potential to add a few inches . He would be a good complement to Schafer and as we’ve heard it’s about projection right now.

 

[beach]

Actually it’s not 1 in a thousand. I’ve watched every draft since 1989 (when I finally got cable). So 36 years, and EVERY broadcast they are talking about, “Off the board” or “reaches”, every single broadcast in the 1st round, even top 10. Taking the top player on YOUR board isn’t stupidity, it’s why teams pay scouts who go by THEIR rankings, not by Mckeens or The Hockey News.

Off the board happens, yes. Hitting on the pick, rare.

 

[scott99]

I have a feeling we will be dealing the pick, my logic is with PDB as our coach he will be fielding a veteran team and doesn’t care about some kid who is years away from an NHL roster. Should we actually make the pick I believe it will be Ryan Lin he addresses a need and his high end skills and exceptional skating and still has potential to add a few inches . He would be a good complement to Schafer and as we’ve heard it’s about projection right now.

I agree with you 100%. I don’t think we are making the pick. That being said, I have a feeling Lin has a high probability of becoming an Islander if we do make the pick.

There are rumors about Spence from the Senators. I wouldn’t be surprised if we send #13 for Spence.