Wheeler's early 2026 Draft look

[Corso]

2026 NHL Draft prospects: Gavin McKenna headlines Wheeler’s early top 26 ranking

The 2026 class is headlined by McKenna, a strong Swedish age group, a pair of big OHL forwards and a standout crop of WHL defensemen.

www.nytimes.com

An early look at next year's draft prospects. Much will change but it seems to be a good year for Europe

 

[LeProspector]

The fact he has Nemec so high is concerning.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

Katolicky not even ranked?

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Certainly Scott didn't overrate offense and completely disregard any defensive ability.

He would never do that.

 

[57special]

Wonder if Mckenna might move to the NCAA.

 

[dr1234]

Lin at 4 is surprising. I’m a huge fan but wasn’t expecting that placement.

 

[Giant Panda]

The top 3 of this draft are all projecting really fantastic at this early stage. Any of the 3 would be favorites for first overall if in this draft should they develop at the pace they are now.

Loving this draft.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Wonder if Mckenna might move to the NCAA.

50/50 shot in terms of stay in the Dub or go to the NCAA

Is Gavin McKenna going WHL or NCAA? Ex-Canuck Byron Ritchie helping him decide

Ritchie is also a skills coach at Kelowna's Rink Academy, part of the development team for player agents CAA, and the dad of an NHL prospect

theprovince.com

 

[Corso]

50/50 shot in terms of stay in the Dub or go to the NCAA

Is Gavin McKenna going WHL or NCAA? Ex-Canuck Byron Ritchie helping him decide

Ritchie is also a skills coach at Kelowna's Rink Academy, part of the development team for player agents CAA, and the dad of an NHL prospect

theprovince.com

McKenna's hasn't been thinking about it yet, will make decision sometime in May/June.

Hearing that Ryan Roobroeck has instructed his agent/advisor to begin looking at NCAA teams for next year.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Stacked draft, best since 2023. So many projectable sure fire top line or top pairing players available. 15 months out, I would have that total at 6-8 (McKenna, Verhoeff, Stenberg, Lin, Preston, unsure about Fydorov and need more convincing about Belchetz’s ability to be coordinated at the NHL level inspite of his tools) whereas this year that might be 1/2 (Schaefer and maybe Misa)

 

[Castle8130]

Stacked draft, best since 2023. So many projectable sure fire top line or top pairing players available. 15 months out, I would have that total at 6-8 (McKenna, Verhoeff, Stenberg, Lin, Preston, unsure about Fydorov and need more convincing about Belchetz’s ability to be coordinated at the NHL level inspite of his tools) whereas this year that might be 1/2 (Schaefer and maybe Misa)

I think 2024 was better than 2023 overall, but I am also pretty excited for this group. There is a really good group of prospects here

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Stacked draft, best since 2023. So many projectable sure fire top line or top pairing players available. 15 months out, I would have that total at 6-8 (McKenna, Verhoeff, Stenberg, Lin, Preston, unsure about Fydorov and need more convincing about Belchetz’s ability to be coordinated at the NHL level inspite of his tools) whereas this year that might be 1/2 (Schaefer and maybe Misa)

Thoughts on Bjorck?

 

[Mathieukferland]

Thoughts on Bjorck?

It’s summer hockey so perhaps take my opinion on him with a grain of salt but I came away from the Hlinka largely "meh" on him. I know his production in Sweden is near historic in the various junior leagues, but in my viewings I saw a player who clearly had decent vision and hands but couldn’t really operate in the difficult areas and was too reliant on hopeful plays from the perimeter to make an impact whilst on the ice

 

[Hockeyville USA]

It’s summer hockey so perhaps take my opinion on him with a grain of salt but I came away from the Hlinka largely "meh" on him. I know his production in Sweden is near historic in the various junior leagues, but in my viewings a saw a player who clearly had decent vision and hands but couldn’t really operate in the difficult areas and was too reliant on hopeful plays from the perimeter to make an impact whilst on the ice

Who is your closest player comparable for him?

 

[Mathieukferland]

Who is your closest player comparable for him?

Nothing comes to mind immediately but an agile but not burner smallish player with above average hands and vision and skews playmaker, what is that archetype in the NHL, Seth Jarvis or perhaps Chicago steel Matt Coronto?

 

[Castle8130]

Ethan Belchetz at #9 feels low to me. Chase Reid outside the top 15 is surprising. I love Daxon Rudolphs game. Interesting to see Rudolph in a tier below Ryan Lin. A lot more names to remember for next year, thats for sure.

Mckenna will have some serious competition with Lemieux for 1st oa.

Mustapha Lemieux - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Mustapha Lemieux, 2003-11-12 Testville, AUS Australia. Most recently in the Test-HL with Testville Pink Panthers. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Okay, I’m going to name about 10 gripes.

1. Ryan Lin certainly won’t be a top 10 pick. I’d be surprised if he’s top 20. Physically mature 5’11 defensemen without elite traits don’t go that high. They often don’t get drafted (not what I’m suggesting for Lin, but he won’t go as high as some say).

2. I have no clue how you contrast him as a top 5 pick with Villeneuve outside the top 20. Villeneuve might have some defensive flaws, but he’s far from physically mature (he’s grown a few inches since starting junior and his father is 6’2, so he might be far from done) and he has elite offensive traits. Ryan Lin is the token elite junior player who will likely not be more than a marginal NHL’er, if even that. I’m fine if you wanna say he’s a late first or so, but 5 is definitely a take.

3. Chase Reid is crazy low. He’s a top 5 player in this draft all day. I don’t even understand the argument against him. Calling him not an explosive skater is laughable.

4. Katolicky outside of the first round is unfathomable. I get he isn’t playing in a great league, but watch him play. He 100% passes the eye test and also the stats test. I’m captain of the Dravecky fan club, but I would be willing to bet Katolicky goes way higher between the two Czechs.

5. Ditto Malte Gustafsson. He’s way closer to Stenberg and Bjorck than not a first rounder. Marcus Nordmark is a player I didn’t really see what he’s thinking with.

6. Nycz and Hextall are two others that’ll be first rounders when all is said and done. They’re better than every NTDP player outside of maybe Schairer. NTDP players can sometimes get too much early credit amongst the American crop compared to others in the USHL.

7. I think he’s too high on the Slovaks. The precedent doesn’t say they’re on course to be first rounders.

8. Daxon Rudolph is another hyped player from before he entered junior that I think he’s overrating. He tends to put a lot of emphasis on how these players were looked at before they entered junior. Rudolph was an early developer. For instance, Verhoeff has lapped him. Good junior player for sure. Probably will be an NHL’er, but seems like more of a second rounder to me. There’s nothing there that wows you.

9. He’s too high in general on the WHL (Lin, Carels, Rudolph) and too low on the OHL crop (Reid, Fitzgerald, Lemieux).

10. I don’t see Casey Mutryn as a first rounder. He seems to have intangibles and all that, but I think he lacks high upside traits.

 

[Goodman68]

Katolicky outside of the first round is more bad scouting. Landon Nycz is another that’ll be a first rounder when all is said and done. He’s better than every NTDP player outside of maybe Schairer.

This is a quality opinion

 

[Eye of Ra]

Okay, I’m going to name about 10 gripes.

1. Ryan Lin certainly won’t be a top 10 pick. I’d be surprised if he’s top 20. Physically mature 5’11 defensemen without elite traits don’t go that high. They often don’t get drafted (not what I’m suggesting for Lin, but he won’t go as high as some say).

2. I have no clue how you contrast him as a top 5 pick with Villeneuve outside the top 20. Villeneuve might have some defensive flaws, but he’s far from physically mature (he’s grown a few inches since starting junior and his father is 6’2, so he might be far from done) and he has elite offensive traits. Ryan Lin is the token elite junior player who will likely not be more than a marginal NHL’er, if even that. I’m fine if you wanna say he’s a late first or so, but 5 is definitely a take.

3. Chase Reid is crazy low. He’s a top 5 player in this draft all day. I don’t even understand the argument against him. Calling him not an explosive skater is laughable.

4. Katolicky outside of the first round is unfathomable. I get he isn’t playing in a great league, but watch him play. He 100% passes the eye test and also the stats test. I’m captain of the Dravecky fan club, but I would be willing to bet Katolicky goes way higher between the two Czechs.

5. Ditto Malte Gustafsson. He’s way closer to Stenberg and Bjorck than not a first rounder. Marcus Nordmark is a player I didn’t really see what he’s thinking with.

6. Nycz and Hextall are two others that’ll be first rounders when all is said and done. They’re better than every NTDP player outside of maybe Schairer. NTDP players can sometimes get too much early credit amongst the American crop compared to others in the USHL.

7. I think he’s too high on the Slovaks. The precedent doesn’t say they’re on course to be first rounders.

8. Daxon Rudolph is another hyped player from before he entered junior that I think he’s overrating. He tends to put a lot of emphasis on how these players were looked at before they entered junior. Rudolph was an early developer. For instance, Verhoeff has lapped him. Good junior player for sure. Probably will be an NHL’er, but seems like more of a second rounder to me. There’s nothing there that wows you.

9. He’s too high in general on the WHL (Lin, Carels, Rudolph) and too low on the OHL crop (Reid, Fitzgerald, Lemieux).

10. I don’t see Casey Mutryn as a first rounder. He seems to have intangibles and all that, but I think he lacks high upside traits.

Any thoughs on Mustapha Lemieux?

 

[Giant Panda]

McKenna's hasn't been thinking about it yet, will make decision sometime in May/June.

Hearing that Ryan Roobroeck has instructed his agent/advisor to begin looking at NCAA teams for next year.

Roobroeck is making the right decision imo