Ryan Lin
2026 NHL Draft Eligible
Position: D, Shoots: R
H/W: 6-foot-0, 177 Pounds
Date of Birth: 2008-04-18
Every year there are prospects at the top of the draft who are universally liked and respected among all scouts who have seen them, and Lin is one of the most notable examples of that kind of player in the 2026 class.
A native of Richmond, B.C., Lin was drafted by his nearest junior hockey team, the Vancouver Giants, with the 6th overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, and the young defenseman has looked like a budding star ever since he stepped foot in the league. He had 53 points in 60 games last year as a WHL rookie, making him one of only nine under-17 blueliners to ever eclipse the 50-point plateau in the Dub, and one of the first two to accomplish that feat (alongside Landon Dupont, who had 60 points in 2024-25 for the Everett Silvertips) since Scott Niedermayer did it in 1989-90. His stellar season also included winning gold medals with Canada at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge and then again at the IIHF U18 World Championship as an underage player.
Not content to rest on those successes, Lin has stomped his foot on the gas pedal even harder in 2025-26. He scored at a point-per-game pace this time, proving that his production last year was no fluke. More importantly, however, he elevated every other aspect of his game to another level as well, including his in-zone defending, his physicality, and his leadership abilities (he was announced as Vancouver’s newest team captain this past January, months before his 18th birthday).
As great as Lin’s on-ice play and reputation among scouts currently are, there are still challenges when it comes to projecting his long-term NHL upside and finding the right placement for him on a 2026 draft list. There’s no denying how smart of a player he is, how hard he works and competes, or how much raw talent he possesses with the puck. At the same time, though, he’s not very big and his natural physical tools aren’t quite on the same level as other top prospects, and that might limit how far his individual development will take him and how high his ultimate ceiling will be.
At the start of this season there was a good amount of industry buzz about Lin being a potential Top 10 pick once the 2026 draft rolled around in June. By now that outcome is looking a lot less likely, mostly due to the emergence of other prospects who have created much tighter competition within the class. At the same time, there are surely many NHL clubs that would be thrilled to select a high-character, two-way defender like this somewhere in the teens, and it wouldn’t be surprising if one of them even traded their way up the draft order to ensure that they’re the ones who get to do so.
Skating
Lin’s skating is a little tricky to evaluate. It’s undeniably more than good enough for the WHL, with a well-balanced mix between speed, power and agility. He can reach a high enough top gear that it makes him dangerous in transition, while also having good enough fleetness of foot to walk the blueline offensively or move laterally defensively to close gaps on attackers. However, his stride length is pretty short, and his pure quickness and acceleration are not elite, which can all cause issues at the NHL level for defensemen of his physical stature. There’s a big difference between being a good skater at the junior level and being a good skater at the professional levels, and Lin seems to straddle that line.
One thing that you have to give Lin full credit for is that he really gets the most utilization out of the skating ability that he has. He skates hard to generate momentum and loves to attack opposing defensive structures head-on. In this clip watch how aggressively he carries the puck up the middle of the ice, which catches the Kamloops defenders off guard and allows him an easy zone entry.
This clip is similar to the one above. He makes a nice lateral move in open ice to beat the first layer of defense, before attacking head-on with so much momentum that it pushes the other layers back and opens up space for the scoring chance.
Lin’s attack mentality is even more prevalent at the offensive blueline than it is in transition. Watch the way he explodes into space immediately after the faceoff is won. That’s a good job by him to briefly go into a mohawk stance to get himself into the shooting position that he’s looking for, though he does also make a bit of an odd stutter-step before firing his shot.
Lin’s backward skating isn’t nearly as good as his forward skating, and that can sometimes get him in trouble. In this clip he fails to prevent the zone entry, pivots too slowly, and lets his check get behind him with separation, which leads to a goal against. He needed to do a better job of sticking with the attacking forward to either get his stick on the puck or ride him into the corner.
There are times where Lin can struggle deep in his own end against opposing forechecks and cycles, because he can’t quite escape quickly or smoothly enough with the puck. And then, once he is hemmed in, he often has difficulty using his feet to make defensive stops and win back possession. In this clip you’d like to see him move faster to stay a step ahead of the Calgary forechecker, or at least use sharper edgework on the cutback to shake him off.
Grade: 52.5
Shot
Lin certainly isn't shy about shooting the puck, and for good reason. He's a confident gunslinger who is adept with different kinds of releases, and he is routinely active when it comes to trying to open up lanes for himself when he has the puck. Even though he doesn't have a true bomb from the point his firing mechanics are still pretty solid, and he has a real knack for finding quiet ice near the enemy net and burying chances from in tight. He'll likely never become one of the NHL's biggest goal-scoring threats among defensemen, but much of what works for him now should translate.
This is probably Lin’s best goal of the year. He does a fantastic job of finding open space behind the Penticton defenders and then hammers home a perfect one-timer from a tough angle.
Here’s another good example of how assertive Lin is as a goal-scorer. He starts skating downhill to build up some forward momentum and make himself an obvious pass target, and then takes advantage of the shooting lane that’s open to him. He places his shot perfectly, too, in that sweet spot above the goalie’s pad and below the blocker.
Being able to get shots through traffic on a consistent basis is an underrated skill for defensemen, and it’s one that Lin has. His actual shot in this clip is pretty unremarkable, but he takes his time and dusts the puck until he finds the right moment to fire it. Watch where his head is pointed — you can see him looking for his teammate to get into position at the net-front and get his stick free for the deflection.
As good as Lin is at getting shots through traffic, there are also times where his shot selection needs to be a lot better. There’s just no good reason for him to try taking this shot with two enemy defenders moving into the lane. This season he developed a bit of a bad habit for trying to do too much by himself, although that could be partially explained by how weak and thin Vancouver’s roster was. This is something that should be correctable as he gains more experience and finds himself playing with a better supporting cast.
Lin could stand to add some more power behind his shots, which might come for him as he continues to develop and add strength. This is an incredible individual effort to create a scoring chance, yet the actual shot on net is a bit of a muffin.
Grade: 52.5
Skills
Lin's coaches never have to worry very much about what's going to happen when the puck is on his stick. Not only is he a fairly skilled handler with or without pressure on him, he's also incredibly responsible with his puck management, always making sure to avoid unnecessary risks and completing the vast majority of his passes tape to tape. At the same time, he's not a true puck wizard and doesn't have the same levels of creativity and vision as the truly elite offensive defensemen, but these are mostly just nitpicks.
Lin has a real knack for navigating pucks through traffic. Watch the clever stick language on this carry through the neutral zone, followed by how he plays the puck to himself to get behind the closest defender. That’s highlight-reel stuff.
Buttery smooth hands by him here to carve between the two defenders and then take the puck backhand on the goalie. Not many 17-year-old defenders out there who can do these kinds of things at the major-junior level.
Three different things to like in this clip: the clean sweeping move to pull the puck across the penalty killer’s body and get the inside position, the patience and vision to not rush his next move, and the soft backhand pass into the crease that ends up resulting in a goal.
Nothing particularly flashy here, but this is a textbook one-touch pass that’s right on the tape of his teammate. It’s not always easy to make this kind of pass with the right amount of weight to make it easy for the target to receive it.
Not only does Lin have soft hands that can make opposing defenders miss, he also knows how to drop his shoulder to protect the puck that way. He’s a difficult player to defend one-on-one because he has different tools at his disposal that he can use to advance the puck.
More great puck protection from Lin here, throwing the Victoria player on his back before sending an unexpected, no-look backhand pass that ends up as one of his 43 assists on the season.
Definitely the right idea by Lin here with the no-look pass, but it comes off his stick a little slow. This kind of play will need to be a lot snappier to work at the NHL level. Some room for improvement, though not a serious concern.
Grade: 55
Smarts
This is, by far, Lin's most appealing attribute. An argument could even be made that he's one of the smartest players in the entire 2026 draft class, regardless of position. Every single game he gets tasked with playing big minutes in all situations, and that's because he always knows what his responsibilities are and what his next move needs to be. He is usually one step ahead of everyone else when it comes to reading the play as it unfolds, and he’s an ace at exploiting the mistakes of his opponents. He is already exhibiting a degree of hockey sense that should remain as a strength for him and continue to provide a difference-making advantage even as he moves up levels.
Lin is a prospect who can really think on his toes. When the puck hits his stick in this clip he’s surrounded by bodies with no obvious option for what his next move will be, but just watch how he confidently cuts through the chaos and how easily he finds his streaking teammate with the stretch pass. Very heady stuff.
The smartest players are able to string together multiple correct decisions in quick succession, and that’s exactly what Lin does here. He steps up to beat the first two layers of defenders, decides to drive the puck wide by himself to beat the third, and then finds a wide-open teammate between the circles to set up a grade-A scoring chance.
It’s always preferable to win possession of the puck back from opposing teams in the offensive zone and the neutral zone instead of the defensive zone, because you’re further away from your own net. This is something that Lin understands and puts into practice very well. He’s an opportunistic off-puck defender, but in a way that’s calculated and not reckless. He reads this play coming up the boards perfectly and applies himself assertively, which allows him to cut off the pass and force the turnover.
This clip looks a lot like some of the ones included above, with Lin using his awareness and decision-making to get himself open for a high-danger scoring chance. However, watch the way he’s moving back and forth as puck possession is being fought for on the other side of the ice. He’s not just picking an action and hoping for a certain outcome, but rather, he’s thinking and adjusting on the fly.
If your first impression after watching this clip is that Lin took a shot that missed the net, watch it again and look more closely. From the position of his head you can tell that his intention was to connect a shot-pass with a teammate who was driving by the net and looking for a deflection, a clever play that almost works. Even better, watch what Lin does with his feet to help sell the illusion that he was trying to shoot. At the NHL level, where it’s incredibly hard to create offense, knowing how to apply this kind of subterfuge provides a huge advantage.
Grade: 60
Physicality/Compete
There's a well-known saying that goes: "It's not about the size of the dog in the fight; it's about the size of the fight in the dog." And that applies to Lin perfectly. Opposing players need to be on high alert when he's playing, because he patrols his end of the ice with a mean streak. He's a hard, high-volume hitter, and he loves to seek them out in open ice. For a defender with below-average size he's actually pretty strong and sturdy, and there's no questioning his willingness to engage in puck battles. There will be times at the professional levels where he gets outmatched physically, but this area of his game projects more as a strength than a weakness overall
Lin loves to make hits in open ice, and who doesn’t enjoy watching that sort of thing? That will certainly be a talking point in his favor when NHL scouting staffs build out their final draft lists. This clip also showcases just how sturdy he is on his feet and how much strength he possesses in his lower body.
Lin is a real expert when it comes to lining up enemy players in the trolley tracks before lowering the boom on them. He also deserves extra credit for just how good his timing is when he throws hip checks.
This clip provides an excellent example of Lin’s unfiltered toughness and competitiveness, because it’s so impromptu. He’s not carefully planning this hit seconds in advance — it’s just a snap reaction when he recognizes the unfortunate Everett player who is in his way. Instead of trying to stop up, go around, or otherwise look for a nonviolent solution to his problem, he elects to explode through the obstacle head-on.
As mentioned above, there are going to be a lot of times in Lin’s future where he’s going to be outmatched physically, through no fault of his own. It’s not fair, but that’s just the reality of it. In this video you get a good look at this sort of thing in practice, where he gets firmly and decisively bumped off the puck by a bigger, heavier, and stronger player in Portland’s Alex Weiermair.
This is a similar illustration to the one right above it. Lin doesn’t necessarily do anything wrong — he correctly identifies the impending threat, and makes contact in an attempt to neutralize the situation. However, the Victoria player simply bounces off of Lin’s bump to maintain puck possession, before shoveling home a greasy goal.
Grade: 55
OFP: 55.375
A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.