Another year’s draft cycle is complete after the 2026 NHL Draft wrapped up in Buffalo this past weekend. As per usual, McKeen’s Hockey representatives took in the draft, including scouting director Brock Otten.
96 of our top 100 players were selected, including our entire top 73. Of the 223 players selected (thanks to the forfeiture of Vegas’ second round pick), 186 were ranked by McKeen’s and written about in our draft guide.
Let’s take a closer look at each round as scouting director Brock Otten, associate director Derek Neumeier, and U.S. regional scout (who was with Brock in Buffalo) Linc Zdancewicz highlight their favourite selections from each round. Additionally, we’ll profile the top ten undrafted players from our rankings and examine why they may have gone unselected.
Round One:
Chase Reid - 7th to Seattle
The Daxon Rudolph selection at four really blew up the perceived order of the top seven. That caused Reid to slide to Seattle. I love this for a few reasons. Firstly, Seattle finally took a defender in the lottery and it’s someone that they can potentially build around; who can anchor their top powerplay unit and play key minutes. Secondly, Reid was my top ranked OHL player for a reason; I believe in his upside as a Zach Werenski/Eric Desjardins type at the NHL level who can be extremely impactful due to his mobility, creativity, and sense with the puck. - Brock Otten
Keaton Verhoeff - 9th to San Jose
This was an utterly incredible stroke of good fortune for the Sharks. Coming into this year’s draft the biggest need for the organization’s prospect pool was a defenseman who could conceivably develop into a top-pairing guy, and ideally even more so, be their de facto number one. And if that defender shot right instead of left, well, that would just be icing on the cake. That fuelled some speculation about them potentially taking Chase Reid at 2nd overall, since there wasn’t a guarantee that one of the top tier of defenders would slide as far as they needed. Instead, the Sharks went with winger Ivar Stenberg at two, while still managing to land Verhoeff at 9th overall, even though the big, toolsy blueliner could have easily been taken a few slots higher. Coming out of this weekend, it’s flat-out scary to imagine how good the Sharks could be in just a few years. - Derek Neumeier
Ilia Morozov - 20th to Buffalo
Buffalo shocked everyone at this year's draft with their selection of Daxon Rudolph at Pick 4. However, their second selection in Round One was less shocking and in contention for the best fit between team and player. Morozov’s style of play is exactly what the Sabres need down the middle if they want to extend this contending window. His defensive game is overpowering, adjusting perfectly to the NCHC as a 17-year-old last season. Morozov will only get stronger and more physical as he still has room to fill out his 6’3 frame. There is also considerable offensive upside, just look at how confident of a stick handler he was against collegiate competition in year one. Though he was considered a safer pick, Buffalo looks to be the spot where Morozov can unleash more offense in his game, a team that will be competing for the next half-decade, he could be like Anton Lundell. - Linc Zdancewicz
Round Two:
Ryder Cali - 48th to Florida
I’ve been driving the Ryder Cali bus all season long on socials and for us at McKeen’s. He’s one of the youngest players in this class and he showed terrific growth in the last few months of the season. I think he can be a versatile middle six guy like Alex Killorn and I’m very excited to see how he performs at Providence College next season. - Brock Otten
Jakub Vaněček - 59th to Dallas
The Dallas Stars have consistently been one of the strongest teams in the NHL over the past few seasons, and with their championship window wide open they have been readily trading away draft picks as they chase the second Stanley Cup in franchise history. That raises the stakes considerably when it comes to hitting on the picks that they do keep. This year they only had five selections in total, and the first one didn’t come until the tail end of Round 2, but I think they absolutely nailed it. Not only was Vaněček ranked 32nd on our final board, he’s also a fantastic fit given the team’s circumstances. With his size, athleticism, mobility and two-way versatility it’s easy to project him as someone who will play NHL games in some capacity, yet he also possesses a lot of untapped potential, maybe even enough to carry him to a top four role one day. - Derek Neumeier
Xavier Villeneuve - 34th to Chicago
How many times do NHL teams keep doing this? A dynamic offensive defenseman slips all the way to the early second round, and years later many wonder how that much talent falls out of the first round. Villeneuve is that talent, being more skilled as a prospect than other diminutive defensemen Lin and Bleyl but also carrying a tad more risk. Villeneuve will have to rise to the occasion in the NCAA next season for Boston University, much like the Hutson brothers, the men he is often compared to. Chicago’s blue line has been built up significantly throughout this rebuild, especially this week. Yet still, they haven’t found their all-offense defenseman. Hopefully, with Villeneuve, that type of player arrives and thrives. - Linc Zdancewicz
Round Three:
Dmitri Borichev - 70th to Nashville
Borichev was our top ranked goalie for this draft, although admittedly I preferred Trejbal at the top. But, this is of tremendous value in the early third. Borichev has among the highest upside of any goalie selected this year because of his elite quickness and play tracking ability. I’d love to see him come to North America next year to earn more consistent ice time. - Brock Otten
Adam Valentini - 96th to Utah
For the past few years Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong and his scouting staff have shown a clear preference for prospects with size and strength, even going back to when the franchise was still in Arizona. It was due time for them to start diversifying a little bit, but with the Valentini pick they landed a prospect who still fits their overall identity. The diminutive winger plays much bigger than his size and is competitive as they come. It’s fun to imagine how his energy and tenacity could be complemented by huge linemates who can do a lot of heavy lifting and help create space for him. - Derek Neumeier
Samu Alalauri - 66th to Chicago
Here I go again praising another Chicago defensive pick, but Alalauri seriously deserves it. He showed his excellent skating and power a ton this year with Lahti, now looking to bring his game to UMass in the Hockey East. Alalauri seems primed to become a multi-faceted defenseman with the Minutemen, playing a shut-down game while sprinkling in a transition and retrieval game that showed some offensive prowess. With the very much still in progress blueline of the Blackhawks figuring itself out, Alalauri will have time and certainly opportunity to grow and carve out a role for himself in that lineup. - Linc Zdancewicz
Round Four:
Thomas Vandenberg - 103rd to Los Angeles
It was criminal that Vandenberg fell as far as he did. I know that scouts wanted to see more physical consistency from him and that he’s only average sized, but he’s also one of the youngest players in the class. He has so many projectable tools that could make him a versatile pro. The skating ability can and will play IMO. - Brock Otten
Jakub Floris - 106th to Nashville
Whenever I watched Floris this season he always struck me as a prospect who was still just scratching the surface of what he could do and who he could become. He has almost every tool that you could want out of a defenseman, and there’s realistic room for improvement with all of them. He was damn good at the spring U18s for Slovakia, and I think that was just a taste of what’s to come. The Nashville Predators have a great track record of developing young defenseman and getting the most out of them, so I think this is a perfect fit between player and organization, and I’m excited to see how that relationship blossoms. - Derek Neumeier
Landon Nycz - 107th to St. Louis
UMass Hockey has started to build something really special, and Landon Nycz was a large reason why last season. Their recruitment of a two-way mobile defenseman who didn’t impress much in the USHL was certainly a gamble, but they helped round out his game into a very appealing one. Nycz played well against men this past year, becoming more confident with the puck in every outing. He showed spurts of great physicality, smart playmaking, and rush-killing that really should have bumped him up a round or two. St. Louis has done very well developing very mobile defensemen who haven’t clearly locked down a specific role, they’ll have another one here. - Linc Zdancewicz
Round Five:
Brian McFadden - 144th to Washington
McFadden, a prep player out of New England, was a favourite “sleeper” of our scouting staff this year. Big, highly mobile, physical. Just the application is inconsistent and obviously you’d like to see him tested at higher levels. He’s a long term project. However, patience is a virtue and I think that he can develop into a really interesting NHL prospect down the line. - Brock Otten
Filip Ruzicka - 137th to Minnesota
The Wild, under the leadership of general manager Bill Guerin, are developing a real reputation for boldness and toughness. It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that they just picked a goalie, Ruzicka, who has those same attributes. The six-foot-eight giant is also a fierce competitor who shows confidence when challenging shooters, can maintain his composure under pressure, and isn’t afraid of resorting to violence to protect his crease. His upside is much, much higher than his stats from this season might suggest - Derek Neumeier
Cole Tuminaro - 140th to Colorado
This one will be more brief; Tuminaro is meaner than any player available in this draft. If you want to make opposing forwards scared, you take a bully like Tuminaro. He rag-dolled nearly every skill player that came near him in the USHL, and I have no doubt he’ll be similarly truculent with Cornell next season. He is a project, and his temper will need to be put in check, but Tuminaro brings that “violent” feel to the game that many old-time hockey fans reminisce about. - Linc Zdancewicz
Round Six:
Lucian Bernat - 176th to Vancouver
This is a tremendous value selection in the sixth round. Bernat is very much a boom/bust project. There’s a high likelihood that he doesn’t see NHL ice time. However, the opposite end sees him develop into a solid power forward type contributor. It’s rare to find the combination of size, speed, and skill that Bernat possesses, even if he’s wildly inconsistent. I’m personally very excited to see him play in Owen Sound next year. - Brock Otten
Stepan Shurygin - 186th to Tampa Bay
Shurygin was constantly under fire this season playing on a Saginaw team that was atrocious defensively and allowed both a high quality and quantity of shots. But the import netminder still battled through it all, and displayed some occasional flashes of brilliance along the way. He checks off a lot of different boxes for a goalie, and if he can get some in-organization mentorship from fellow Russian stopper Andrei Vasilevsky that might do wonders for his game. - Derek Neumeier
Landon Hafele - 167th to Winnipeg
Grit and Skill combine in the all-situations forward from Fairbanks, Alaska, Landon Hafele. He is quick on his feet, being both a great skater and possessing a high motor. I had Hafele pegged down as a sure-fire Tampa Bay pick, as he fits their mold of undersized checking forward with skill, but there are not many like him in Winnipeg’s system. The Jets are looking for an identity after they missed the playoffs, and grabbing forwards like Viggo Bjorck and Landon Hafele helps them in their search. Arizona State will likely unlock more offense for Hafele next season; it will go a long way with a prospect of his work ethic. - Linc Zdancewicz
Round Seven:
William Tomko - 204th to Seattle
Loved Tomko as a later round pick option and was glad to see him selected. He was really good for Sioux City in the second half this year. He’s a fierce competitor but also a skilled playmaker. I think he profiles as a potential high energy bottom six pivot in the future and I think he’s going to be a really solid player for Ohio State in the coming seasons. - Brock Otten
Noa Ta'amu - 199th to Winnipeg
The Jets have a clear identity as a franchise, which hasn’t really changed since they came back to the city of Winnipeg, and doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon. Ta'amu, a shutdown defenseman, should fit that identity nicely, even though he still has a long way to go in his development. He was fairly unique in this draft class, naturally blessed with a thick, stocky frame and a remarkable amount of strength that he can use to manhandle opponents. - Derek Neumeier
Alexander Karmanov - 201st to San Jose
Quite literally the elephant in the room for the later rounds of this draft, Karmanov is the largest player ever drafted, and it isn’t particularly close. Though he is a significant work in progress, a forward-thinking organization like the Sharks loves to take gambles and give support to these types of projects. Even if just his skating is fixed, you likely can pencil him in as a 7th defenseman on a blueline that is becoming more and more filled. Karmanov’s draw is his size and reach; he’ll play NHL games; it's only a matter of when and how many. Those last two questions will be up to the Sharks' development, a department many should trust. - Linc Zdancewicz
The Top Ten Unselected:
Ranked 74th - Jakub Frolo
Frolo fits into many boxes as a prospect. Being a playmaking center, being a connector in transition, being one of the dirtiest players in European junior hockey, these all roughly characterize this talented but incongruous forward. At McKeen’s, we marveled at his offensive IQ, his knack for finding cross-ice passes, and his “take no-BS” mindset. However, what worked against him was his skating, his attitude, and his immaturity. He wasn’t invited to the combine, which should’ve been the first red flag. He’s a project for certain, but someone will eventually take a chance on what his skill set can become in tandem with his violent physicality. - Linc Zdancewicz
Ranked 88th - Matthew Grimes
A late-favorite of many on staff, Grimes should have garnered more attention with how big of an offensive step he took this year. His skating pulled many out of their seats; his offensive playmaking and activations showed confidence and poise that really made some believe in him. He’ll be off to Boston College next season, where he will compete for a role in the top 2 pairings as well as a power play job. It is always hard to properly gauge these skill-driven, great-skating but undersized and less proven defensemen. Many like him have similarly been passed over. - Linc Zdancewicz
Ranked 94th - Harrison Boettiger
It was a really up-and-down season for Boettiger. The highs got pretty high, but the lows got pretty low, and unfortunately for him one of those lows came at the worst possible time, losing the starter’s net in the playoffs as his Kelowna Rockets team was knocked out by Everett. He also developed a reputation for being difficult to work with off the ice, which certainly didn’t help his draft stock. He’s still a goalie with legitimate NHL potential, but teams must not have felt that the risk was worth it. - Derek Neumeier
Ranked 95th - Landon Amrhein
Look, there’s no secret that Amrhein is a boom-or-bust prospect. He’s huge, he moves pretty well, and he has surprisingly soft hands for a big man. Those are the positives about his game. The negatives are that his hockey sense is below average, he doesn’t play nearly physically enough for someone his size, and scouts kept waiting for a big step forward or a lightbulb-going-off moment that never came for him. At the same time, I am still quite shocked that not a single team decided to take him on as a long-term development project, given the tools that he does have to work with. - Derek Neumeier
Ranked 101st - JC Lemieux
NHL teams must currently view Lemieux as a classic tweener. Not blessed with elite size nor quickness and he’s had trouble staying healthy through his OHL career thus far. He’s a hard worker and an intelligent player, but the athletic tools do need to improve in order to improve his NHL projection. - Brock Otten
Ranked 102nd - Kalder Varga
This one is a bit of a puzzler. Varga didn’t have a particularly good start to his season, but you could have said that about almost everyone on that Kelowna team. However, a mid-season trade to Red Deer lit a fire under him and he began to look like a completely different player. He was even playing his best hockey of the year and trending upward when his season ended. At the same time, though, there were still valid questions about what kind of role he could potentially fill on an NHL roster, as he’s not a true standout offensively or defensively. - Derek Neumeier
Ranked 105th - Yelisei Ryabykin
Our Russian scout Mark Doherty loved Ryabykin; he’s fairly mobile and he can impact the game in a variety of ways from the back-end. He has an aggressive approach. However, the erratic nature of his game likely scared away NHL scouts, unsure of the kind of defender that he could become. He needs to put all those moving pieces together to become more consistent. - Brock Otten
Ranked 109th - Callum Croskery
Sometimes the “jack of all trades” label can be the kiss of death for average sized junior defenders. It prevents them from having a clear projection as an NHL player. We’d argue that Croskery is a better skater and more impactful overall player compared to similar players like Vladimir Dravecky, Andrew Robinson, Ondrej Ruml, and Rylan Singh, but c'est la vie. - Brock Otten
Ranked 118th - David Vermiřovský
The 2026 NHL draft set a record for the highest number of goalies drafted, at 32, so it’s completely baffling to me that Vermiřovský wasn’t one of them. Sure, he is pretty awkward and uncoordinated right now, but he’s also pretty young for this class and is still clearly growing into his massive frame. The unusual quantity of good 2008-born Czech goalies probably didn’t help matters either, as starts were hard to come by at international events. I’ll be keeping close tabs on him as a re-entry for next year, because I’m convinced that there’s still something here long-term. - Derek Neumeier\
Ranked 124th - William Lacelle
It was such a weird year for goaltenders. Tons went, even undersized netminders. But…not Lacelle who has consistently been ranked well and considered one of the top Canadian goaltenders in the draft. Were teams worried about his hearing impairment in combination with his lack of size? - Brock Otten