[04-May-2026 15:31:54 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Class 'WP_Widget' not found in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_news_feed_widget.php:3 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_news_feed_widget.php on line 3 [04-May-2026 15:31:55 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Class 'WP_Widget' not found in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_sidebar_menu_widget.php:3 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_sidebar_menu_widget.php on line 3 [04-May-2026 15:31:45 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function add_action() in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_editorials.php:22 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_editorials.php on line 22 [04-May-2026 15:31:46 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function add_action() in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_tabs.php:50 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_tabs.php on line 50 [04-May-2026 15:31:47 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function add_action() in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_heading.php:15 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_heading.php on line 15 Jaxon Cover – McKeen's Hockey https://www.mckeenshockey.com The Essential Hockey Annual Sun, 19 Apr 2026 19:12:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 2026 NHL DRAFT: TOP 32 PRIOR TO THE 2026 IIHF U18 MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-top-32-prior-2026-iihf-u18-mens-world-championship/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-top-32-prior-2026-iihf-u18-mens-world-championship/#respond Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:03:12 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=199497 Read More... from 2026 NHL DRAFT: TOP 32 PRIOR TO THE 2026 IIHF U18 MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

]]>
Caleb Malhotra

It’s time for the McKeen’s Hockey scouting team to update their rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft. Many junior leagues around the globe are in the thick of the playoffs and we have the IIHF U18’s upcoming. This top 100 will serve as our final ranking before our Draft Guide release, which expands us to a top 300.

Gavin McKenna is holding firm on his first overall ranking on our board thanks to some adjustments and strong play post world juniors with Penn State. We’re hoping that he gets the nod to represent Canada at the IIHF World Championships, which would be a terrific measuring stick for him.

Pushing up our list are Brantford Bulldogs center Caleb Malhotra and Swedish defender Malte Gustafsson. Malhotra has shown terrific progression over the course of the OHL season and has been outstanding through the first two rounds of the OHL playoffs. Meanwhile Gustafsson has shown remarkable poise across various levels in Sweden and offers great athletic tools and two-way upside.

Other significant “risers” from our previous list include Quebec forward Maddox Dagenais, North Bay center Ryder Cali, Moncton defender Tommy Bleyl, Slovak defender Adam Goljer, and Russian netminder Dmitri Borichev. All have played significantly well in the second half of their respective seasons and have pushed up our boards due to the upside that they possess. Dagenais brings elite athletic tools and a heavy shot to the table and has shown considerable improvement in the second half from a consistency perspective. Cali is one of the draft’s youngest players and has found confidence in his on-puck play, causing us to re-evaluate his upside. Bleyl is one of the draft’s most dynamic offensive defenders and his strong play has given us no choice but to adjust our ranking of him accordingly. Goljer is an athletic two-way defender who has played well against men in the Slovak pro league this year, but he’s shown offensive upside when playing against his peers. Borichev is the draft’s netminding crown jewel with a great frame, elite athleticism, and improving technical abilities.

Fresh off the release of our annual three part look at the top “re-entry” candidates available, several have made the cut in our top 100. Edmonton defender Ethan MacKenzie, Prince Albert netminder Michal Orsulak, Czech defender Tomas Galvas, Victoria defender Timofei Runtso, Chicoutimi forward Liam Lefebvre, and Sioux Falls defender Matthew Grimes. You can find more info about each player in the aforementioned three-part series.

We’re very excited to see what the end of the season has in store and how that impacts our final ranking. As usual, you can expect our annual draft guide to be released in early June.

RK PLAYER POS TEAM HT/WT DOB GP G A PTS PIM
1 Gavin McKenna LW Penn State (NCAA) 5-11/170 20-Dec-07 35 15 36 51 36
2 Ivar Stenberg LW Frolunda (SHL) 5-11/185 30-Sep-07 43 11 22 33 6
3 Chase Reid D Soo Greyhounds (OHL) 6-2/185 30-Dec-07 45 18 30 48 30
4 Caleb Malhotra C Brantford (OHL) 6-0/170 2-Jun-08 67 29 55 84 51
5 Carson Carels D Prince George (WHL) 6-2/195 23-Jun-08 58 20 53 73 66
6 Keaton Verhoeff D North Dakota (NCAA) 6-4/210 19-Jun-08 36 6 14 20 29
7 Alberts Smits D Jukurit (Fin-Liiga) 6-3/205 2-Dec-07 38 6 7 13 20
8 Viggo Bjorck C Djurgardens (SHL) 5-9/175 12-Mar-08 42 6 9 15 12
9 Malte Gustafsson D HV 71 (SHL) 6-4/200 11-Jun-08 27 0 3 3 4
10 Daxon Rudolph D Prince Albert (WHL) 6-2/205 6-Mar-08 68 28 50 78 75
11 Oscar Hemming LW Boston College (NCAA) 6-4/195 13-Aug-08 19 1 7 8 18
12 Tynan Lawrence C Boston University (NCAA) 6-0/185 3-Aug-08 18 2 5 7 2
13 Ethan Belchetz LW Windsor (OHL) 6-5/225 30-Mar-08 57 34 25 59 45
14 Adam Novotny LW Peterborough (OHL) 6-1/205 13-Nov-07 58 34 31 65 22
15 Elton Hermansson RW MoDo Hockey (Allsvenskan) 6-1/180 5-Feb-08 38 11 10 21 22
16 Maddox Dagenais C Quebec (QMJHL) 6-3/195 27-Mar-08 62 30 32 62 31
17 Oliver Suvanto C Tappara (Fin-Liiga) 6-3/210 3-Sep-08 48 2 9 11 16
18 Ryan Lin D Vancouver (WHL) 5-11/175 18-Apr-08 53 14 43 57 35
19 Wyatt Cullen LW USN U18 (USDP) 5-11/175 8-Sep-08 34 12 22 34 37
20 Xavier Villeneuve D Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) 5-11/160 29-Sep-07 37 6 32 38 35
21 Nikita Klepov RW Saginaw (OHL) 6-0/180 27-Jun-08 67 37 60 97 43
22 Ilia Morozov C Miami (NCAA) 6-3/195 3-Aug-08 36 8 12 20 27
23 Alexander Command C Orebro (Swe J20) 6-1/185 16-Jun-08 30 17 27 44 61
24 Mathis Preston RW Spo-Van (WHL) 5-11/175 21-Jul-08 46 18 26 44 34
25 Tommy Bleyl D Moncton (QMJHL) 6-0/160 1-Dec-07 63 13 68 81 33
26 JP Hurlbert LW Kamloops (WHL) 6-0/185 11-Apr-08 68 42 55 97 45
27 Juho Piiparinen D Tappara (Fin-Liiga) 6-2/200 10-Aug-08 29 0 3 3 8
28 Adam Goljer D HK Dukla Trencin (Slovakia) 6-3/195 7-Jun-08 43 4 7 11 40
29 Jaxon Cover LW London (OHL) 6-2/175 13-Feb-08 67 20 32 52 48
30 Gleb Pugachyov C Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL) 6-3/200 25-Mar-08 33 10 14 24 36
31 Ryder Cali C North Bay (OHL) 6-1/210 6-Sep-08 47 16 20 36 24
32 Dmitri Borichev G Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL) 6-3/200 19-Jun-08 24 12 8 2.25 0.929
]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-top-32-prior-2026-iihf-u18-mens-world-championship/feed/ 0 2026 NHL DRAFT: TOP 100 PRIOR TO THE 2026 IIHF U18 MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-top-100-prior-2026-iihf-u18-mens-world-championship/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-top-100-prior-2026-iihf-u18-mens-world-championship/#respond Sun, 19 Apr 2026 17:58:39 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=199491 Read More... from 2026 NHL DRAFT: TOP 100 PRIOR TO THE 2026 IIHF U18 MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

]]>
Caleb Malhotra
It’s time for the McKeen’s Hockey scouting team to update their rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft. Many junior leagues around the globe are in the thick of the playoffs and we have the IIHF U18’s upcoming. This top 100 will serve as our final ranking before our Draft Guide release, which expands us to a top 300.

Gavin McKenna is holding firm on his first overall ranking on our board thanks to some adjustments and strong play post world juniors with Penn State. We’re hoping that he gets the nod to represent Canada at the IIHF World Championships, which would be a terrific measuring stick for him.

Pushing up our list are Brantford Bulldogs center Caleb Malhotra and Swedish defender Malte Gustafsson. Malhotra has shown terrific progression over the course of the OHL season and has been outstanding through the first two rounds of the OHL playoffs. Meanwhile Gustafsson has shown remarkable poise across various levels in Sweden and offers great athletic tools and two-way upside.

Other significant “risers” from our previous list include Quebec forward Maddox Dagenais, North Bay center Ryder Cali, Moncton defender Tommy Bleyl, Slovak defender Adam Goljer, and Russian netminder Dmitri Borichev. All have played significantly well in the second half of their respective seasons and have pushed up our boards due to the upside that they possess. Dagenais brings elite athletic tools and a heavy shot to the table and has shown considerable improvement in the second half from a consistency perspective. Cali is one of the draft’s youngest players and has found confidence in his on-puck play, causing us to re-evaluate his upside. Bleyl is one of the draft’s most dynamic offensive defenders and his strong play has given us no choice but to adjust our ranking of him accordingly. Goljer is an athletic two-way defender who has played well against men in the Slovak pro league this year, but he’s shown offensive upside when playing against his peers. Borichev is the draft’s netminding crown jewel with a great frame, elite athleticism, and improving technical abilities.

Fresh off the release of our annual three part look at the top “re-entry” candidates available, several have made the cut in our top 100. Edmonton defender Ethan MacKenzie, Prince Albert netminder Michal Orsulak, Czech defender Tomas Galvas, Victoria defender Timofei Runtso, Chicoutimi forward Liam Lefebvre, and Sioux Falls defender Matthew Grimes. You can find more info about each player in the aforementioned three-part series.

We’re very excited to see what the end of the season has in store and how that impacts our final ranking. As usual, you can expect our annual draft guide to be released in early June.

RK PLAYER POS TEAM HT/WT DOB GP G A PTS PIM
1 Gavin McKenna LW Penn State (NCAA) 5-11/170 20-Dec-07 35 15 36 51 36
2 Ivar Stenberg LW Frolunda (SHL) 5-11/185 30-Sep-07 43 11 22 33 6
3 Chase Reid D Soo Greyhounds (OHL) 6-2/185 30-Dec-07 45 18 30 48 30
4 Caleb Malhotra C Brantford (OHL) 6-0/170 2-Jun-08 67 29 55 84 51
5 Carson Carels D Prince George (WHL) 6-2/195 23-Jun-08 58 20 53 73 66
6 Keaton Verhoeff D North Dakota (NCAA) 6-4/210 19-Jun-08 36 6 14 20 29
7 Alberts Smits D Jukurit (Fin-Liiga) 6-3/205 2-Dec-07 38 6 7 13 20
8 Viggo Bjorck C Djurgardens (SHL) 5-9/175 12-Mar-08 42 6 9 15 12
9 Malte Gustafsson D HV 71 (SHL) 6-4/200 11-Jun-08 27 0 3 3 4
10 Daxon Rudolph D Prince Albert (WHL) 6-2/205 6-Mar-08 68 28 50 78 75
11 Oscar Hemming LW Boston College (NCAA) 6-4/195 13-Aug-08 19 1 7 8 18
12 Tynan Lawrence C Boston University (NCAA) 6-0/185 3-Aug-08 18 2 5 7 2
13 Ethan Belchetz LW Windsor (OHL) 6-5/225 30-Mar-08 57 34 25 59 45
14 Adam Novotny LW Peterborough (OHL) 6-1/205 13-Nov-07 58 34 31 65 22
15 Elton Hermansson RW MoDo Hockey (Allsvenskan) 6-1/180 5-Feb-08 38 11 10 21 22
16 Maddox Dagenais C Quebec (QMJHL) 6-3/195 27-Mar-08 62 30 32 62 31
17 Oliver Suvanto C Tappara (Fin-Liiga) 6-3/210 3-Sep-08 48 2 9 11 16
18 Ryan Lin D Vancouver (WHL) 5-11/175 18-Apr-08 53 14 43 57 35
19 Wyatt Cullen LW USN U18 (USDP) 5-11/175 8-Sep-08 34 12 22 34 37
20 Xavier Villeneuve D Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) 5-11/160 29-Sep-07 37 6 32 38 35
21 Nikita Klepov RW Saginaw (OHL) 6-0/180 27-Jun-08 67 37 60 97 43
22 Ilia Morozov C Miami (NCAA) 6-3/195 3-Aug-08 36 8 12 20 27
23 Alexander Command C Orebro (Swe J20) 6-1/185 16-Jun-08 30 17 27 44 61
24 Mathis Preston RW Spo-Van (WHL) 5-11/175 21-Jul-08 46 18 26 44 34
25 Tommy Bleyl D Moncton (QMJHL) 6-0/160 1-Dec-07 63 13 68 81 33
26 JP Hurlbert LW Kamloops (WHL) 6-0/185 11-Apr-08 68 42 55 97 45
27 Juho Piiparinen D Tappara (Fin-Liiga) 6-2/200 10-Aug-08 29 0 3 3 8
28 Adam Goljer D HK Dukla Trencin (Slovakia) 6-3/195 7-Jun-08 43 4 7 11 40
29 Jaxon Cover LW London (OHL) 6-2/175 13-Feb-08 67 20 32 52 48
30 Gleb Pugachyov C Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL) 6-3/200 25-Mar-08 33 10 14 24 36
31 Ryder Cali C North Bay (OHL) 6-1/210 6-Sep-08 47 16 20 36 24
32 Dmitri Borichev G Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL) 6-3/200 19-Jun-08 24 12 8 2.25 0.929
33 Jack Hextall C Youngstown (USHL) 6-0/190 23-Mar-08 59 20 38 58 28
34 William Hakansson D Lulea (SHL) 6-4/205 8-Oct-07 22 0 2 2 8
35 Marcus Nordmark LW Djurgardens (Swe J20) 6-1/180 4-May-08 25 14 24 38 48
36 Tobias Trejbal G Youngstown (USHL) 6-4/190 9-Nov-07 42 30 9 2.12 0.916
37 Brooks Rogowski C Oshawa (OHL) 6-6/225 28-Jun-08 46 15 27 42 17
38 Ben MacBeath D Calgary (WHL) 6-2/185 4-Mar-08 67 7 44 51 16
39 Alexander Bilecki D Kitchener (OHL) 6-1/180 9-May-08 66 9 20 29 43
40 Egor Shilov C Victoriaville (QMJHL) 6-1/180 30-Apr-08 63 32 50 82 29
41 Niklas Aaram Olsen RW Orebro (Swe J20) 6-0/185 19-Apr-08 29 20 20 40 22
42 Tomas Chrenko C HK Nitra (Slovakia) 5-11/170 2-Nov-07 44 9 22 31 10
43 Samu Alalauri D Pelicans (Fin-U20) 6-2/200 31-May-08 40 6 19 25 4
44 Jakub Vanecek D Tri-City (WHL) 6-1/190 25-Feb-08 59 14 21 35 20
45 Thomas Vandenberg C Ottawa (OHL) 6-0/180 8-Sep-08 59 25 25 50 20
46 Liam Ruck RW Medicine Hat (WHL) 6-0/175 21-Feb-08 68 45 59 104 36
47 Alessandro Di Iorio RW Sarnia (OHL) 6-0/190 17-Mar-08 45 12 19 31 16
48 Adam Andersson C Leksands (Swe J20) 6-3/200 2-Jul-08 30 3 14 17 24
49 Ryan Roobroeck C Niagara (OHL) 6-3/215 25-Sep-07 49 30 28 58 26
50 Pierce Mbuyi LW Owen Sound (OHL) 5-10/160 17-Apr-08 68 32 43 75 85
51 Ethan MacKenzie D Edmonton (WHL) 6-0/170 2-Sep-06 59 22 36 58 42
52 Filip Ruzicka G Brandon (WHL) 6-7/230 24-Mar-08 42 26 14 3.19 0.906
53 Maksim Sokolovskii D London (OHL) 6-8/235 12-Jul-08 44 2 6 8 49
54 Markus Ruck C Medicine Hat (WHL) 5-11/170 21-Feb-08 68 21 87 108 28
55 Simas Ignatavicius C Geneva-Servette (Sui-NL) 6-3/195 22-Oct-07 52 7 6 13 43
56 Beckham Edwards C Sarnia (OHL) 6-1/180 6-Jan-08 64 19 26 45 14
57 Giorgos Pantelas D Brandon (WHL) 6-2/215 24-Apr-08 68 6 31 37 50
58 Charlie Morrison D Quebec (QMJHL) 6-3/195 12-Oct-07 41 4 9 13 58
59 Adam Nemec LW Sudbury (OHL) 6-1/175 18-Oct-07 31 14 21 35 15
60 Tobias Tvrznik G Wenatchee (WHL) 6-4/180 29-Jul-07 39 16 18 3.1 0.913
61 Casey Mutryn RW USN U18 (USDP) 6-3/200 5-Jul-08 55 14 23 37 87
62 Michal Orsulak G Prince Albert (WHL) 6-4/225 26-Aug-07 36 28 4 2.22 0.907
63 Axel Elofsson D Orebro (Swe J20) 5-10/165 3-Jun-08 32 9 32 41 20
64 Nikita Scherbakov D Toros Neftekamsk (VHL) 6-5/190 23-Oct-07 35 4 6 10 24
65 Jonas Lagerberg Hoen RW Leksands (Swe J20) 6-2/175 24-Oct-07 9 9 7 16 33
66 Landon Nycz D Massachusetts (NCAA) 6-2/200 4-Oct-07 35 1 2 3 2
67 Adam Valentini LW Michigan (NCAA) 5-11/185 11-Apr-08 40 11 16 27 46
68 Viktor Fyodorov C Torpedo-Gorky NN (VHL) 5-10/175 21-Feb-08 32 2 6 8 8
69 Mans Gudmundsson D Farjestads (Swe J20) 6-2/170 9-Jun-08 35 1 24 25 10
70 Casper Juustovaara Karlsson LW Lulea (SHL) 5-9/170 25-Oct-07 31 4 2 6 6
71 Tomas Galvas D Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia) 5-10/155 11-Feb-06 32 8 16 24 10
72 Jonah Sivertson RW Prince Albert (WHL) 6-3/195 27-Aug-08 66 24 29 53 41
73 Landon Amrhein LW Calgary (WHL) 6-4/190 6-Apr-08 64 10 21 31 12
74 Timofei Runtso D Victoria (WHL) 6-2/185 6-Jul-07 68 11 33 44 28
75 Liam Lefebvre C Rim-Chi (QMJHL) 6-3/205 15-May-07 59 32 27 59 86
76 Vladimir Dravecky D Brantford (OHL) 6-0/185 19-Dec-07 58 9 19 28 24
77 Beckett Hamilton RW Red Deer (WHL) 5-11/175 28-Mar-08 67 24 38 62 14
78 Wiggo Sorensson C Boro/Vetlanda HC (Swe Division 2) 5-11/180 15-Apr-08 29 20 18 38 14
79 Jakub Frolo C Ilves (Fin-U20) 6-1/195 5-Dec-07 37 10 30 40 103
80 Landon Hafele C Green Bay (USHL) 6-0/185 18-Sep-07 52 15 27 42 69
81 Brady Knowling G USN U18 (USDP) 6-5/200 9-Mar-08 28 12 10 3.73 0.88
82 Zach Olsen RW Saskatoon (WHL) 6-1/200 16-Mar-08 57 18 16 34 79
83 Matthew Grimes D Sioux Falls (USHL) 6-1/185 19-May-07 60 9 26 35 54
84 Chase Harrington LW Spokane (WHL) 6-0/195 30-Oct-07 61 28 29 57 105
85 Jakub Floris D Lukko (Fin-U20) 6-3/190 19-Feb-08 38 10 8 18 10
86 Noel Pakarinen LW Kiekko-Espoo (Fin-U20) 6-2/200 9-Jul-08 31 13 17 30 30
87 Malcom Gastrin C MoDo Hockey (Swe J20) 6-0/155 19-Aug-08 24 9 16 25 8
88 Nils Bartholdsson RW Rogle (Swe J20) 5-10/175 25-Apr-08 32 23 19 42 20
89 Elisei Ryabkin D MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL) 6-1/180 8-Jul-08 48 3 16 19 25
90 Spencer Bowes C Ottawa (OHL) 6-0/175 19-Sep-07 67 23 19 42 28
91 Victor Plante LW USN U18 (USDP) 5-9/165 10-Mar-08 50 19 21 40 65
92 Vertti Svensk D SaiPa (Fin-U20) 6-0/165 9-Nov-07 33 3 28 31 80
93 Jean-Cristoph Lemieux C Wsr-Sby (OHL) 6-0/185 19-Jun-08 56 20 23 43 28
94 Vilho Vanhatalo RW Tappara (Fin-U20) 6-4/195 18-Jan-08 38 10 9 19 43
95 Brian McFadden D Thayer Academy (USHS-MA) 6-5/180 8-Jan-08 29 2 15 17  
96 Lars Steiner RW Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) 5-10/175 12-Nov-07 44 30 25 55 44
97 Luke Schairer D USN U18 (USDP) 6-3/195 30-Jan-08 55 1 16 17 67
98 KJ Sauer C Andover High (USHS-MN) 6-3/200 24-Oct-07 15 8 17 25 42
99 Filip Novak LW Sparta Praha (Czechia U20) 6-1/195 7-Mar-08 28 11 24 35 60
100 Rian Chudzinski RW Moncton (QMJHL) 6-1/190 30-Dec-07 54 21 17 38 71
HM Joe Erickson C Blake School (USHS-MN) 6-4/200 21-Apr-08 28 32 32 64 4
HM Alan Shaikhlislamov RW Tolpar Ufa (MHL) 6-1/185 4-Sep-08 31 18 17 35 15
HM Dmitri Kubantsev RW Vernon (BCHL) 6-1/195 28-May-08 47 15 38 53 52
HM Yaroslav Fedoseyev D Chelmet Chelyabinsk (VHL) 6-1/180 5-Nov-07 25 1 5 6 25
HM Cole Zurawski RW Owen Sound (OHL) 6-1/190 6-Feb-08 63 24 22 46 34
HM Yegor Rybkin G Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL) 6-7/205 3-Dec-07 11 5 2 2.56 0.915
HM Zach Lansard RW Regina (WHL) 6-0/175 29-Jul-08 68 24 32 56 33
HM Harrison Boettiger G Kelowna (WHL) 6-2/190 11-Dec-07 41 25 10 2.83 0.911
HM Luka Arkko LW Pelicans (Fin-U20) 6-3/210 14-Jan-08 42 11 14 25 10
HM Evan Jardine LW Youngstown (USHL) 6-0/180 23-Oct-07 53 27 34 61 70
HM Cole Tuminaro D Chicago (USHL) 6-3/220 24-Jan-07 54 5 11 16 148
HM Romain L'Italien C Cape Breton (QMJHL) 6-1/195 7-Apr-08 52 17 30 47 33
HM Xavier Wendt G Tri-City (WHL) 6-1/165 24-Jan-08 43 18 20 3.25 0.905
HM Caelan Joudrey C Wenatchee (WHL) 6-4/180 17-Jan-08 67 19 10 29 56
HM Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen D Michigan (NCAA) 6-0/180 18-Dec-06 40 4 14 18 20
]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-top-100-prior-2026-iihf-u18-mens-world-championship/feed/ 0 2026 NHL DRAFT: DETAILED SCOUTING REPORT – Jaxon Cover, LW, London Knights (OHL) https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-detailed-scouting-report-jaxon-cover-lw-london-knights-ohl/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-detailed-scouting-report-jaxon-cover-lw-london-knights-ohl/#respond Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:29:59 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=199162 Read More... from 2026 NHL DRAFT: DETAILED SCOUTING REPORT – Jaxon Cover, LW, London Knights (OHL)

]]>
Jaxon Cover of the London Knights. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images.

Jaxon Cover

2026 NHL Draft Eligible

Position: LW, Shoots: L

H/W: 6-foot-1, 185lbs

Date of Birth: 2008-02-13

The hockey journey of Jaxon Cover and how he arrived at this point is nothing short of remarkable. Born in Miami and raised in the Cayman Islands, located in the Western Caribbean about 277 kilometers south of Cuba, Cover’s path to the game is both unique and inspiring. Growing up in a region not traditionally known for producing hockey players - with just a single rink in the entire country, built for roller hockey, not ice hockey. Jaxon grew up playing soccer and inline roller hockey, he did not start playing organized ice hockey until the age of 14, when his family moved to Canada.

Cover split his time playing minor hockey with the York-Simcoe Express while also attending St. Andrew’s College (SAC), a prep school located in Aurora, Ontario, north of Toronto. His skating and processing ability attracted the likes of the London Knights to select Cover in the fourth round of the 2024 OHL Draft. Cover spent last season playing at the U18 level with St. Andrew’s College, where the environment proved highly beneficial to his development. The structure of the program allowed him additional time to focus on his game, accumulate valuable repetitions, and continue building strength off the ice. This foundation has played an important role in accelerating his overall progression. After his season with St. Andrew’s concluded, he made three appearances with the Knights, recording two assists. This season, Cover has established himself as a key contributor to the Knights and has seen his stock rise significantly on NHL Draft boards. He possesses a lot of raw skill, most notably his skating ability and competitiveness are traits that immediately stand out when watching him play. While there are still areas of his game that require refinement, he projects as a longer-term development player. However, when placed in the right environment with proper patience and development support, his combination of skating, work ethic, and hockey IQ — especially given his unique path — makes his ceiling well worth the investment.

Skating

What makes Jaxon’s development particularly unique is that, despite only beginning organized ice hockey roughly four years ago, skating has already become one of his standout attributes — a strength that can largely be credited to his background in roller hockey. You can see elements of his roller hockey background in his glide, as his stride resembles that of a roller skater. Cover tends to generate power more through his knees than his hips — a technique likely developed from his time playing roller hockey. Cover has excellent physique and plays with a high end motor, averaging about 16 minutes of time on ice per game. As he continues to add strength particularly in his lower body, it should further enhance key areas of his skating.

Cover possesses a smooth skating stride and displays strong shiftiness with the puck, attributes that can be largely credited to his background in inline roller hockey.

On this play, Cover, acting as the primary forechecker, angles the play wide to force the failed dump-in. Recognizing that London has regained possession, he swings wide, using efficient footwork, needing minimal crossovers to pivot and reach top speed. His combination of skill with the puck and footspeed allows him to attack defenders one-on-one to generate high danger scoring opportunities.

To expand further, Cover is at his best when he is able to build speed through the neutral zone. In this sequence, he collects the puck with pace and displays strong acceleration, using quick crossovers to generate momentum through the middle of the ice. As the defender gaps up, Cover transfers his weight to efficiently explode wide, creating separation and an odd-man situation inside the offensive zone.

On the ice, Cover is in constant motion, defenders need to be wary of his speed if they decide to pinch or retrieve a loose puck.

GRADE: 55

Shot

At the conclusion of his first full OHL season, Cover experienced a learning curve but maintained a solid level of consistency throughout. He started the year strong, averaging 2.6 shots per game while recording 12 points in his first 15 games, before hitting a mid-season lull. He regained form down the stretch, averaging close to 2.5 shots per game and posting 16 points over his final 15 games. Overall, Cover led all Knights forwards with 160 shots on goal, 23 more than the next closest teammate. Analyzing his shot mechanics, Cover does not possess an overpowering shot but gets the release off quick. While primarily a playmaker, Cover demonstrated flashes of his goal-scoring ability, finishing with 20 goals in his first full OHL season.

Cover scoring by elevating his shot.

Cover has been effective in the bumper for London as he needs little time to get his shot off when positioned net front. He can slide out to become the one-time option or find a way to get his stick on rebounds to cash in on second chance opportunities.

A couple of examples of Cover finishing plays off with his good backhand.

GRADE: 52.5

Skills

One of the more intriguing aspects drawing scouts to Cover’s game is his raw skill set. What makes him a possible ‘under-the-radar’ type prospect is the collection of tools he possesses that have yet to be fully refined. The value in a player like this lies in the potential — if an organization can effectively develop and harness those raw abilities, there is a greater opportunity for him to evolve into an impactful contributor at the next level. The London coaching staff were able to untap some of Cover’s raw skillset by utilizing him in favourable situations and closely monitoring his development. Cover has shown very quick progress in learning how to use his body to create leverage, while also demonstrating the ability to beat defenders one-on-one with both his hands and footwork.

Cover can snap the puck quickly, as the season progressed he showed improvement in manipulating his hands to change shooting angles, allowing him to get shots off in tight spaces.

Cover is starting to put it together, understanding how to effectively combine his skating and skill to beat defenders.

His size and raw power is another asset Cover is starting to piece together. He is learning how to leverage his size more efficiently.

Cover developed his shiftiness on the ice through his background in roller hockey. Whether it’s his lateral movement, ability to play pucks in his feet, or his hands in one-on-one situations, he consistently shows creativity and control in tight areas.”

GRADE: 57.5

Smarts

Considering Cover did not begin playing organized ice hockey a few years ago — and had to learn a few fundamental rules such as offsides and icing, which are not present in roller hockey — his progression speaks highly of his hockey IQ. His ability to quickly process and adapt to the game highlights how rapidly he is learning and developing. He credits much of his shiftiness and decision-making to his inline roller hockey background, where the smaller playing surface, slower pace, and reduced number of players demand quick reads and creativity in tight spaces. Cover processes the game well, consistently scanning the ice to find teammates or anticipate his next move. Cover’s progression throughout the season has earned him increased opportunities at even strength, along with a key role on the Knights top power-play unit. As a skilled, playmaking power forward, he is often relied upon for zone entry, extending possessions and creating offence off the cycle. Coach Dale Hunter has been more selective with Cover’s defensive deployment, limiting his exposure in defensive-zone matchups and not utilizing him on the penalty kill. Moving forward, continued refinement of his defensive details and consistency away from the puck will be key in earning greater trust and transitioning into a more complete player at higher levels. Cover is showing improved timing in his routes into space, more consistently finding open ice to create quick offensive opportunities and stretch defensive coverage.

You’ll have to bear with the clip, as Cover and his defender move in and out of frame on this sequence. While he does not score, this play stands out due to his constant foot movement, which he uses to manipulate the penalty-kill structure and eventually find open space in the slot.

A nice quick play here by Cover leads to the London goal.

After a quick scan of the ice, Cover leaves a subtle drop pass for his teammate leading to the goal.

A nice play on the zone entry here by Cover drawing in three defenders and dishing the puck out to Sam O’Reilly alone in the slot.

Cover makes a number of strong plays in the defensive zone here to disrupt passing lanes to end the Windsor cycle. He competes to win puck battles down low and use his feet to exit the zone relieving any sort of pressure.

Given how quickly he has progressed as a hockey player to this point, parts of his decision making with the puck still need time to catch up - particularly his reads in the offensive zone. Recognizing when to take defenders on versus when to move puck on entries. He will need to learn to play more assertively in certain situations, understanding when he can exploit quick looks or have to maintain possession down low until more support arrives.

GRADE: 55

Physicality/Compete

Cover’s physique and strength are certainly still very raw at this stage of his development. Listed at 185 lbs, Cover has a lean, athletic build. The goal for this summer should be to add on mass and strength. A productive offseason focused on strength training will benefit multiple areas of his game, particularly his skating. Added strength should help improve his balance and mobility, translating to winning more puck battles. Cover’s physical presence on the ice remains inconsistent. His agility allows him to slip out of checks and avoid contact.

A strong, competitive shift by Cover. Starts with the zone entry dump-in, followed by winning back possession of the puck, attacking the middle of the ice before distributing out for a point shot to then regain possession below the dots in the offensive zone creating a second chance opportunity.

Cover on the receiving end of a heavy hit by Brady Martin but does a good job to move the puck to retain possession in the offensive zone.

A strong committed backcheck — applies pressure without taking a penalty and eliminates any shot opportunity.

Cover has the athletic frame to add muscle, and continued physical development will be important. A key area of his development will be becoming harder to play against — limiting instances where he is outmuscled on pucks.

GRADE: 50

OFP: 54.25

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.

 

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-detailed-scouting-report-jaxon-cover-lw-london-knights-ohl/feed/ 0 2026 NHL DRAFT – MID-SEASON RANKING – TOP 64 with Honourable Mentions – Closing gap between top prospects https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-mid-season-ranking-top-64-honourable-mentions-closing-gap-top-prospects/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-mid-season-ranking-top-64-honourable-mentions-closing-gap-top-prospects/#respond Sat, 31 Jan 2026 18:59:16 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=198440 Read More... from 2026 NHL DRAFT – MID-SEASON RANKING – TOP 64 with Honourable Mentions – Closing gap between top prospects

]]>
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 4: Sweden's Ivar Stenberg #15 looks on during a stoppage in play against Finland during Semifinal Round action at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship at Grand Casino Arena on January 4, 2026 in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu/IIHF)

With the World Juniors firmly in the rear-view mirror and many “junior” leagues past the halfway point of their seasons, it is time to update and expand the McKeen’s Hockey 2026 draft rankings. This time around we are bringing you a top 64, in addition to several honourable mentions.

While many in the industry seem to be wavering on the concept of Gavin McKenna being the top player available, he remains at the top of our list. We understand the apprehensiveness, but we also believe that McKenna still possesses the highest upside of any player available this year; plus, his performance in the NCAA has ticked up post WJC’s. However, we also believe that the gap is razor thin at this point between McKenna and several of the players we have ranked behind him. In particular, Ivar Stenberg received a fair amount of support from our team to be ranked ahead of McKenna.

While the race for first overall will be fascinating as June approaches, the debate over the top defenseman available will rage even more intensely. Verhoeff remains ranked first in this grouping, but there are arguments to be made that any of Reid, Smits, or Carels could be or should be the top defenseman selected. One thing is for certain; it is a good year to be drafting in the top five if your organization needs a quality young defender.

Caleb Malhotra, Oscar Hemming, Alexander Command, Wyatt Cullen, and Maddox Dagenais are among our highest climbers compared to the previous ranking. Malhotra suddenly finds himself competing for an OHL scoring title, showing tremendous improvement as an offensive play driver over the course of the last few months. The Oscar Hemming saga finally reached a conclusion after he joined Boston College at the end of December. While the offensive production has been only mediocre, his impact on the ice has been incredibly impressive as a freshman power forward; it’s cliche but he’s passing the eye test on a consistent basis. Command has been terrific for both Sweden internationally and in the J20 league, and he plays a competitive and fast paced game from the center position. Wyatt Cullen hasn’t played a lot this year, but when he has, he’s been outstanding for the NTDP. Lastly, Dagenais is finally putting everything together for the Quebec Remparts, as the former first overall pick in the QMJHL draft is becoming more confident in being able to utilize his physical gifts.

Our largest “fallers” were Xavier Villeneuve, Mathis Preston, Ryan Roobroeck, and Beckham Edwards. While we respect Villeneuve’s offensive upside as one of the draft’s most dynamic playmakers, we also wonder how much his game has truly grown in the last calendar year as one of this draft’s oldest first time eligible players. The offensive production just hasn’t been at an elite level the last few months. Can a trade to Vancouver (WHL) help Mathis Preston find more consistency and urgency in his game? Roobroeck’s offensive production has definitely improved over the last few months, but like Villeneuve, we wonder how much his game has truly improved this year as a third year junior player. Lastly, Beckham Edwards is a power skating forward with a goal scorer’s touch, but, the offensive consistency has been majorly lacking this year and it brings to light concerns over his projection and ceiling.

What about the goalies? Initially, our team wasn’t enamored with the talent level for the position this year, however, some performances over the last few months have helped to change our mind. We have three goaltenders ranked inside of our top 64, with Tobias Trejbal of Youngstown (USHL) sitting at the top of that list. Trejbal has been outstanding in the USHL this year and the UMass commit has the size and athleticism combination to make him a potential NHL starting netminder.

You can expect our next update towards the end of March as we expand to a top 100 ranking.

RANK PLAYER POS TEAM HT/WT DOB GP G A PTS PIM
1 Gavin McKenna LW Penn State (NCAA) 5-11/170 12/20/2007 22 10 19 29 19
2 Ivar Stenberg LW Frolunda (SHL) 5-11/185 9/30/2007 29 7 21 28 6
3 Keaton Verhoeff D North Dakota (NCAA) 6-4/210 6/19/2008 22 6 11 17 23
4 Chase Reid D Soo Greyhounds (OHL) 6-2/185 12/30/2007 39 18 27 45 30
5 Alberts Smits D Jukurit (Fin-Liiga) 6-3/205 12/2/2007 34 6 7 13 12
6 Carson Carels D Prince George (WHL) 6-2/195 6/23/2008 37 12 28 40 42
7 Tynan Lawrence C Muskegon (USHL) 6-0/185 8/3/2008 13 10 7 17 6
8 Viggo Bjorck C Djurgardens (SHL) 5-9/175 3/12/2008 29 4 4 8 10
9 Caleb Malhotra C Brantford (OHL) 6-0/170 6/2/2008 45 23 38 61 37
10 Ethan Belchetz LW Windsor (OHL) 6-5/225 3/30/2008 43 29 16 45 35
11 Oscar Hemming LW Boston College (NCAA) 6-4/195 8/13/2008 6 0 3 3 8
12 Adam Novotny LW Peterborough (OHL) 6-1/205 11/13/2007 37 22 21 43 8
13 Ryan Lin D Vancouver (WHL) 5-11/175 4/18/2008 42 11 39 50 33
14 Daxon Rudolph D Prince Albert (WHL) 6-2/205 3/6/2008 45 21 33 54 42
15 Oliver Suvanto C Tappara (Fin-Liiga) 6-3/210 9/3/2008 34 2 5 7 14
16 Elton Hermansson RW MoDo Hockey (Allsvenskan) 6-1/180 2/5/2008 29 9 7 16 14
17 Ilia Morozov C Miami (NCAA) 6-3/195 8/3/2008 24 7 7 14 25
18 Xavier Villeneuve D Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) 5-11/160 9/29/2007 35 6 30 36 35
19 Malte Gustafsson D HV 71 (SHL) 6-4/200 6/11/2008 16 0 3 3 2
20 Juho Piiparinen D Tappara (Fin-Liiga) 6-2/200 8/10/2008 28 0 3 3 8
21 Alexander Command C Orebro (Swe U20) 6-1/185 6/16/2008 24 13 22 35 30
22 Wyatt Cullen LW USN U18 (USDP) 5-11/175 9/8/2008 17 3 11 14 2
23 JP Hurlbert LW Kamloops (WHL) 6-0/185 4/11/2008 45 31 41 72 26
24 Nikita Klepov RW Saginaw (OHL) 6-0/180 6/27/2008 45 28 32 60 27
25 Mathis Preston RW Spokane (WHL) 5-11/175 7/21/2008 36 14 18 32 32
26 Jaxon Cover LW London (OHL) 6-2/175 2/13/2008 45 14 20 34 40
27 William Hakansson D Lulea (SHL) 6-4/205 10/8/2007 22 0 2 2 8
28 Giorgos Pantelas D Brandon (WHL) 6-2/215 4/24/2008 45 2 18 20 30
29 Brooks Rogowski C Oshawa (OHL) 6-6/225 6/28/2008 31 7 18 25 10
30 Maddox Dagenais C Quebec (QMJHL) 6-3/195 3/27/2008 43 20 17 37 23
31 Tomas Chrenko C HK Nitra (Slovakia) 5-11/170 11/2/2007 33 6 16 22 6
32 Marcus Nordmark LW Djurgardens (Swe U20) 6-1/180 5/4/2008 21 10 20 30 42
33 Egor Shilov C Victoriaville (QMJHL) 6-1/180 4/30/2008 42 22 37 59 23
34 Ryan Roobroeck C Niagara (OHL) 6-3/215 9/25/2007 45 27 26 53 26
35 Jakub Vanecek D Tri-City (WHL) 6-1/190 2/25/2008 36 10 15 25 16
36 Pierce Mbuyi LW Owen Sound (OHL) 5-10/160 4/17/2008 45 23 27 50 65
37 Jack Hextall C Youngstown (USHL) 6-0/190 3/23/2008 38 12 25 37 22
38 Thomas Vandenberg C Ottawa (OHL) 6-0/180 9/8/2008 37 17 17 34 14
39 Vladimir Dravecky D Brantford (OHL) 6-0/185 12/19/2007 37 7 16 23 20
40 Alessandro Di Iorio RW Sarnia (OHL) 6-0/190 3/17/2008 28 10 9 19 8
41 Vilho Vanhatalo RW Tappara (Fin-U20) 6-4/195 1/18/2008 29 10 8 18 14
42 Ryder Cali C North Bay (OHL) 6-1/210 9/6/2008 24 11 5 16 4
43 Tommy Bleyl D Moncton (QMJHL) 6-0/160 12/1/2007 42 7 44 51 22
44 Tobias Trejbal G Youngstown (USHL) 6-4/190 11/9/2007 27 20 5 2.04 0.924
45 Charlie Morrison D Quebec (QMJHL) 6-3/195 10/12/2007 24 2 4 6 23
46 Oscar Holmertz C Linkopings (Swe U20) 6-0/190 3/21/2008 25 7 14 21 2
47 Nikita Scherbakov D Salavat Yulayev Ufa (KHL) 6-5/190 10/23/2007 7 0 0 0 4
48 Victor Plante LW USN U18 (USDP) 5-9/165 3/10/2008 34 16 13 29 55
49 Adam Goljer D HK Dukla Trencin (Slovakia) 6-3/195 6/7/2008 33 4 6 10 26
50 Luke Schairer D USN U18 (USDP) 6-3/195 1/30/2008 36 0 9 9 55
51 Niklas Aaram-Olsen RW Orebro (Swe U20) 6-0/185 4/19/2008 22 17 15 32 12
52 Gleb Pugachyov C Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL) 6-3/200 3/25/2008 27 8 13 21 20
53 Simas Ignatavicius C Geneva-Servette (Sui-NL) 6-3/195 10/22/2007 44 5 6 11 41
54 Lars Steiner RW Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL) 5-10/175 11/12/2007 24 12 12 24 26
55 Dmitri Borichev G Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL) 6-3/200 6/19/2008 17 8 6 1.79 0.942
56 Adam Andersson C Leksands (Swe U20) 6-3/200 7/2/2008 23 2 13 15 22
57 Alexander Bilecki D Kitchener (OHL) 6-1/180 5/9/2008 44 7 15 22 24
58 Axel Elofsson D Orebro (Swe U20) 5-10/165 6/3/2008 26 7 24 31 18
59 Xavier Wendt G Tri-City (WHL) 6-1/165 1/24/2008 28 17 9 2.42 0.929
60 Adam Valentini LW Michigan (NCAA) 5-11/185 4/11/2008 24 6 13 19 40
61 Beckham Edwards C Sarnia (OHL) 6-1/180 1/6/2008 45 14 17 31 14
62 Samu Alalauri D Pelicans (Fin-U20) 6-2/200 5/31/2008 32 6 17 23 4
63 Ben MacBeath D Calgary (WHL) 6-2/185 3/4/2008 43 6 27 33 12
64 Liam Ruck RW Medicine Hat (WHL) 6-0/175 2/21/2008 46 27 37 64 26
HM Simon Katolicky LW Tappara (Fin-U20) 6-4/195 7/24/2008 24 5 9 14 16
HM Timofei Runtso D Victoria (WHL) 6-2/185 7/6/2007 45 7 26 33 22
HM Layne Gallacher C Brantford (OHL) 6-1/180 2/16/2008 21 5 7 12 2
HM Landon Amrhein LW Calgary (WHL) 6-4/190 4/6/2008 39 7 16 23 6
HM Filip Ruzicka G Brandon (WHL) 6-7/230 3/24/2008 27 19 7 2.97 0.908
HM Wiggo Sorensson C Boro/Vetlanda (Swe Div 2) 5-11/180 4/15/2008 24 13 16 29 2
HM Viktor Fyodorov C Torpedo-Gorky NN (VHL) 5-10/175 2/21/2008 27 2 5 7 6
HM Landon Nycz D Massachusetts (NCAA) 6-2/200 10/4/2007 24 1 1 2 0
HM Brady Knowling G USN U18 (USDP) 6-5/200 3/9/2008 17 6 8 3.60 0.880
HM Casey Mutryn RW USN U18 (USDP) 6-3/200 7/5/2008 36 7 18 25 32
HM Tobias Tvrznik G Wenatchee (WHL) 6-4/180 7/29/2007 31 13 15 2.89 0.919
HM Jonas Lagerberg Hoen RW Leksands (Swe U20) 6-2/175 10/24/2007 9 9 7 16 33
HM Olivers Murnieks C Saint John (QMJHL) 6-1/190 7/31/2008 29 6 12 18 14
HM Colin Fitzgerald C Pbo-Soo (OHL) 6-2/210 4/1/2008 44 13 12 25 48
HM Adam Nemec LW Sudbury (OHL) 6-1/175 10/18/2007 8 4 6 10 0
HM Chase Harrington LW Spokane (WHL) 6-0/195 10/30/2007 44 17 23 40 73
]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-mid-season-ranking-top-64-honourable-mentions-closing-gap-top-prospects/feed/ 0 2026 NHL DRAFT – MID-SEASON RANKING – TOP 32 – Closing gap between top prospects https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-mid-season-ranking-top-32-closing-gap-top-prospects/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-mid-season-ranking-top-32-closing-gap-top-prospects/#respond Sat, 31 Jan 2026 18:56:46 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=198435 Read More... from 2026 NHL DRAFT – MID-SEASON RANKING – TOP 32 – Closing gap between top prospects

]]>
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 4: Sweden's Ivar Stenberg #15 looks on during a stoppage in play against Finland during Semifinal Round action at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship at Grand Casino Arena on January 4, 2026 in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu/IIHF)

With the World Juniors firmly in the rear-view mirror and many “junior” leagues past the halfway point of their seasons, it is time to update and expand the McKeen’s Hockey 2026 draft rankings. This time around we are bringing you a top 64, in addition to several honourable mentions.

While many in the industry seem to be wavering on the concept of Gavin McKenna being the top player available, he remains at the top of our list. We understand the apprehensiveness, but we also believe that McKenna still possesses the highest upside of any player available this year; plus, his performance in the NCAA has ticked up post WJC’s. However, we also believe that the gap is razor thin at this point between McKenna and several of the players we have ranked behind him. In particular, Ivar Stenberg received a fair amount of support from our team to be ranked ahead of McKenna.

While the race for first overall will be fascinating as June approaches, the debate over the top defenseman available will rage even more intensely. Verhoeff remains ranked first in this grouping, but there are arguments to be made that any of Reid, Smits, or Carels could be or should be the top defenseman selected. One thing is for certain; it is a good year to be drafting in the top five if your organization needs a quality young defender.

Caleb Malhotra, Oscar Hemming, Alexander Command, Wyatt Cullen, and Maddox Dagenais are among our highest climbers compared to the previous ranking. Malhotra suddenly finds himself competing for an OHL scoring title, showing tremendous improvement as an offensive play driver over the course of the last few months. The Oscar Hemming saga finally reached a conclusion after he joined Boston College at the end of December. While the offensive production has been only mediocre, his impact on the ice has been incredibly impressive as a freshman power forward; it’s cliche but he’s passing the eye test on a consistent basis. Command has been terrific for both Sweden internationally and in the J20 league, and he plays a competitive and fast paced game from the center position. Wyatt Cullen hasn’t played a lot this year, but when he has, he’s been outstanding for the NTDP. Lastly, Dagenais is finally putting everything together for the Quebec Remparts, as the former first overall pick in the QMJHL draft is becoming more confident in being able to utilize his physical gifts.

Our largest “fallers” were Xavier Villeneuve, Mathis Preston, Ryan Roobroeck, and Beckham Edwards. While we respect Villeneuve’s offensive upside as one of the draft’s most dynamic playmakers, we also wonder how much his game has truly grown in the last calendar year as one of this draft’s oldest first time eligible players. The offensive production just hasn’t been at an elite level the last few months. Can a trade to Vancouver (WHL) help Mathis Preston find more consistency and urgency in his game? Roobroeck’s offensive production has definitely improved over the last few months, but like Villeneuve, we wonder how much his game has truly improved this year as a third year junior player. Lastly, Beckham Edwards is a power skating forward with a goal scorer’s touch, but, the offensive consistency has been majorly lacking this year and it brings to light concerns over his projection and ceiling.

What about the goalies? Initially, our team wasn’t enamored with the talent level for the position this year, however, some performances over the last few months have helped to change our mind. We have three goaltenders ranked inside of our top 64, with Tobias Trejbal of Youngstown (USHL) sitting at the top of that list. Trejbal has been outstanding in the USHL this year and the UMass commit has the size and athleticism combination to make him a potential NHL starting netminder.

You can expect our next update towards the end of March as we expand to a top 100 ranking.

RANK PLAYER POS TEAM HT/WT DOB GP G A PTS PIM
1 Gavin McKenna LW Penn State (NCAA) 5-11/170 12/20/2007 22 10 19 29 19
2 Ivar Stenberg LW Frolunda (SHL) 5-11/185 9/30/2007 29 7 21 28 6
3 Keaton Verhoeff D North Dakota (NCAA) 6-4/210 6/19/2008 22 6 11 17 23
4 Chase Reid D Soo Greyhounds (OHL) 6-2/185 12/30/2007 39 18 27 45 30
5 Alberts Smits D Jukurit (Fin-Liiga) 6-3/205 12/2/2007 34 6 7 13 12
6 Carson Carels D Prince George (WHL) 6-2/195 6/23/2008 37 12 28 40 42
7 Tynan Lawrence C Muskegon (USHL) 6-0/185 8/3/2008 13 10 7 17 6
8 Viggo Bjorck C Djurgardens (SHL) 5-9/175 3/12/2008 29 4 4 8 10
9 Caleb Malhotra C Brantford (OHL) 6-0/170 6/2/2008 45 23 38 61 37
10 Ethan Belchetz LW Windsor (OHL) 6-5/225 3/30/2008 43 29 16 45 35
11 Oscar Hemming LW Boston College (NCAA) 6-4/195 8/13/2008 6 0 3 3 8
12 Adam Novotny LW Peterborough (OHL) 6-1/205 11/13/2007 37 22 21 43 8
13 Ryan Lin D Vancouver (WHL) 5-11/175 4/18/2008 42 11 39 50 33
14 Daxon Rudolph D Prince Albert (WHL) 6-2/205 3/6/2008 45 21 33 54 42
15 Oliver Suvanto C Tappara (Fin-Liiga) 6-3/210 9/3/2008 34 2 5 7 14
16 Elton Hermansson RW MoDo Hockey (Allsvenskan) 6-1/180 2/5/2008 29 9 7 16 14
17 Ilia Morozov C Miami (NCAA) 6-3/195 8/3/2008 24 7 7 14 25
18 Xavier Villeneuve D Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) 5-11/160 9/29/2007 35 6 30 36 35
19 Malte Gustafsson D HV 71 (SHL) 6-4/200 6/11/2008 16 0 3 3 2
20 Juho Piiparinen D Tappara (Fin-Liiga) 6-2/200 8/10/2008 28 0 3 3 8
21 Alexander Command C Orebro (Swe U20) 6-1/185 6/16/2008 24 13 22 35 30
22 Wyatt Cullen LW USN U18 (USDP) 5-11/175 9/8/2008 17 3 11 14 2
23 JP Hurlbert LW Kamloops (WHL) 6-0/185 4/11/2008 45 31 41 72 26
24 Nikita Klepov RW Saginaw (OHL) 6-0/180 6/27/2008 45 28 32 60 27
25 Mathis Preston RW Spokane (WHL) 5-11/175 7/21/2008 36 14 18 32 32
26 Jaxon Cover LW London (OHL) 6-2/175 2/13/2008 45 14 20 34 40
27 William Hakansson D Lulea (SHL) 6-4/205 10/8/2007 22 0 2 2 8
28 Giorgos Pantelas D Brandon (WHL) 6-2/215 4/24/2008 45 2 18 20 30
29 Brooks Rogowski C Oshawa (OHL) 6-6/225 6/28/2008 31 7 18 25 10
30 Maddox Dagenais C Quebec (QMJHL) 6-3/195 3/27/2008 43 20 17 37 23
31 Tomas Chrenko C HK Nitra (Slovakia) 5-11/170 11/2/2007 33 6 16 22 6
32 Marcus Nordmark LW Djurgardens (Swe U20) 6-1/180 5/4/2008 21 10 20 30 42
]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-mid-season-ranking-top-32-closing-gap-top-prospects/feed/ 0 2026 NHL Draft: McKeen’s Early Season Favourites – ONTARIO PART TWO – Jean-Christoph Lemieux, Caleb Malhotra, Brooks Rogowski, Jaxon Cover, Ethan Belchetz, Vladimír Dravecký Jr. https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-mckeens-early-season-favourites-ontario-part-jean-christoph-lemieux-caleb-malhotra-brooks-rogowski-jaxon-cover-ethan-belchetz-vladimir-dravecky-jr/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-mckeens-early-season-favourites-ontario-part-jean-christoph-lemieux-caleb-malhotra-brooks-rogowski-jaxon-cover-ethan-belchetz-vladimir-dravecky-jr/#respond Thu, 06 Nov 2025 13:15:04 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=197650 Read More... from 2026 NHL Draft: McKeen’s Early Season Favourites – ONTARIO PART TWO – Jean-Christoph Lemieux, Caleb Malhotra, Brooks Rogowski, Jaxon Cover, Ethan Belchetz, Vladimír Dravecký Jr.

]]>
Ethan Belchetz of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Time for another series at McKeen’s from our scouting staff. The 2026 NHL Draft season is well under way, and our scouts have been busy soaking in the action around the globe. Analyzing early season play can be difficult, perhaps even a bit of a ruse. Hot starts aren’t always sustainable, and cold starts are not always indicative. However, players can still catch our attention in positive ways and that’s what this series intends to highlight.

This is ONTARIO PART TWO

Liam Staples - Ontario Regional Scout

Jean-Christoph Lemieux
Center - Windsor Spitfires
5-foot-11, 176 pounds

The Spitfires were flying high to start the season, going nearly a month before suffering their first loss in regulation, posting an impressive 11-0-1 record during that stretch. Their hot start can be credited to several key contributors - fourth year players Carson Woodall and Cole Davis helped steer the ship while the team awaited for NHL prospects to return back from NHL training camps. 2024 first-overall pick Ethan Belchetz is making headlines this season; he is off to a terrific start and is climbing up a lot of scouting boards. Be sure to check out the piece written by our very own, Felix Sicard, on Ethan Belchetz. Another early-season standout for the Spitfires has been Jean-Christoph (JC) Lemieux, the team’s second-round selection (22nd overall) in the 2024 OHL Draft and their second pick following Ethan Belchetz.

A product of the Quinte Red Devils U16 program in Belleville, Ontario, Lemieux excelled on a line with fellow NHL Draft–eligible forward Maddox Dagenais, under the guidance of current Spitfires assistant coach Kris Newbury, who served as Quinte’s head coach for part of that season. Fast forward to the present, and Lemieux has carried some of that knowledge into the OHL, getting off to a strong start with four goals and seven points through his first six games of the season.

Lemieux’s competitive drive is like a dog on a bone — he’s tenacious in puck battles and refuses to give up on plays, embodying a relentless work ethic every shift.

Lemieux’s production has cooled off since his hot start through the first six games of the season, but he continues to generate quality scoring chances through his skill with his hands and feet working in sync with the puck. The style of game he plays suggests he is still far from a finished NHL product, but the foundation is there — his offensive numbers should bump up with time. He does the right things: staying hard on pucks, creating chaos below the goal line, and driving play toward the front of the net. Building consistency is the next step.

The style of offence Lemieux can contribute - attack the puck instead of waiting for the play to develop in front of him. Attacking the puck carrier down low adds pressure and increases the risk of potential mistakes for your opponent.

Kaeden Ireland - Ontario Regional Scout

Caleb Malhotra
Center - Brantford Bulldogs
6-foot-0, 170 pounds

Caleb Malhotra has bolstered Brantford’s forward depth for a push towards earning a bid to the Memorial Cup, and he has impressed. Caleb, the son of Manny Maholtra, decided to leave the BCHL and join the Bulldogs this past summer, before playing next year with the Boston University Terriers in the NCAA.

After scoring around half a point per game with Chilliwack last year, Malhotra upped his production to 1.38 points per game through the first 13 games, centering the largely successful Dennis-Malhotra-O’Donnell line. Malhotra has found success in many aspects of his game early on in the season, including his compete level, two-way consistency, and playmaking. Caleb seems destined to be a middle-6 center in the NHL, seemingly everywhere at times, causing chaos on defense. With the puck, Caleb regularly finds creative plays from within his arsenal to open lanes and drive to the center of the ice. But perhaps the most impressive part of Caleb’s play in the OHL has been his unwillingness to lose. He never backs down and will fight toe-to-toe with anyone to win every encounter. Even after losing the puck, Malhotra ensures he gives his all to make the opponent’s life miserable; he simply refuses to lose any interaction on the ice cleanly.

After watching Caleb, it’s evident there’s an absence of a true weakness in his game. His hockey smarts, while still developing, are stronger than most other OHL centers in his class and have allowed him to create chances using his stickhandling, footspeed, and passing. The area in need of improvement is his strength, and while he doesn’t have the strongest legs yet, Caleb’s core strength and athleticism make him tricky to knock off the puck. Given Caleb has a summer 2028 birthday and isn’t fully physically mature, there’s lots of runway left in his development. Expect to see Malhotra climb boards as the year progresses.

Here’s some great defensive work to fluster the puck carrier by blocking his lanes by Malhotra, then a very nice pass on the counterattack to set his teammate up for a chance.

Malhotra finishes a goal with an acrobatic dive, batting the puck home. He’s often willing to sacrifice his body to make plays.

While Malhotra will need to add some weight before these hits do much, he loves leaving his feet for a big hit.

Brooks Rogowski
Center - Oshawa Generals
6-foot-6, 227 pounds

Brooks Rogowski has contributed 13 points through 15 games of his sophomore OHL campaign and has taken a large step forward in all aspects of his game. Last year, Brooks was mostly limited to 4th-line minutes but has taken on a much larger role with the Gens in 25-26, averaging around 20 minutes per night.  Rogowski’s hulking frame and two-way value make him a candidate to go top 32 in a weak 2026 center class and maybe higher should he continue refining his on-puck play.

Rogowski has been at his best this season when keeping things simple on offense and relying on his positional understanding to get him into the right places at the right times. Much of his offensive production has come from filling his lane on the rush and making simple, quick lateral passes to open teammates, or from his positioning in front of the net.

Being 6-foot-6, skating will never be a strength for Rogowski, but for his size, he moves very well and has shown flashes of being impossible to separate from the puck. Another disadvantage for Rogowski has been the consistency of his compete on the ice. Not to say he is poorly conditioned, but being as big a frame as he is, it’s hard to keep up with more nimble players as they dart around. What has impressed me in this aspect of play is his ability to use his extended reach to threaten lanes. Brooks’ stick defense succeeds in trimming down the amount of room opponents have to operate and restricts the center of the ice.

Through the coming months, I project Rogowski to look more and more comfortable in his size and continue improving his netfront play as well as his passing in tight, both of which have made tremendous progress from last year. I have a strong hunch that Rogowski will be a pick in the 20s of the 2026 draft, in line with picks like Jack Nesbitt and Mason West last year.

Rogowski thrives in open ice, using his length to beat defenders. Here, he finished off his opportunity with a well-placed shot.

Perfect timing on this rush opportunity for the Generals. Rogowski is in his element when making these short, well-timed passes.

A great two-touch effort from Rogowski in front of the net to finish off a chance. With his large frame, this quick thinking will translate well to the NHL, even with less space.

Jaxon Cover
Left Wing - London Knights
6-foot-2, 174 pounds

While the 2025 champs have entered a rebuild this year, Cover has been a significant reason why London remains as competitive as they are. Jaxon regularly gets top-six minutes after appearing in just three OHL contests last year. Through 10 contests this year, he’s tallied 8 points and is regularly creating high danger scoring chances for himself and his teammates.

Cover’s stickhandling has been incredibly impressive so far, accomplishing a variety of advanced dekes to get through defenders. His hand speed is lightning quick, allowing him to execute plays faster than many NHLers, a trait that sometimes makes it look like he’s too far ahead of the play compared to his teammates. Like Malhotra, Cover needs to add weight to become a more substantial physical presence, but he is already very athletic and agile, which helps him slip past OHL defenders and utilize body fakes effectively. The final trait that allows Cover to find success with the puck is his hockey smarts. While Cover is sometimes over creative, leading to turnovers, he finds lanes that many prospects do not see, let alone dare to attempt.

Also impressive has been Cover’s off-puck offensive play. He keeps himself moving on the power play, darting in between defenders, looking to find windows to receive the puck before making a pass as swiftly as he received it. Cover is nearly always engaged in play on offense and rarely finds himself standing still, always looking to make an impact. On defense, he closes the gap between himself and the point man quickly and is not afraid to hit the ice for blocks.

Players as talented and smart as Cover are too good to pass up on in the 25-45 range of the draft, and depending on how his season progresses, I could see a team taking a swing on Jaxon in the first round. He possesses some similarities to last year’s Ryker Lee, although Cover’s off-puck game is far superior. Don’t be surprised if his production heavily increases through the holiday break, as his current scoring levels are understated compared to how many chances he creates.

Cover hasn’t had much success with his pure wrist shot but can get pucks off quickly in tight.

Elusive stickwork by Cover here. Even after he bobbles the puck, Jaxon still makes beating defenders look effortless and smooth.

Great work here to sell crashing the net and then quickly execute a pass. Everything Cover does with the puck, he does so with intention and swiftness.

Felix Sicard - North American Video Scout

Ethan Belchetz
Wing - Windsor Spitfires
6-foot-5, 228 pounds

Few prospects in North America have taken as big of a leap so far as Ethan Belchetz, and no, that’s not a play on his gigantic 6-foot- 5” frame. The former first overall pick in the OHL draft, Belchetz was productive as a rookie, but consistency was a common reproach to his game. Even at the Hlinka, he’d flash high-end offense, then float about for shifts on end. That has all changed so far this season.

Belchetz is constantly involved in the play, and that all starts with his skating. He moved around fine last season, but with the caveat of “for a big man”. No such caveats are needed now. He’s added explosiveness to his stride, as well as some additional agility. There are sequences now where he uses both his inside and outside edges to open up time and space for himself. Mohawks strides and quick changes of direction now show up with regularity, leaving one to wonder just how much more he can improve.

With the puck, he can dazzle with high-end passing sequences to spring scoring chances for his teammates. However, he’s added the less exciting, but pro-like stuff, such as give-and-go’s and quick chip plays. The hands, though not elite, are more than good enough to handle through tricky small-area situations, as well as in open ice. His shot has some power to it, especially as a one timer, but it’s still an area of opportunity for him.

Of course, there’s the toughness and physicality that everyone loves to see in a bigger player. While that is certainly a calling card in his game that will be the headline, there’s much more to his game than the “power forward” label would suggest. If this continues, he should absolutely be in the discussion to be the first name off the board after Gavin McKenna.

Here, Belchetz completes a cross-ice pass in the neutral zone, initiating a give-and-go where he drives to the net. He then receives the puck on his backhand and quickly gathers it to get a scoring chance on net. This ability to use his teammates to create chances for himself is very transferable to the pro game.

Here, Belchetz gathers the puck at the point, keeps his head up to survey his options, and finds his teammate on the backdoor thanks to a perfect tape to tape pass. The extra stickhandles right before the pass bought him just enough time and space to get it off.

Here, Belchetz wins a puck battle along the boards, then immediately takes the puck into the slot, where he fires home a short side goal. You get to see both his competitive streak in a tight area, as well as some nimble small-area stickhandling to get by a defender. Even more impressive when considering he is a 6-foot- 5” player.

Marek Novotny - Central Europe Regional Scout

Vladimír Dravecký Jr.
Defense – Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
6-foot-0, 187 pounds

Few European defensemen have taken as fascinating a path into their draft year as Vladimír Dravecký Jr. The 17-year-old blueliner has already played in four different leagues over the last four seasons, most recently making the jump to the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL, where he’ll skate alongside fellow Czech talents Adam Benák and Adam Jiříček.

Born in the U.S. but raised in Czechia since age six, Dravecký’s international allegiance briefly became a hot topic in summer 2024 when he switched from the Slovak to the Czech national team. The decision sparked debate across both countries, but it quickly paid off as Dravecký helped Czechia capture silver at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, showcasing the same poise and dynamic skill that have made him a legitimate candidate for early rounds of the 2026 NHL Draft.

A mobile, modern defenseman, Dravecký stands out for his skating and offensive instincts. He’s a fluid mover who generates speed through quick edge work and efficient transitions. He’s confident carrying pucks through the neutral zone, often leading controlled exits and joining the rush as a fourth forward. At Rögle BK U20 last season, he regularly dictated play from the back end and let me say that his ability to read pressure and create space under forecheck is well above his age group.

In addition to his skating, Dravecký shows a rare sense of deception for a young defenseman. He opens passing lanes that most players his age wouldn't even notice by using shoulder fakes and subtle weight shifts to manipulate forecheckers. He can change gears mid-stride, pull opponents in, and slip passes through narrow seams with his precise and strategic puckhandling. Under pressure, he doesn't hesitate to cross the blue line in the offensive zone, creating shooting lanes with his quick hands and lateral agility. You get a blueliner who can actually drive offense rather than just support it when you combine that with a heavy, accurate shot that regularly finds sticks for tips.

Videos:

Clip 1 – Blue Line Control and Quick Pass

Holds the puck at the blue line and executes an immediate, precise pass into the crease area, directly leading to a goal.

Clip 2 - Power Play Setup & Quick Wrist Shot

Calm at the top of the umbrella, looking for a shooting lane, he releases a quick wrist shot that creates chaos in front of the net and ultimately results in a goal for his team.

Clip 3 – Defensive Gap / One-on-One

Good stick positioning and mobility helped him to close the gap quickly without overcommitting.

 

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-mckeens-early-season-favourites-ontario-part-jean-christoph-lemieux-caleb-malhotra-brooks-rogowski-jaxon-cover-ethan-belchetz-vladimir-dravecky-jr/feed/ 0