[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 Jonas Lagerberg Hoen – McKeen's Hockey https://www.mckeenshockey.com The Essential Hockey Annual Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:07:30 +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

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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

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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 – 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

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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

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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 – SWEDEN – Ivar Stenberg, Elton Hermansson, Jonas Lagerberg Hoen, Viggo Björck, Nils Bartholdsson, Axel Elofsson, Malte Gustafsson https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-mckeens-early-season-favourites-sweden-ivar-stenberg-elton-hermansson-jonas-lagerberg-hoen-viggo-bjorck-nils-bartholdsson-axel-elofsson-malte-gustafsson/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2026-nhl-draft-mckeens-early-season-favourites-sweden-ivar-stenberg-elton-hermansson-jonas-lagerberg-hoen-viggo-bjorck-nils-bartholdsson-axel-elofsson-malte-gustafsson/#respond Mon, 27 Oct 2025 20:47:04 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=197424 Read More... from 2026 NHL Draft: McKeen’s Early Season Favourites – SWEDEN – Ivar Stenberg, Elton Hermansson, Jonas Lagerberg Hoen, Viggo Björck, Nils Bartholdsson, Axel Elofsson, Malte Gustafsson

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Frölundas Ivar Stenberg
Photo: Michael Erichsen / BILDBYRÅN /

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 SWEDEN

Felix Robbins - Regional Swedish Scout

Ivar Stenberg
Left Wing - Frölunda HC (SHL)
6-foot-0, 181 pounds, Shoots: L

Without a doubt, Stenberg enters the season as one of the most highly anticipated Swedish prospects of his generation and a consensus lottery pick for the 2026 NHL draft. In spite of that pressure on his shoulders and sheltered minutes, Stenberg has delivered a knockout performance so far this season tallying 2 goals and 7 assists in just 11 SHL games. He’s only playing 13-15 minutes per game, but Frölunda has been consistent in their belief that slow and steady wins the development race. At some point, with his level of play, Stenberg will force their hand.

Stenberg is one of the most purely skilled players in this draft class, behind only Gavin McKenna. His puck handling and hockey IQ make him a constant playmaking threat in the offensive zone. He is patient and deceptive with the puck on his stick and rarely wastes his puck touches. His vision and timing are elite and his passing ideas are so darn smart. His small area skill helps him protect pucks along the wall and even let him make plays to the slot from that position. His shot is a laser as well. The offensive package is a dream. What’s more is his approach to creating offence is so process oriented and consistent that there’s no fear of his scoring not translating.

Stenberg’s ability to play through contact and his strong body positioning puts to rest any concerns of him being “soft”. His work rate on the forecheck and away from the puck is perfectly adequate. He may be a stick-first defender rather than take the body, but that stick is accurate and well-timed. His board play and physical resilience is getting better with every game and should not be any cause for concern in the future. He needs to fill out, of course, but what teenager doesn’t?

A fair criticism of Stenberg is that he doesn’t currently have the footspeed of a truly elite offensive winger. His skating is fine in general, but he lacks escape speed and relies on quick passes to connect plays in transition rather than carrying it himself. He’s surviving fine in the SHL, but he’ll need to add some quickness and explosiveness to his step to reach his ceiling in the NHL. Another thing is that he’s got a very early birthday so his development runway is a little shorter. However, that’s a moot point for a player as advanced as Stenberg. He is already a high-level player in the SHL scoring at a record-breaking pace and could be a top line offensive winger in the NHL.

VIDEO

A beautiful cross-ice pass by Stenberg (#41 Red) to a trailing teammate with a world of space in front of him. Stenberg’s deception from his hip pocket has the whole opposing team turned towards him thinking he’ll shoot, only for him to pass it at the last second.

Stenberg (#41) gets hit with a great pass and makes no mistake. Quick release and pinpoint accuracy.

Stenberg (#41 Red) goes to the net and gets rewarded. He just barely outmuscles the defender and gets enough space to tuck home a great feed on the doorstep. Who says he doesn’t compete?

Stenberg (#41 White) isn’t really known for his defensive contribution or coast to coast puck carries, but here we see him make a terrific play down low in his own end and skate the puck all the way to the offensive zone. A straight-line approach, sure, and he runs out of room, but encouraging to see him make attempts.

Elton Hermansson
Right Wing – MoDo (HockeyAllsvenskan)
6-foot-1, 181 pounds, Shoots: R

Hermansson put on a show at the Hlinka Gretzky tournament, scoring 11 points in 5 games and looking otherworldly while doing so. He has been a dazzling offensive talent on most scouts’ radars since he was a 14-year-old. He’s consistently played at level well above his age group and put up tons of points while doing so. Despite raising some eyebrows, his offseason move from Orebro to hometown club MoDo falls in line with this pattern. He’s already made his HockeyAllsvenskan debut and put up five points in six games in limited minutes, but he should be getting every opportunity to earn a more prominent role as the season goes on.

If you want creativity and flash, then look no further. There is no greater magician with the puck than Hermansson when he’s on. He can dangle guys out of their jock one on one and freeze the goalie. He can pick apart defensive structures with ease with his tactical passing and deceptive handles. He can pick his spots and absolutely rifle the puck home. He even goes to the net. Sometimes he can try to do too much himself, but Hermansson is the guy you want to get the puck to in the offensive zone because he’ll make plays happen and create offense like it’s nothing. The ceiling is sky high. One could argue lottery pick territory. However, Hermansson comes with some risk.

The catch is that he isn’t the most well-rounded or the most defensively responsible player. Winning the puck back from his team is a work in progress. He’s smart, he can throw his weight around, and he can chip in defensively when he wants to. He just has that Nylander-esque streak of passiveness and low energy away from the puck that can really frustrate.

Playing against men in the HockeyAllsvenskan has taught him some hard lessons about what sort of compete level you need bring (and bring consistently) to be successful at the pro level. He has applied himself much more on the forecheck than he has at the U20 level. The hope is that he’ll mature as he gets more reps. I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen so far but work rate away from the puck is going to be something to keep an eye on.

VIDEO

Hermansson (17 Yellow) completely bamboozling three USA defenders and almost scoring. Love the skill-speed combo here.

Beautiful snipe by Hermansson (17 Red). Below the glove and above the pad, the spot most modern snipers can hit consistently.

A frustrating sequence to watch, even if you could argue that play wasn’t close enough to Hermansson (67 white) to be his responsibility. It’s more the body language. He looks completely disengaged. All too common, based on my viewings.

Hermansson (#71 White) chipping in defensively, taking the puck carrier to the boards and tying up his stick for an easy looking takeaway. Even if it doesn’t look like he’s working that hard, I’ll take more of this please!

Jonas Lagerberg Hoen
Right Wing – Leksands IF U20
6-foot-2, 176 pounds, Shoots: R

Lagerberg Hoen shot the lights out in his draft minus one season, tallying 27 goals and just 3 assists at the U20 level. That made for a very interesting profile heading into his draft season. Is he a one-tricky pony or did he just have weird luck? After a white-hot start to his draft year (9 goals, 16 points in 9 games), it turns out it was weird luck. Lagerberg Hoen is a legitimate play driver and goal scorer extraordinaire. He’s playing 22+ minutes a night and the PP runs through him. At the rate he’s going, it won’t be long before he’s playing some minutes in the SHL.

Like the other two players mentioned in this article, he’s an on-puck dominant winger with high-end offensive tools. What sets him apart from the other two is his impressive skill-speed combo. He’s one of the quickest and most explosive skaters in the region from the 2026 draft class. Naturally, that makes him a strong puck carrier. He reads the ice at a high level which lets him make well timed cuts to open ice for high danger shots. It also lets him push the defenders back on their heels away from the puck in transition, making him a lethal rush attacker.

His shot is among the best in the region as well. It’s a laser that he can locate at will. He can lift the puck in tight. He can put it right over the goalie’s shoulders from the hash marks. The puck is on and off his stick in an instant off the pass. The quality of his shot isn’t the only reason he’s scoring goals, though. Lagerberg Hoen can drives the net and deke the goalie thanks to his quick hands. His control from his edges and strong puck handling ability opens up a ton of space for him. He could stand to use his teammates more, but there’s so much to like about his offensive toolkit. It screams top 6 potential.

The drawbacks are similar to the other prospects mentioned earlier. Lagerberg Hoen doesn’t give you much off puck, at least not consistently. His overall work rate and energy is fine, but he doesn’t take those extra few steps on the forecheck or backcheck to really get on guys and make their life difficult. Nor does he apply his frame all that well in puck battles. He throws his body around and gets his stick in lanes defensively, but he can also be undisciplined. Maturity, both physically and mentally, must happen. However, he’s still an incredibly fun watch and I’m optimistic about his NHL future.

VIDEO

Some impressive speed and hands on display here from Lagerberg Hoen (#9 white), going end to end for this rush goal.

Lagerberg Hoen (#9 blue) doing it all himself. Starting to understand how he scored so many goals and so few assists.

This is probably the best effort I have seen from Lagerberg Hoen (#9 White) on the forecheck so far this season. Despite his light weight, it’s evident he has some jam to him. He’s got to figure out a way to apply himself like this consistently.

Some of that lack of discipline mentioned earlier. A very needless penalty by Lagerberg Hoen (#9 White) as he commits a stick infraction in the offensive zone killing the play instantly. Typically, his hockey IQ is pretty good, but this was a lowlight.

Simon Johansson - European Video Scout

Viggo Björck
Center / Right wing - Djurgårdens IF
5-foot-10, 172 pounds

The hockey world has been talking about Viggo Björck for quite some time. His last season did not disappoint either, breaking the scoring record at the U20s in Sweden. Viggo is a dynamic offensive forward that possesses one of the greatest hockey IQs of his age group. However, by starting the season off with the newly qualified team to the SHL, Djurgårdens IF, Viggo has displayed other traits that might surprise you if you’ve watched him only from last year.

Viggo has mainly been playing bottom six minutes and his linemates are more of the type of grinders and two-way forwards. Not exactly the perfect environment for a high-end scorer. But Viggo has displayed great off-puck play and has surprisingly adapted himself to being a two-way, energy winger. Being able to adapt to a new role this quickly while simultaneously playing against one of the best men’s leagues in the world just shows you how high of a hockey IQ Viggo possesses. He’s shown great compete, forechecking frenetically, winning puck battles behind the net, and even shown some physicality by throwing his weight around.

Some other traits that have stood out are his skating ability and transition play. Viggo’s got good edgework, being able to make sharp turns and maintain good pressure in his forecheck following the puck carrier. Even though he has pretty good acceleration and top end speed, he has issues at times creating separation speed. Improving his lower body strength should be a priority for him in the coming future. In transition he has been impactful in limited ice time. With his speed it’s difficult to contain him coming through the neutral zone and he has been creating plenty of rush chances this way.

You definitely don’t want Viggo playing 4th line minutes all season long. If you play someone as a fourth liner, you will get a fourth liner. Viggo’s potential has always been suited for a top nine role, where his two-way game can affect play the most. However, playing against men was probably the wisest decision for this season. He has already proven that he can handle the physicality and if he can continue to show well in that department, he’ll remove a lot of doubt from scouts.

VIDEO

#61 in the clip

Despite needing to work on his lower core strength, he displays good acceleration and decent top end speed to create a chance on his own.

#61 in the clip

Here Viggo shows great compete and frenetic forechecking to eventually win the puck battle and get the puck to the slot.

#61 in the clip

Viggo lacks size and it’s going to be a main concern when drafting him, but at least he’s willing to use his body to win pucks like in this clip.

#61 in the clip

He starts the rush chance by creating speed through the neutral zone, makes a superb pass across the ice by scanning the ice beforehand, which eventually ends up as a goal for Djurgården.

Viktor Åhlund - Swedish Regional Scout

Nils Bartholdsson
Forward - Rögle U20
5-foot-10, 174 pounds

Nils Bartholdsson is a Swedish forward recognized as one of the more promising players from Sweden’s 2008-born class. After watching Bartholdsson live for more than 20 games last season combined with a strong start to 25/26 he earned a spot on my top 3 list of early season favorites.

Bartholdsson has consistently demonstrated strong offensive instincts and possesses the ability for stepping up in decisive moments. His offensive production at the junior level reflects both his scoring touch and his ability to create plays for his teammates.

Bartholdsson’s most notable attributes lie in his hockey sense and composure under pressure. He reads the game well, anticipating both puck movement and defensive gaps. His wrist shot is quick and accurate, allowing him to finish plays from the slot or off the rush. His lethal release has resulted in 6 goals in 9 games so far this season and is Rögle's most efficient weapon on the power play with his one-timer. While not an overly flashy stickhandler, he is effective at maintaining puck control through tight spaces and uses small and smart adjustments to protect possession.

Skating is an area where Bartholdsson shows good potential. His stride is efficient and balanced, though he still has room to add explosiveness in his first few steps. He is still filling out physically and is not among the larger players in this year’s draft group, but he competes hard and isn’t afraid to engage along the boards or in front of the net. He brings a high level of energy every game and has a sharp edge to his game that is difficult to teach. His compete level has been on display since last season and remains strong this season, a key attribute that NHL scouts will highly value.

Defensively Bartholdsson shows responsibility and an understanding of positioning, but consistency remains a work in progress. Continued development in this area will make him a more complete two-way forward.

Overall, Bartholdsson is a skilled and intelligent winger with scoring upside. After watching him live for 20+ games I am confident to say that If he continues to refine his skating and physical game, he could evolve into a top-six forward at the professional level, capable of contributing offensively while maintaining reliable two-way habits. It's just a matter of time before we will witness Bartholdsson making his SHL debut with Rögle BK’s pro team.

VIDEO

Bartholdsson weaves through traffic with impressive control, showcasing his agility

and fine stickhandling before setting up his teammate, who buries the puck past

the goalkeeper. An exceptional play from Bartholdsson.

It would be unfair to label Bartholdsson as Rögle’s most effective power play

weapon, known for his devastating one-timer, without providing evidence,

so here’s the play that says it all.

This sequence highlights Bartholdsson’s defensive awareness and work ethic.

After a turnover on the rush, he shows great determination by skating back, using his body to close off a passing lane, and effectively tying up his opponent’s stick to support his goaltender in making an easy save.

Bartholdsson shows his determination to score and compete. He fires a shot, battles for the loose puck in front of the net, and when it goes to the boards, he keeps fighting to win it back, allowing Rögle to maintain possession and stay on the attack.

Axel Elofsson
Defense - Örebro HK
5-foot-10, 163 pounds

Axel Elofsson is one of the top defensive prospects emerging from Örebro HK.

Born in 2008, the 17-year-old blueliner has already made a name for himself in the U20 series last season with 32 points in 38 games followed up with a strong Hlinka Gretzky tournament this August.

His combination of poise, skating ability, and offensive awareness sets him apart among Swedish defenders in his age group. Elofsson’s game is built around calm decision making and technical skill. He moves the puck efficiently, rarely panicking under pressure, and prefers to find controlled exits or short passes over dumping the puck away.

Elofsson's skating is fluid and balanced, allowing him to join the rush with confidence and still recover defensively. His mobility also makes him effective in transition, both carrying the puck up ice and defending against counterattacks. Offensively, he’s already shown strong production from the blue line this season, 15 points in 9 games so far is highlighting his vision and playmaking skills. Elofsson possesses the ability to quarterback the power play and has been doing so through all my viewings so far this season.

Defensively Elofsson is learning to adjust to the faster pace and physicality of bigger and stronger opponents. While his reads are generally sound, maintaining positioning and managing risk when jumping into plays will be key areas of growth. Like many players his age, he’s still maturing physically and does not have the size of other top prospect defensemen like Malte Gustafsson or William Håkansson. Added strength will help him handle board battles and sustain intensity throughout a full season.

Elofsson's opening of this season has been up to expectations and he has the tools to become a modern two-way defenseman at pro level If he continues to refine his defensive consistency and build on his natural puck sense.

VIDEO

Elofsson showcases his smooth skating and slick puckhandling, carrying the puck from his own end through traffic and nearly finishing off what would’ve been a highlight-reel goal.

Elofsson absorbs a hit to make a play in his own end, then supports his team through the neutral zone. After briefly losing the puck, he quickly recovers by cutting off the passing lane, regains control, and calmly carries it back into the defensive zone. With poise, he waits for his teammates to skate to open space before delivering a perfect cross-ice pass.

A great sequence from Elofsson, who actively joins the offensive play.

He leaves his position at the blue line to drive toward the net, then quickly recovers his position, staying available as a passing option. When Örebro re-enters the offensive zone, the puck finds Elofsson, and he delivers a calculated wrist shot through traffic that finds the back of the net.

Excellent defensive work from Elofsson, who steals the puck and shakes off his opponent with impressive edgework and mobility before making a clean breakout pass. As play transitions forward and his team loses possession, Elofsson reads the situation perfectly, regains puck control in the neutral zone, and follows up with one of his signature cross-ice passes.

Malte Gustafsson
Defense - HV71
6-foot-4, 198 pounds

Malte Gustafsson is a prospect raised in Tingsryds AIF, a small society in Småland, Sweden with a strong hockey culture. He’s one of the top defencemen coming out of Sweden this draft year. As a young player joining the HV71 team, he has displayed an uncommon blend of composure, mobility and offensive ambition for a player his age, something that I already took notice of last season. Despite still developing physically, he frequently shows up in key positions and contributes to his team’s play by joining the rush, making good decisions with the puck, and reading the game effectively, and last but not least, a solid puck carrier in break outs.

What stands out about Gustafsson is his willingness to take calculated risks. He’s not content to simply defend and clear pucks, instead he pushes the pace, looks to move the puck up ice, and is prepared to jump into the attack when the opportunity arises. His offensive numbers reflect that, opening this season with seven points in nine games in the U20 National, that shows that he’s not simply keeping things safe and simple, but also contributing offensively. Gustafsson possesses a good wrist shot and uses it effectively, taking calculated shots from the blue line, often through traffic.

On the defensive side, he shows maturity beyond his age which makes him an asset for any team and someone who can do almost everything on the ice for a player in his category, contributing both in power play and boxplay. He reads situations well, uses his stick and positioning rather than relying solely on physical power even though he has the size to do so. In my opinion, Gustafsson’s the most defensively skilled defenceman coming out of Sweden in this year’s draft class

Moving forward, Gustafsson’s path is still open and filled with possibility. For him the development focus will likely include gaining strength, sharpening his one-on-one defending against faster forwards, and continuing to refine his decision making under pressure. If he keeps progressing, he could become a reliable two-way defenceman at the pro level. Gustafsson is a young blueliner to keep an eye on this season, solid in his defending, productive in offence, and with those traits he’s the kind of player that clubs look for when building for the future.I'm confident that Gustafsson will soon make his debut in the SHL where we will see how his game translates into the pro level stage.

VIDEO

Gustafsson demonstrates his effectiveness and shooting ability on the power play. He controls the puck at the blue line, moves laterally to create space, then steps into an opening and releases a precise wrist shot that finds the back of the net.

This is just one of several power plays where he executes the exact same sequence with the same level of precision.

Gustafsson displays strong defensive awareness and composure, maintaining control of the play by adjusting his speed, steering his opponent wide, and using body to recover the puck.

Another strong defensive play from Gustafsson, who reads the situation well and adjusts his pace to steer his opponent toward the boards before delivering a clean, well-timed body check, a perfect example of how effectively he uses his size.

Battling for the puck in the defensive zone, Gustafsson finds himself surrounded by opponents but remains composed. He fakes one way, makes a smooth turn to evade pressure, and delivers a simple, smart pass, showcasing impressive maturity and poise for his age.

 

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