Landon Nycz – McKeen's Hockey

2026 NHL DRAFT: TOP 32 PRIOR TO THE 2026 IIHF U18 MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Brock Otten — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:03:12 +0000

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

2026 NHL DRAFT: TOP 100 PRIOR TO THE 2026 IIHF U18 MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Brock Otten — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 17:58:39 +0000

Caleb Malhotra

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

2026 NHL DRAFT: DETAILED SCOUTING REPORT – Landon Nycz, D, Univ. of Massachusetts (NCAA)

Linc Zdancewicz — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:32:09 +0000

Landon Nycz

Landon Nycz

2026 NHL Draft Eligible

Position: D, Shoots: L

H/W: 6-foot-3, 205 pounds

Date of Birth: 2007-10-04

After a solid career in the USHL, Landon Nycz established himself as a solid two-way defenseman, promptly joining UMass in the Hockey East for his 18-year-old season. Size and physical maturity were always the most standout traits for Nycz, and he intended to put them on display in the NCAA to increase his draft stock. Despite only mustering three points in 35 games for a team whose season ended in a Hockey East Championship loss, Nycz has indeed put his abilities on display very well throughout his season, growing his game significantly from the beginning of his season.

Nycz has a simple yet effective game that caught the eye of many who paid attention to UMass hockey this season. This role was needed to complement his most frequent partners, the offensive defensemen Larry Keenan and Coleson Hanrahan. Nycz’s ability to play that responsible game on a top pairing of a college lineup makes him stand out as a very safe pick.

After being graded as a “C” grade for Central Scouting's initial grades in October, Nycz was ranked as the 28th best NA Skater in their mid-season rankings, firmly in the “B” grade after his strong first half of the season. He is generally viewed as a second Round Prospect, following a trend in recent years of teams tending to load up on large, physical, and mobile defensemen in the second and third rounds.

As for his development path, Nycz exhibited wonderful moments of great skating, puck carrying prowess, blue line patrolling, and shut-down defense in spurts throughout this year. His offense was not as high as it would have been in the USHL, but I believe making the jump to the NCAA was the right move to show what he could do against bigger and faster competition. I believe a good two more years will do Nycz and a resurgent UMass program wonders in the future. Now let’s take a look at what Nycz is working with.

Skating

Nycz is a solid skater, coming off as average to above average for college, and he’ll probably develop into an above-average skater when he comes to the NHL. His straight-line speed is surprisingly good, and he can get going quickly when moving up ice, showing very solid puck-carrying abilities. Additionally, he has been very hard to beat to pucks when he goes full out, and Nycz is generally very fluid in the defensive zone and on rushes, as he makes good use of his skates being all over the place. What also helps his four-way mobility in the defensive zone is his edgework, granting him the ability to turn quickly and change direction to meet the lightning-fast attack of Hockey East teams. I would only classify his edges as just above average, as he doesn’t separate himself in the offensive zone with them, and it doesn’t make him impervious in the defensive zone.

At the blueline, Nycz is just okay, skating-wise, he seems less confident and relies on his more offensively inclined pairings to dictate offensive pressure. When he eventually does add to the offensive pressure, it will usually be him gravitating to the wall for a shot or a wall pass. He is not an offensive defenseman and doesn’t have the instincts to attack pressure and activate in the zone, but there have been flashes that he can do those things at an average level semi-consistently in the future. In the defensive zone, Nycz is generally more aggressive, using a bit more skating finesse to attempt to breakout the puck. Without the puck, he is a little less aggressive, often dealing with a man in front of the net or on the periphery of a wall battle, looking for a loose puck.

Finally, in the neutral zone, Nycz is quite active, either opting to aggressively pinch and catch the zone entry early with his active stick or hanging out waiting for the dump just outside of the offensive zone. A last tendency I’ve found with Nycz is that he doesn’t do great with pressure in tight, he is great with evading pressure in open ice, but doesn’t have that same skating confidence when in small areas. Overall, Nycz has solid enough speed, dexterity, and awareness to become a very competent skater at the NHL level with more time in the NCAA.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SKATING-1-Nycz-PP-zone-entry.mp4

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SKATING-2-Nycz-failed-breakout-then-successful-breakout.mp4

Here are two breakouts into zone entries done single-handedly by Nycz. He shows his ability to accelerate quickly and smartly evade pressure mid-skate. The second does include a slip-up at first, and I should mention that his success rate as a breakout defenseman has only very recently become above average as he has grown as a skater in college. He should be more of a threat next year at UMass.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SKATING-3-Nycz-Neutral-Zone-Skating.mp4

Here is a neutral zone shift by Nycz, where he shows off some solid skating on a regrouping effort. His skating is solid, staying with the play even after his first attempt doesn’t see a re-entry. Nycz ends the play with a long pass, which frustrates me because I wish he would attack the neutral zone again with his skates.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SKATING-4-Nycz-Defensive-Zone-Skating.mp4

Here is a defensive zone puck carry for Nycz, where he spinoramas twice to try to gain space, but then throws a bad pass to a wall option.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SKATING-5-Nycz-bad-defensive-coverage-1.mp4

Here is Nycz getting caught flat-footed in the defensive zone against a quick Providence team and getting beaten by speed twice. He tends to be stationary in the defensive zone and gets caught off guard when challenged with speed, something he will need to work on in the coming years.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SKATING-6-Nycz-bad-rush-defense-1.mp4

Here is a rush defensive sequence in which Nycz makes the wrong decision and bites on the opposing blue line for no gain. He will take bad angles to try to stop pressure some of the time, and it becomes very frustrating to watch. However, I will note that he became way more conservative and smarter as the year went on.

GRADE: 55

Shot

Landon Nycz has a powerful shot, but still has a lot to learn as a shooter. Nycz’s strength is not at all in question, generating great power from his size and good balance on his skates. His power is real. When he is in position, Nycz can fire off a powerful shot that causes rebounds and is overall hard to stop. This applies to his wrist shots, one-timers, and slap shots, having good mechanics when in position and having a quick release. However, at less than ideal angles, Nycz loses a lot of power and a lot of accuracy on his shot. I mentioned before that he has a tendency to panic and throw the puck when pressured, and that doesn’t change in the offensive zone, as he just chucks it towards the net when pressured heavily.

He also has shown some worrying habits at the blue line when it comes to shooting. Nycz drifts to the perimeter and wall on occasion to take his shots, which almost always are off-target and will often have him look off a better option due to pressure. Another issue with Nycz’s ability as a shooter is his inability to find seams. He only scored once this season, very early on, and since then, he has struggled to get quality shots on net when pressured. Nycz often cannot shoot pucks through oncoming shot-blockers, and his success rate with finding the net has suffered since. Landon Nycz has all the “tools” of becoming an average shooter in the NHL, but there is much work to do in breaking the many bad habits he has exhibited throughout his collegiate season.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SHOT-1-Nycz-Scan-and-finds-seam-1.mp4

Here is Nycz’s only goal of the year. It is a clever shot with the stickhandling and double screen, and it finds its way through, however, Nycz shows off his tendency to drift to the wall, showing signs of the habit that handicaps his ability as a shooter.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SHOT-2-Nycz-Shot-feint-and-then-shot.mp4

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SHOT-3-Nycz-Weak-Shot-from-the-point.mp4

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SHOT-4-Nycz-one-time-Shot.mp4

Here are 3 more examples of Nycz’s shots from the point off of offensive cycles. The first clip was a great feint shot that led to him getting space and making a much better shot. The second clip is a weak shot against a weak Simon Fraser opponent, where he drifts to the wall yet again. The third clip ends this part on a high note as he gets the puck and passes it off to create space for a better one-time shot from a great position. I show these to show how Nycz has several options when at the point, and he has a ton of potential to show the good shots consistently.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SHOT-5-Nycz-Shot-off-entry.mp4

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SHOT-6-Nycz-shot-for-rebound.mp4

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SHOT-7-Nycz-Shot-off-of-full-ice-carry.mp4

Here are 3 more clips of Nycz’s most successful shots: shots off the rush. He finds the most power, quickness, and confidence in these chances. Clip one is him taking advantage of being the last man to enter, and he fires a powerful shot in space. Clip two was another very solid shot off the rush that became a great rebound chance, unfortunately, no one was around to clean it up. Clip three was Nycz firing a wrist shot off the rush, though he gets knocked down, the shot is quality, and the goalie has to freeze the puck to control it.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SHOT-8-Nycz-blocked-shot-looked-off-pass.mp4

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SHOT-9-Nycz-blocked-shot-and-turnover.mp4

These last two clips show Nycz’s blocked shots. Clip one shows Nycz entering the zone with space and firing a quick shot, but it goes off the defender's knee, and he ensures the possession stays with UMass. Clip two shows Nycz getting off the wall for a shot, but it is a weak shot while he's pressured, and it turns into a rush the other way.

GRADE: 50

Skills

Nycz’s stick skill has honestly been quite surprising. He has been quite capable of making some impressive moves in his game to help him break out or activate. However, Nycz’s handling needs much more work to become a facet of his game. When in motion with the puck, Nycz is a smart stick handler, conservative with his movements, but he has the requisite skill and finesse to get the space he requires on the rush to make plays. Give it another two or three years, and his rush game could be very deadly at the NCAA level and certainly above average at the NHL level.

His success rate falters when in the offensive zone, however. I have mentioned before Nycz’s tendencies at the blue line, and they do not help him when he tries to demonstrate stick skills there. Nycz can run out of room to create space when he gravitates to the wall, and when pressured, he will not even try to evade pressure but instead throw the puck down behind the net. This leads to some turnovers in his own offensive zone. However, Nycz became considerably calmer and composed at the blueline as the season went along. Nycz also exhibits his stick skills in the defensive zone, adding to his deception when breaking out of the zone.

Lastly, he falls victim to the same tendency that plagues all skaters who have above-average stick skills, he tries to do too much with the puck, and it will get him into trouble. I am less concerned with this habit, as many skaters naturally fix this the longer they stay in college. Overall, Nycz’s stickhandling will not be the hallmark of his game, but it just adds an offensive layer that not many opponents will expect him to have.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SKILLS-1-Nycz-Activation-in-Zone.mp4

Here is an example of Nycz’s skill when he activates in the offensive zone. Though he doesn’t do it often and doesn’t exhibit tremendous hands, he gets around the defender with skill and fires a close-angle shot. Its a good view of what his game could look like should he activate more often.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SKILLS-2-Nycz-Shot-feint-and-then-shot.mp4

I used this clip in the shooting section, but I really enjoyed this shot feint move he makes here at the blue line.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SKILLS-3-Nycz-Puck-Carry-and-Slot-pass.mp4

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SKILLS-4-Nycz-Zone-Entry-and-pass.mp4

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SKILLS-5-Nycz-Shot-off-of-full-ice-carry.mp4

Here are three neutral zone skill clips that show how effective Nycz is off the rush.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SKILLS-6-Nycz-fumbles-at-the-blueline.mp4

Here is a bad mistake at the blueline where Nycz cannot dig the puck out of his skates and causes a turnover. He still has to iron out kinks in his game like this and really tighten up his game at the blue line. However, I will give Nycz some credit because he has become way more solid with his stick in the last few games of his year.

GRADE: 52.5

Smarts

Landon Nycz exhibits some pro-level intelligence in his game that helps him offensively, however there is still much more that he needs to learn and grow from this season to round out into the reliable two-way defensman mold that he is trying to become. In the neutral zone and when entering the offensive zone, Nycz does a great job at exploiting gaps with his skating and puck protection, an ability that will help him when he eventually becomes more confident activating in the offensive zone. Though his success rate at exploiting gaps isn’t as high in the defensive zone, he does make good use of the space given to him and has shown flashes of improvement.

There is much more work that Nycz must put into his passing game, however. He has been really struggling in this area of his game, especially under pressure. In the defensive zone, he often tries to attempt long ice passes to hit a forward entering the zone, but he has not had much success with these passes. Additionally, he will crack under pressure and make some ugly passes, not just in his own zone but in the offensive zone as well. Nycz will gain a lot if he gains some confidence when challenged by pressure, but that is never a guarantee.

Defensively, Nycz has not always taken the best angles to opponents on rush defenses, but has gotten very good at using his reach to smother pressure along the wall and behind the net. That habit is fine at the NCAA level, but he will need to get better at sizing up his opponents on the rush to take full advantage of his active stick and large size. Finally, he has some solid sense in the defensive zone, finding passing lanes, but he seems a step behind in getting to those lanes on occasion. Adding more pace to his in-zone defense will go a long way in helping his shut-down game.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SMARTS-1-Nycz-jumps-into-breakup-breakout-and-shoot.mp4

Here is a clip of him jumping into the ice-length pass and creating a shot out of it. Nycz has the speed and processing power to make these plays and disrupt opposing offensive chances at the neutral zone, he just needs to do it consistently.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SMARTS-2-Nycz-Poor-Passing-decision-in-DZ.mp4

Conversely, here is a really bad read by Nycz that leads to a turnover and goal by Northeastern. He misjudges how close his teammate is to him, and he pays for it.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SMARTS-3-Nycz-failed-breakout-then-successful-breakout.mp4

Here is another failed breakout that Nycz turns into a successful breakout by staying with the play. His success rate in his freshman season was not the highest, but he has been making progress in the second half, shifts like these show it.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SMARTS-4-Nycz-play-read-and-break-up-play.mp4

Here is a clip of Nycz’s active stick and how he puts his reach to work. He can get out of position or not be perfectly in the position to block or kill plays, but his reach makes up for it, and he can kill those plays regardless.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SMARTS-5-Nycz-bad-rush-defense.mp4

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SMARTS-6-Nycz-bad-defensive-coverage.mp4

I had these clips in the skating section, but these defensive mistakes on the rush and in-zone, respectively, were worth repeating here in the Smarts section.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SMARTS-7-Nycz-Smother.mp4

Here is Nycz getting beat on zone entry, but he makes up for it by “smothering” his man along the wall before he can make a play.

GRADE: 52.5

Physicality/Compete

Nycz has exhibited an average to above-average physicality and compete in his freshman season at UMass, but there is reason to believe that he will become more physical with more confidence, strength, and ice time. His physicality is not explosive, but he gets the job done, taking opponents out of the play once they have entered the zone, mainly getting to his man a second late. Nycz will need to play with more pace to fully take advantage of his large size and inclination to put defenders on their butt. Though he can be off a step at times, Nycz can really disrupt opponents in open ice as well. He is no stranger to draping himself all over attackers to get them off the puck, a style of play that has led to UMass being hard to enter the zone against. Overall, Nycz’s physicality has great potential to be feared at the NHL level, but he will need to up his pace and take better angles to make that happen. Altogether, he should be just above average physically when he makes the jump.

Nycz’s compete has been similarly just above average, with flashes of high compete followed by moments of him standing still. Offensively, Nycz exhibits great moments of supporting his team’s rush and breaking the puck out by himself, showing great initiative. However, some of that spark goes away in the offensive zone. Part of that loss of “umph” comes from a lack of confidence when pressured, but he was showing more activation later in the year, and more confidence will come with more ice time next season. His neutral zone compete has similarly been solid, showing moments of killing plays at the opposing blue line and pinching on rushes. However, he can be a step behind and take bad angles at times. When he gets beaten wide, Nycz tends not to chase his opponents but rather tries to trap them behind him along the boards, which will work in the NCAA level, but does not work at the NHL level. He will need to play with a higher pace of play when defending the rush and in his own zone. Finally, Nycz follows the play well in the defensive zone, but he can often get caught flat-footed and look slow. Nycz will need to show more effort in the defensive zone to get the most out of his size and round out defensively.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PHYSICAL-1-Nycz-Bad-Angle-but-stays-with-the-play.mp4

Here is a clip where Nycz gets beat wide but is able to use his body to kill the play along the wall. This is a great use of his reach, and he adds another hit at the end for good measure.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PHYSICAL-2-Nycz-gets-beat-but-hits-him-along-the-wall.mp4

Here, Nycz gets beat on a zone entry but traps his opponent, blocks the shot, and hits him hard along the wall.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PHYSICAL-3-Nycz-goes-into-the-corner-with-determination.mp4

Here is a clip of Nycz that I wish I could see more often. He drives behind the net to collect the puck under immense pressure from an opponent to try to get possession. He doesn’t win the battle, but he ties up his man and gives a tremendous effort.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PHYSICAL-4-Nycz-Open-Ice-Hit.mp4

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PHYSICAL-5-Nycz-Puts-a-guy-in-the-bench-and-another-in-the-wall.mp4

Here are two clips of Nycz engaging physically at the entry to his own zone. The first clip is a nice open ice hit, and the second clip is a nice pinch to put an opponent in his own bench and then follow up with another hit along the opposite boards, showing great compete.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PHYSICAL-6-Nycz-takes-opponent-out-of-the-play.mp4

Here is a great example of Nycz being behind an opponent but still taking him out of the play to kill a quality rush.

GRADE: 55

OFP: 53.375

A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

2026 NHL DRAFT – MID-SEASON RANKING – TOP 64 with Honourable Mentions – Closing gap between top prospects

Brock Otten — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 18:59:16 +0000

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

2026 NHL DRAFT – MID-SEASON RANKING – TOP 32 – Closing gap between top prospects

Brock Otten — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 18:56:46 +0000

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

2026 NHL Draft: McKeen’s Early Season Favourites – USA PART ONE – Ilia Morozov, Landon Nycz, David Bosco, Blake Zielinski, Luke Schairer, Adam Valentini

Brock Otten and Mark Dube — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 13:15:21 +0000

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 USA PART ONE

Brock Otten - Director of Scouting

Ilia Morozov

Center - Miami University (Ohio)

6-foot-3, 200 pounds

Morozov shocked the scouting community when it was announced that he had accelerated his studies and would be attending Miami University a year early, playing out his draft year as a “true freshman.” Many expected that Morozov would return to Tri-City of the USHL this season after a solid, but inconsistent U17 year last season. As such, the decision to play NCAA hockey this year was met with skepticism and trepidation. Needless to say, Morozov has erased those concerns early on with strong play, operating as Miami’s top line center.

The first thing that’s worth mentioning is that Morozov has hit a huge growth spurt during the last calendar year. He was a very slight 6-foot-1 when he entered the USHL last year and he’s now listed at 6-foot-3 and over 200 pounds with Miami. With an August birth date, he also is one of the youngest available players this year, suggesting that he could still be growing.

This late growth spurt helps to explain one of the only weak parts of Morozov’s game, his quickness and pace. Even with strong early production (albeit against weaker competition), he’s had trouble creating separation in the open ice at the NCAA level and is often forced to slow pace to a crawl when he is attacking downhill. This skating deficiency wasn’t nearly as noticeable at the USHL level last year. Part of that is the level up. Part of that has to be the added weight and size.

Everything else is solid, which is why Miami is using Morozov in every situation imaginable. He’s showing great effort in all three zones and is making key plays at both ends. He’s bringing a high level of physicality to the forecheck and in puck pursuit. With the puck, he’s making both skilled and calculated plays and has shown great chemistry with former OHL’er Kocha Delic. His shot, in particular, has shown to be a serious weapon and he’s finding open space to utilize it, even without that desired quickness.

Obviously scouts will be looking to see sustained offensive production from Morozov, especially as Miami’s schedule becomes more difficult. With a mature, detail-oriented game, Morozov’s offensive upside is bound to be questioned. However, NHL scouts are going to like the late physical maturation and see a pivot (in a weak year for pivots) possibly scratching the surface of what he’s capable of. He’s got that classic high floor, high ceiling kind of profile.

VIDEOS

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1-ilia_morozov_-_1st_period_15_25_-_15_37-1.mp4

Morozov shows off a high level of skill by corralling this pass to his skates quickly and firing a rocket past the RPI netminder.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2-ilia_morozov_-_1st_period_15_25_-_15_37.mp4

Love this shift by Morozov and I think it really shows his competitive mentality. Finishes his checks. Makes a great defensive play near the net front to prevent a goal.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/3-ilia_morozov_-_2nd_period_17_23_-_17_41.mp4

Quick strike by Morozov showing off his ability to create in transition. This hasn’t been commonplace yet, but he can make plays with the puck.

Landon Nycz

Defense - UMass

6-foot-3, 205 pounds

Nycz is a big defender with a solid athletic profile, the kind of player NHL teams are all over these days. He had a solid year split between Waterloo and Sioux City of the USHL last year and he’s been steady as a freshman for UMass to start this season. He’s not seeing much time on special teams, but he’s been efficient at even strength and could end up playing more as the NCAA season progresses.

The first thing you notice about Nycz is the mobility, especially given his size. He’s incredibly smooth. He can lead the rush or jump up in the play with powerful linear strides, which makes you wonder about his offensive upside as a play creator. But, he’s also quick to close gaps laterally and his transitional agility is excellent, allowing him to be consistently first to retrievals. He’s not really an overly physical player, but the modern day defensive stalwart doesn’t necessarily have to be. NHL teams are looking for athletic rearguards with size who can kill the transition game and kickstart the breakout. That’s Nycz.

Nycz also has a heavy point shot. His first NCAA goal was a bit of a fluke through a screen, but he’s getting big time scoring looks almost every game and he has the upside to be a powerplay triggerman as he gains confidence. He seems to have really sound instincts away from the puck as an offensive player; he has a clear understanding already of how to leverage his quickness.

The big “look for” this year will be to see if Nycz can improve his decision making and patience with the puck in the defensive end. Thus far with UMass, he’s had some trouble with defensive zone turnovers from poor exit passes or forced plays under pressure. He has to trust his feet more to help him create the space he needs to execute.

However, it’s shocking that Nycz is someone currently flying under the radar as a draft eligible prospect. He’s playing regularly at a strong program (with a history of churning out NHL defenders). He pairs terrific mobility with size. He shows flashes of excellent upside at both ends. That’s a slam dunk NHL pick in my eyes.

VIDEOS

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1-landon_nycz_-_3rd_period_2_17_-_2_29.mp4

Nycz creeps in to get a high-quality chance in the slot. The goalkeeper makes a terrific save.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2-landon_nycz_-_2nd_period_32_55_-_33_7.mp4

Nycz sneaks backdoor to get a great look, again stymied by the netminder. He stays with the play and keeps the puck in the offensive zone.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/3-landon_nycz_-_3rd_period_17_23_-_17_35.mp4

A glimpse of Nycz’s ability to kickstart the breakout with his feet. He’s having a few of these types of rushes a game and it’s only a matter of time before it starts leading to offensive production.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/4-landon_nycz_-_1st_period_12_25_-_12_37.mp4

This is how Nycz can be an impactful defensive player. Great footwork to recover and separate his man from the puck off the rush. Defensive partner (and Red Wings pick) Larry Keenan is not able to corral the puck to help kickstart the breakout. That’s not Nycz’s fault.

David Bosco

Wing - Cedar Rapids (USHL)

5-foot-11, 165 pounds

One of the biggest surprises of the USHL thus far has been Bosco, a first-year player out of the Belmont Hill School program (with alumni such as Teddy Stiga and Jimmy Vesey). Transitioning from Prep to the USHL can often be a big jump that requires patience, but Bosco has hit the ground running and has found himself near the top of the USHL scoring race all year so far. The Harvard commit is impressing with his well-rounded, high energy game and has to be firmly on the draft radar at this point.

Bosco is not a player you would call a play driver, per say. He’s more of a support piece, who complements other more skilled, dominant on puck players. He’s not a huge winger, and it may be cliche, but he plays much larger than his size. He is finding success getting to the net. He’s winning battles along the wall to gain or maintain possession. He’s opening up ice for his linemates. He’s been effective as a forechecker and he’s brought a very consistent physical element. Best of all, he’s proven that he can put the puck in the net and that he can make quick decisions as a playmaker.

Of course, there will be questions about whether Bosco can play this effectively at higher levels given that he’s not huge. That’s likely why he was not listed, shockingly, by NHL Central Scouting in their early season watch list. His stride is also not the most efficient for an average sized player, which may limit his draft ceiling. However, he can build speed in straight lines, even if his stride is a little ugly. Additionally, as a Harvard commit, he’s going to be a longer term project who will have several years to bulk up to ensure that he can find success at the pro level.

The other obvious question is whether Bosco can sustain this level of offensive production. That remains to be seen. However, there’s no question that he’s been one of the early season bright spots in the USHL as it pertains to the draft.

VIDEOS

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1-david_bosco_-_1st_period_18_6_-_18_18.mp4

Bosco laying the body on the forecheck.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1-david_bosco_-_1st_period_18_6_-_18_18.mp4

Great individual effort from Bosco here to score.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/3-david_bosco_-_1st_period_2_54_-_3_6.mp4

Bosco pounces on a loose puck in the slot and makes no mistake.

Mark Dube - USA Regional Scout

Adam Valentini

Winger - University of Michigan NCAA

5-foot-11, 185 pounds

It’s been an interesting few months for Valentini. The former Chicago Steel alumni was initially supposed to make his way to the OHL and suit up for the Kitchener Rangers but opted to play his draft season in the NCAA with the University of Michigan Wolverines instead. This move could have backfired owing to the more difficult hockey route playing against larger, faster opponents at the collegiate level, but so far the youngster seems to have adapted rather quickly and looking like he made the right decision.

Through his first six games skating with U of M, Valentini has registered six points and is a +5. Decent numbers for one of the younger freshmen in this draft class.

What Valentini lacks in size, he makes up with great compete, pace, and a willingness to battle in those dirty areas along the wall or in the middle of the ice. He is tenacious on the puck and engages physically when the opportunity arises. Valentini still has room to develop in terms of strength and adding some weight to his slight frame, however, he still manages to win some important puck battles which will be demonstrated in the game clips below.

Valentini has a keen sense and awareness of where his teammates are on the ice as well as opposing players. His ability to read the ice and find open passing lanes has been on display early into his first NCAA season. Defensively he is responsible and usually has the right coverage in all three zones, but again the lack of strength at times allows for him to lose coverage by either getting pushed off the puck or not having the power to protect against larger players. This is something that definitely can be ameliorated with extra time in the gym.

VIDEOS

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1-adam_valentini_-_2nd_period_28_24_-_28_37.mp4

In this clip we see some grit in Valentini’s game as he wins a battle along the wall, then proceeds to take the puck to the net and rip one past the goalie.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2-adam_valentini_-_2nd_period_3_18_-_3_26.mp4

Here he shows some patience with the puck and waits for an opportune moment to sauce it over to a teammate, who eventually scores.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/3-adam_valentini_-_3rd_period_2_5_-_2_19.mp4

We again see some nice work along the wall from Valentini, with an eventual puck retrieval.

Luke Schairer

Defenseman - U18 USA NTDP

6-foot-2, 187 pounds

This will be Schairer’s second season dressing for the U.S. NTDP where he posted 24 points in 48 games playing with the U17 squad last season, so there’s reason to believe he has some offensive touch in his game. However, the numbers haven’t popped just yet with the U18 team this season thus far, only producing one point in his first 13 games. But it’s not the offensive part of his game that has shined so far, defensively Schairer has looked really good.

Schairer displays good speed for a larger defenseman and allows him to close gaps against the rush. He’s not afraid to attack opposing players coming into the neutral zone, which typically lead to turnovers. However, this can come with Schairer getting caught out of position at times. He does have a nice active stick and uses it well to retrieve pucks from opposing players though.

On the rush, Schairer is not afraid to jump in and leave the D-zone. He usually chooses the right time for those opportunities, but I would still not consider him an offensive threat from the backend and the numbers have not been there to suggest otherwise.

Because of his size and skating ability, there could be a case to be made that Schairer be a high pick in the upcoming draft, especially if he can get some better numbers to help classify him as an offensive threat.

VIDEOS

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1-luke_schairer_-_1st_period_10_21_-_10_34.mp4

The above clip is a great example of how well Schairer skates, uses his stick to cause a turnover, then joins the rush given the opportunity.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2-luke_schairer_-_1st_period_6_33_-_6_47.mp4

Here we see him running the NTDP’s powerplay and his ability to move the puck around with ease.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/3-luke_schairer_-_1st_period_4_32_-_4_47.mp4

Another example of Schairer using his reach to cause a turnover, then joining the rush.

Blake Zielinski

Centre - Des Moines USHL

6-foot-0, 188 pounds

After having a strong showing at the Hlinka-Gretzky Tournament this past summer where he was one of the Americans best players on that team. So obviously all eyes would be on Zielinski to see if he could reproduce that success when he returned back to the USHL for Des Moines. And so far he has not disappointed, putting up almost a point-a-game so far, with 11 in 12 games. This actually leads the team in scoring as of the writing of this article.

The one attribute that stands out with Zielinski is his shot. He possesses a quick and heavy shot, with nice release angle variations. There are concerns on whether he should use his teammates more and use some scans to increase playmaking opportunities. There seems to be a lot of blocked shots against him from the viewings I watched.

Other habits and details also need to be addressed in terms of pace and defensive engagements. A development curve needs to be improved upon and he needs to be more of a play driver, than a supporter for his offensive tools to shine. Some time spent at Providence College where he’s committed may be exactly what he needs to make that next step.

VIDEOS

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1-blake_zielinski_-_3rd_period_19_2_-_19_16.mp4

Here we see the bread and butter of Zielinski’s game with that quick release with sublime accuracy which leads to an easy goal.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2-blake_zielinski_-_1st_period_13_52_-_14_5.mp4

In this clip Zielinski uses his shot as a decoy to freeze both the defender and goalie and slide it over to his teammate for the easy tap in.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/3-blake_zielinski_-_1st_period_23_50_-_24_2.mp4

Zielinski shows some grit in this sequence, where he absorbs a hit behind the net and is able to poke the puck over to an open teammate.