Locked On NHL Prospects

In the back half of the campaign, no blueliner raised their draft stock more than Daxon Rudolph did, as he scored plenty of goals and brought tremendous offensive activity to the table. The mobile puck-mover has a booming shot, proactive playmaking insticts, and the ability to kill plays defensively when he's on his game. While defensive consistency and physical engagement remain works in progress...

The two leading scorers in the WHL this season were twins Liam and Markus Ruck, whose blend of synergy and complementary differences proved unstoppable at points. The two average-sized forwards bring relentless energy, mature defensive habits, and some pretty special offensive skillsets, with Markus adopting the playmaking workload while Liam is the natural finisher between the two. They individua...

The NHL is increasingly becoming a young man's league, and were spoilt for choice in constructing a full 26-man roster comprised of the top-performing U23 players league-wide. From ridiculous talent up front to emerging young netminders and a generational defenceman, this group could go far in the playoffs as a unit despite severely lacking experience. Who would make your team of the season? Hoste...

Ivar Stenberg's season has been nothing short of phenomenal, with a standout impact in the SHL, World Juniors, and World Championships. With a high-end motor, well-rounded offensive tools, and a level of pace and defensive competence that could gain any coach's trust. While he has the highest floor in the draft class, any chance of him going #1 rests on his high-end offensive potential. How would...

If your team is on the lookout for a potential top-four defenceman in the 2026 NHL Draft, there are a few great options, and Alberts Šmits is among the most electrifying. Joined by Sammy Tirpak from Pro Hockey Group, we dive into the details of his game. With excellent mobility, a rangy frame, and aggressive offensive activations, he possesses many tools necessary to play a top-four puck-moving ro...

With Ivan Demidov and Beckett Sennecke lighting up the NHL playoffs at 20 years old, we dig back into the 2024 NHL Draft Class and re-order the top 32 prospects to come out of that crop. No surprises as Celebrini comfortably retains his spot at No. 1 and Cayden Lindstrom falls outside the top 15, but who else surprises as big-time risers and fallers? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See p...

In a slightly unorthodox mock draft, we present a couple player options for each team picking top-16, highlighting team needs and fits. Ivar Stenberg could go as high as 1 and as low as 4, while the defencemen in the top-10 could be selected in almost any order. Let us know your picks! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of per...

If your team is on the lookout for a potential top-six centre in the 2026 NHL Draft, there are only a few great options, and Viggo Björck's resume is beyond impressive enough to have earned top-10 consideration. With high-end intelligence, intensity, and leverage mechanics, he ended the season as the first-line centre of Djurgårdens in the SHL, defying the expectations of many. While undersized, h...

The Toronto Maple Leafs won the golden ticket of the first selection in the upcoming draft. While Gavin McKenna is the favourite to hear his name called at #1, we make the case for four other players -- Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Ivar Stenberg, and Caleb Malhotra -- who could be enticing for various reasons. That said, we view McKenna as the likely and correct selection by the Leafs, but the conve...

To little surprise, Matthew Schaefer won the Calder trophy in a landslide, securing each and every one of the 198 votes for 1st place, but Demidov, Sennecke, and Dobeš round out a particularly strong top-end in the Calder race. We break down the progress and development each of the 14 players to receive a top 5 vote, with some players who hit a wall in the back half of the season and others who ga...

If your team is on the lookout for a potential number 1 defenseman in the 2026 NHL Draft, there are a couple great options, and Keaton Verhoeff was the runaway leader among blueliners coming into the season. With high-end aggression, a Shea Weber-esque bomb from the point, and some real promising playmaking flashes, Verhoeff is a beast when he's on his game. Inconsistent on-puck decision-making, b...

With a draft lottery full of surprises, with the Leafs nabbing the coveted #1 pick and the San Jose Sharks being gifted yet another crack at a star piece at #2, the top 10 order has opened up hugely, with possibilities of trades, reaches, and falls aplenty. We run through the full (currently-seeded) top 32, matching drafting philosophy to team needs and trends wherever possible. The #2 pick will p...

The draft lottery was full of surprises, and our resident Leafs fan, Kareem, is over the moon. It means the world to that fanbase, and we talk through why it's a great fit for both Gavin McKenna and the Leafs (if he indeed is the pick) and what elements of his game Leafs fans should keep in mind are weaknesses. For the San Jose Sharks, this is a gift the organization din't need, but is extra jet f...

Despite putting up a dominant season playing up in age groups with the Toronto Junior Canadiens, Hockey Canada surprisingly blocked his bid for exceptional status. Kareem, who has watched this young player all season, breaks down exactly why he's such a special player and what might come next in his promising career, while asking the question "Did Hockey Canada mess up?"       Follow & Subscribe o...

If your team is on the lookout for a potential number 1 defenseman in the 2026 NHL Draft, there are a couple great options, and Carson Carels may well be the best of them. With high-end mobility, projectable physicality, elite defensive impact, and blossoming offensive dynamism, there's not much to nitpick in his game. In the last month of his season, he truly hit new heights in the offensive zone...

The penultimate Elite Prospects rankings for the 2026 Draft have dropped and we discuss various risers & fallers. In a bit of a debate-style format, Kareem critiques certain rankings, while Sebastian, who took part in the ranking meeting, offers arguments in defence of the EP Rankings. We focus mostly on the top-32, but you're welcome to check out the full list at Elite Prospects.   Rankings Artic...

If your team is on the lookout for a power forward in the 2026 NHL Draft, there aren't endless high-skill options, and Ethan Belchetz is the best of the bunch. While his scoring this season didn't blow the door off, his blend of high-end IQ and strong goalscoring and playmaking gives him the merit to earn top-seven consideration on draft day. Though his skating and leveraging of his massive size s...

If your team is on the lookout for a centre in the 2026 NHL Draft, the options are limited, and Tynan Lawrence is right there with the best of them. After leading Muskegon to a Clark Cup Championship last Spring, Lawrence had an up-and-down year, switching to Boston University in the NCAA mid-season. But with impressive speed, pace, an underrated shot, and the ability to elevate his linemates, he'...

Though the playoff picture is still unfolding and the lottery has yet to occur, we ran a simulation on DraftProsHockey and put together a full top-32 mock draft with the help of Anthony Donati, the Prospect Don. With the Canucks and Leafs winning the top two picks in the lottery, the draft doesn't entirely unfold as fans may expect, with Carson Carels climbing to 2nd overall.   Play around with th...

In this special crossover episode with Trevor Beggs from Locked On Canucks, we discuss the top draft targets for the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft. At the top end, we break down how Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Carson Carels, Caleb Malhotra, and Keaton Verhoeff would fit in in the Rockies. We then shift our gaze to the draft picks in the 20-40 range, where a variety o...

Just how special has Matthew Schaefer's rookie season been, truly? Are any other rookies truly contenders to win the award? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In perhaps the season with the most concentrated talent we've ever seen in college hockey, the focus has been on top-draft picks and draft-eligibles but older undrafted players left their mark on the campaign, too. Some, like TJ Hughes, Tyson Gross, and Vinny Borgesi have already earned ELCs, while there remain some potentially high-value swings on the table, highlighted by Hank Cleaves.   For an...

If your team is on the lookout for a modern puck-moving RD, Chase Reid should be at the top of the list. He's on an unusual development curve, going from being cut from a USHL roster and forced to play NAHL hockey just over a year ago to a consensus top-five prospect in the 2026 draft. Armed with wonderful skating, a strong goalscoring toolkit, and a high-intellect, this 6-foot-2 defenceman has th...

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Just how special has Matthew Schaefer's rookie season been, truly? We take a look at some chart-breaking analytics, his record-setting scoring, and ask ourselves if he goes toe-to-toe with the greatest rookie performances in the 2000s. From top-five mobility in the NHL already to a maturity beyond his years both on and off the ice, Schaefer has been making waves this season and we'd argue, he dese...