Consider The Hockey Writers your go-to source for everything related to the NHL Draft and this page your live home for information on the upcoming 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Bookmark this page and check back often, as it will be constantly updated leading up to hockey’s version of Christmas. THW’s 2026 NHL Draft Guide is your quintessential draft resource featuring:
- Detailed unique prospect profiles on all the top prospects
- Mock drafts
- Exclusive rankings
- Team-specific needs and speculations
- Looking ahead to the 2026 NHL Draft and beyond
Recent Posts
- Viktor Fyodorov – 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
- Alexander Command – 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
- Checking in on the Anaheim Ducks’ 2025 Draft Picks
- Brooks Rogowski- 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
- Maple Leafs Can’t Let History Repeat with First-Round Pick
2026 NHL Draft Rankings
Reimer’s Top 64 for March
Baracchini’s Top 96 March Rankings
Forbes’ Top 64 February Rankings
Orth’s Top 32 February Rankings
Baracchini’s Top 64 January Rankings
Baracchini’s Top 32 Preseason Rankings
Baracchini’s Way-Too-Early Top 32
2026 NHL Draft – Prospect Profiles
Top 5 Hopefuls
McKenna, Gavin
Reid, Chase
Stenberg, Ivar
Smits, Alberts
Verhoeff, Keaton
Top 16 Hopefuls
Belchetz, Ethan
Bjorck, Viggo
Carels, Carson
Hermansson, Elton
Hemming, Oscar
Lawrence, Tynan
Lin, Ryan
Malhotra, Caleb
McKenna, Gavin
Novotny, Adam
Reid, Chase
Rudolph, Daxon
Smits, Alberts
Stenberg, Ivar
Suvanto, Oliver
Verhoeff, Keaton
Forwards
Belchetz, Ethan
Bjorck, Viggo
Command, Alexander
Cover, Jaxon
Di Iorio, Alessandro
Fyodorov, Viktor
Hemming, Oscar
Hermansson, Elton
Hurlbert, J.P.
Klepov, Nikita
Lawrence, Tynan
Malhotra, Caleb
McKenna, Gavin
Morozov, Ilia
Novotny, Adam
Pugachyov, Gleb
Preston, Mathis
Rogowski, Brooks
Ruck, Markus
Shilov, Egor
Stenberg, Ivar
Valentini, Adam
Vanhatalo, Vilho
Defensemen
Alalauri, Samu
Lin, Ryan
Reid, Chase
Smits, Alberts
Verhoeff, Keaton
Villeneuve, Xavier
Goalies
Borichev, Dmitri
Nilsson, Douglas
Tamm, Viggo
Top 5/10 Lists
Top 5 CHL Defencemen in the 2026 NHL Draft
5 Underrated Prospects on NHL Central Scouting’s 2026 Preliminary Watch List
League Rankings
2026 NHL Draft: Preseason Top 10 WHL Players
5 2026 NHL Draft-Eligible OHL Players to Watch For
5 WHL Players to Watch After the Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Draft Coverage by NHL Team (Alphabetical)
Montreal Canadiens
Philadelphia Flyers
St. Louis Blues
Toronto Maple Leafs
- Maple Leafs Can’t Let History Repeat with First-Round Pick
- Maple Leafs Can Look to Draft Lottery if the Season Continues to Go South
Vancouver Canucks
- Are Liam and Markus Ruck Destined to Become Canucks?
- Canucks Clearly Prioritizing 2026 NHL Draft
- Juho Piiparinen Should Be on the Canucks Radar at the 2026 NHL Draft
Player Features
Breaking Down Viggo Björck’s Historic SHL Playoff Debut
Top NCAA Prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft
Saskatoon Blades Impress at 2026 WHL Top Prospects Game
7 Standouts from the 2026 WHL Top Prospects Game
Caleb Malhotra Proving Why He Should Be First OHLer Selected in 2026 NHL Draft
Top 3 Finnish Skaters on the NHL Central Scouting 2026 Draft Board
2026 NHL Draft: Sorting Out the Goalie Class
Who Has the Edge to Go First Overall in the 2026 NHL Draft After the World Junior Championship?
Gavin McKenna Put Doubts to Rest at the World Junior Championship
Ivar Stenberg Has Surpassed Gavin McKenna in the 2026 NHL Draft
Top Performers From the 2025 CHL/ USA Prospects Challenge
Nikita Klepov Should Be a 1st-Round Pick in the 2026 NHL Draft
J.P. Hurlbert Should Be in Top 10 Conversation for 2026 NHL Draft
2026 NHL Draft Watch List: Scouting 3 Saskatoon Blades’ Draft-Eligible Players
7 Spitfires Named to Preliminary 2026 NHL Draft Watch List
Ethan Belchetz Might Be a Top-3 Prospect in Stacked 2026 NHL Draft
Chase Reid Poised to Climb 2026 NHL Draft Boards
Ryan Lin: The Most Polished Player in the 2026 NHL Draft
Keaton Verhoeff Finds a Home at North Dakota While Chasing NHL Dreams
2026 Draft-Eligible Keaton Verhoeff Is a Generational Defensive Prospect
2026 Draft-Eligible Standouts at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup
2026 Draft-Eligible Players to Watch at Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Success of CHL-to-NCAA Pipeline Hinges on Gavin McKenna
World Junior Championship Coverage
World Junior Championship All Time Leading Scorers
Guide to the 2026 World Junior Championship
10 Things to Watch for at the 2026 World Junior Championship
2026 NHL Draft-Eligible Players to Watch at the WJC
2026 World Juniors Rosters by NHL Team
Looking Back At Older NHL Drafts
2025 NHL Draft Review
Grading Each Team’s 2025 Draft Class
Meet the Flames’ 2025 First-Round Draft Picks
Grading the Rangers’ 2025 NHL Draft Class
Top 10 2025 Undrafted Prospects at NHL Development Camps
Get to Know the Anaheim Ducks’ 2025 Draft Class
Reviewing the Dallas Stars’ 2025 Draft Class
Grading the Montreal Canadiens’ 2025 Draft Class
Rangers Deployed Unorthodox but Fascinating Strategy in 2025 Draft
Meet the Minnesota Wild’s 2025 Draft Class
Maple Leafs Address Being ‘Mean’ and Competitive at 2025 NHL Draft
Meet the Seattle Kraken’s 2025 Draft Class
Ottawa Senators’ 2025 Draft Class: Reaction & Analysis
Meet the Canucks’ 2025 Draft Class: Reaction & Analysis
Carolina Hurricanes’ 2025 NHL Draft Recap
Grading the Sabres’ 2025 Draft Picks
Meet the Blackhawks 2025 Draft Class: Reaction & Analysis
Meet the Jets’ 2025 NHL Entry Draft Class
Meet the Bruins’ 2025 NHL Draft Class
Previous Draft Guides
- 2025 NHL Draft Guide
- 2024 NHL Draft Guide
- 2023 NHL Draft Guide
- 2022 NHL Draft Guide
- 2021 NHL Draft Guide
- 2020 NHL Draft Guide
- 2019 NHL Draft Guide
- 2018 NHL Draft Guide
- 2017 NHL Draft Guide
Forgotten Draft Picks
- 2014 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
- 2013 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
- 2012 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
- 2011 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
- 2010 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
- 2009 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
- 2008 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
- 2007 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
- 2006 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
- 2005 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
- 2004 NHL Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks
Where Are They Now?
- 2018 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
- 2017 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
- 2016 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
- 2015 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
- 2014 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
- 2013 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
- 2012 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
- 2011 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
- 2010 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
- 2009 NHL Draft: Where Are They Now?
