2026 NHL Draft rankings top 120 prospects from Hockey News

The 2026 NHL Draft is almost here, so it's time to drop some final rankings.

As I've done for the past few years, I've gone with 120 picks here, which includes our top 100 from Draft Preview (buy it now!), plus a bonus 20 of players who didn't quite make the cut for one reason or another. It's also about four rounds of selections, which should give you a sense of the top end of this class.

This is not a mock draft – consider it Best Player Available.

Having said that, the top five defensemen in this class are practically interchangeable – different NHL teams have their favorites, and I would not be shocked to see those blueliners go in any order.

When the first centers will go is also something to watch for in Buffalo, since what is typically the most coveted position in the draft isn't particularly strong or deep this time out. So, of course when we look back on this class in five years, the top player will be a pivot, right?

But that's life at the draft, when potential and feel is all we've got. So let's get to the fun part.

An offensive dynamo whose best traits are the ones you can't teach. He was one of the best players in all of college hockey in the second half, and his plan to get stronger and challenge himself at Penn State worked out great.

Another incredible winger, Stenberg plays a more complete game than McKenna right now, but doesn't have the same dynamic upside. Nonetheless, he was awesome at the world juniors and doesn't need much more development.

His offensive upside is tops among blueliners in this class, but Reid has also been lauded by scouts for his excellent defensive play. Throw in size and skating, and you've got a pretty enticing prospect who will continue to grow at Michigan State.

As a teen freshman, he put up great offensive numbers for North Dakota and learned a lot about playing in his own zone. Thanks to his size and skating, Verhoeff's upside is awesome – and he's just getting started. He was ranked first in my mid-season ranking.

Basically a flawless defenseman for his age. Carels can make an impact at both ends of the rink and will join Verhoeff at North Dakota next season. Heck, they might even play together, as they did for Canada at the world juniors.

He put up a ton of points on one of the best teams in major junior, and when called upon to step up, he did just that. Malhotra is a competitor with an edge, and he'll get a chance to develop further at Boston University next season.

Absolutely ripped it up offensively in the playoffs after an excellent regular season. Rudolph has a lot of high-end attributes, and truly the only smudge is that scouts don't know if he has the same killer instinct as some of his peers.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Smits went straight to the NHL next year. He's already succeeded against men in Finland and played at the Olympics for Latvia. He might not have the ceiling of some of his peers, but he'll play for a long time.

It was a weird year for Lawrence, who started off hurt, then dominated the USHL, then hit a wall when he jumped up to college. He's a great two-way center; scouts just didn't think he was ready for the NCAA.

Hemming also jumped to college late, but got more of a pass because a contract dispute in Finland held him out of the first half. That meant he looked tired at the end of the season, but scouts love his power forward potential.

24. Xavier Villeneuve, D, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)

26. Marcus Nordmark, RW, Djurgarden Jr. (Swe.)

30. Niklas Aaram Olsen, LW, Orebro Jr. (Swe.)

35. Yegor Shilov, C, Victoriaville (QMJHL)

36. Samu Alalauri, D, Pelicans Jr. (Fin.)

39. Simas Ignatavicius, RW, Geneve (Sui.)

40. Alexander Command, C, Orebro Jr. (Swe.)

42. Mans Gudmundsson, D, Farjestad Jr. (Swe.)

46. Alexander Bilecki, D, Kitchener (OHL)

50. Gleb Pugachyov, RW, Nizhny Novogorod Jr. (Rus.)

55. Nikita Shcherbakov, D, Ufa Jr. (Rus.)

58. Lars Steiner, RW, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)

59. Samuel Eriksson, D, Farjestad Jr. (Swe.)

61. Michal Orsulak, G, Prince Albert (WHL)

63. Dmitri Borichev, G, Loko 76 Jr. (Rus.)

64. Blake Zielinski, C, Des Moines (USHL)

67. Colin Fitzgerald, C, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

73. Alan Shaikhlislamov, LW, Ufa Jr. (Rus.)

74. Callum Croskery, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

75. Lavr Gashilov, C, Yekaterinburg Jr. (Rus.)

77. Vladimir Dravecky, D, Brantford (OHL)

81. Yegor Rybkin, G, Nizhny Novgorod Jr. (Rus.)

86. Brian McFadden, D, Thayer (Mass. prep)

87. Vilho Vanhatalo, RW, Tappara Jr. (Fin.)

89. Kayden Lemire, RW, Prince George (WHL)

92. Simon Katolicky, RW, Tappara Jr. (Fin.)

99. Myles Brosnan, D, Dexter (Mass. prep)

100. Michel Myloserdnyy, D, Gatineau (QMJHL)

103. Filip Novak, LW, Sparta Praha Jr. (Cze.)

105. David Vermirovsky, G, Pardubice Jr. (Cze.)

108. Mikey Berchild, LW, U.S. NTDP (USHL)

110. Alexei Vlasov, RW, Victoriaville (QMJHL)

113. Noel Pakarinen, LW, Kiekko-Espoo Jr. (Fin.)

114. Martin Psohlavec, G, Karlovy Vary Jr. (Cze.)

115. Parker Trottier, RW, U.S. NTDP (USHL)

116. Teddy Lechner, D, Holy Angels (Minn. HS)

119. Oscar Holmertz, C, Linkoping Jr. (Swe.)

120. Jonah Sivertson, RW, Prince Albert (WHL)

The Hockey News' 2026 Draft Preview edition features our countdown of the top 100 prospects for the NHL draft, with in-depth scouting reports for each player. Also, you'll find Team Reports for all 32 NHL organizations that examine short- and long-term needs and cap situations.

Plus, we have feature stories on Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Keaton Verhoeff, Carson Carels, JP Hurlburt, the Ruck Twins and the Vancouver Canucks, and we look at top prospects for the 2026 PWHL.

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