Finn Sears (left) and Carter Meyer (right) made the USNTDP team for next season. (Brian Kelly/NEHJ)
The hockey landscape changes almost daily. Whether it is the youth level, junior hockey, college hockey or the professional ranks, things are in a constant state of evolution. There’s good and bad with that.
One thing we can count on: There will be a 2027 NHL Draft. Two years from now, the late ’08s and most of the ’09s will be eligible to be drafted by NHL teams.
We’re far away from it, but early signs point to a rather strong showing from New Englanders. It’s not an exaggeration to say there could be two or more first-round picks. The last time that happened was in 2023 when Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.) and Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.) went inside the top 10.
Obviously, things have to go right. The players in this story face two long years with higher levels of play. One of the high-end players in this story likely will be playing his draft year in college.
But who are some of the players we should have our eyes on for the 2027 NHL Draft? To be eligible to be picked in 2027, players have to have been born between Jan. 1, 2007, and Sept. 15, 2009. Only first-year eligible players from New England are mentioned in this story.
Let’s dive in.