A yearly tradition inside the NHL is getting excited for the draft every year. Some people start researching right after the previous one finishes, while others wait until the draft is just around the corner. Every year, the WHL is one of the mass producers of talent for the NHL draft, both on offence and defence. 2026 was looking to be huge for the WHL on the back-end with Keaton Verhoeff as the early runaway top defender of 2026. However, with the new NCAA rules, Verhoeff decided to head to college. Regardless, the WHL is still packing tons of talent for NHL teams to pick from next June. So, let’s take a very early look at the top defenceman prospects that will be playing in the WHL this season.
Daxon Rudolph
The first overall pick in the 2023 WHL draft, Daxon Rudolph shone bright during his rookie season. With the Prince Albert Raiders, his year started slowly offensively, while showcasing his defensive maturity and excellent skating. But as the season continued, Rudolph would explode. Rudolph went on a crazy point streak to start the new year, earning him Rookie of the Month honours in January. He’d finish off with seven goals and 41 points in 64 games for the Raiders. His success would carry into the playoffs as he was one of the best players on the team with 12 points in 11 games. Rudolph would receive a nomination for rookie of the year at season’s end.
Rudolph is a very well-rounded defenceman for his age. He is already showing tremendous promise at both ends of the ice. Fantastic smarts and elite skating are the driving factors of his game and will continue to lift him up the draft ranks. He is composed and steady in the defensive end, displaying a willingness to use his body, strong stick-checking, and positioning that allows him to break up attacking plays often. A really impressive aspect is his backwards skating. He does it at such a high level and is a main reason why he can do all these things in the defensive zone. On the offensive side , Rudolph is an important contributor with his high-level sense, swift passes, and accurate shot. His skating allows him to walk the blueline and be a great option as a power play quarterback.
Suiting up for Canada at the Hlinka Cup recently, Rudolph continued to impress. He put up four points in five games during Canada’s bronze medal run. His performance gave more confidence in him being a top-ten selection come June.
Ryan Lin
A standout on a very meh Vancouver Giants team this season was rookie defenceman Ryan Lin. Lin started out with consistency right away. Great production that was paired with some solid work in the defensive end. Lin would go on to play 60 games for the Giants, scoring five goals and 53 points. This production placed him sixth on the Giants in scoring. The playoffs weren’t as kind to Lin and the Giants, as in five games, Lin put up only two points. Lin was one of two WHL defencemen to make the CHL’s all-rookie team at the end of the year.
Despite a smaller stature, Lin has still been shown to be a great defenceman at both ends of the ice. Most take notice of his offensive game, which shines due to his skating and high-end smarts. Lin can cycle the puck around the offensive zone, keeping complete control and pressure due to his dynamic skating. He portrays the talents of a power play quarterback and a defenceman you trust fully at the blueline. Reading the play before anyone else, Lin displays his smarts with simple yet effective plays. He can distribute the puck as if he can see the whole ice at all times. In the defensive end, Lin is awesome at staying composed under pressure. He might be small, but he doesn’t let himself get physically overpowered. He has great stick work and positioning that allows him to break up opposing plays.
Lin played for Canada at the Hlinka Cup. In Canada’s five games, Lin produce two goals and six points, placing third in team production. He was regarded by many as Canada’s best defenceman and may currently lead the defenceman race that will come out of the WHL this season.
Carson Carels
Continuing on with top-end defencemen, Carson Carels stood up strong for the Prince George Cougars in his rookie year. A defender with a refined game, Carels found success pretty quickly into his WHL career. With the Cougars, Carels would suit up for 60 games. Across those games, he would produce six goals and 35 points. When the playoffs came along, Carels helped out with his four points in seven games before the Cougars fell to the Portland Winterhawks.
Carels stands at a great stature already. At 6’2″ and almost 200lbs, Carels brings tons of confidence to his game. His skating ranks as likely his best trait, allowing him to be efficient at both ends of the ice. He has very fast top-end speed and has the acceleration to make it a weapon. With this said speed, he’s able to create a breakout and then be the leader through the transition. He’s able to keep control of the puck steadily and generate chances for himself and his team. It helps that he is also a pretty good passer. Carels plays with his head up, always scanning the ice, looking for an opportunity to create something offensively. When the puck goes the other way, Carels can use his agility and backwards mobility to stay steady. He challenges opponents physically and gets into lanes to shut down opposing plays.
Like everyone else mentioned so far, Carels played for Canada at the Hlinka Cup. He didn’t find as much success as the others, with only one point in four games. However, some of his skills were still on display to impress. While he’s currently the lowest ranked among the top WHL defencemen, a strong year may very well send him to the top.
Brek Liske
The final pick of the top 10 in the 2023 WHL draft, Brek Liske is another steady defender to watch for in 2025–26. On the regular season best Everett Silvertips, Liske wasn’t served the best position to really stand out as a rookie. Liske would play in 66 games for the Silvertips, but only produced two goals and 11 points. In the playoffs, an extra 13 games were played, and he only picked up an additional point.
Liske isn’t a defenceman who is going to typically wow you. His impact is driven by his smarts and composure at both ends of the ice. Rarely rushing a play, Liske does his best to bring what he thinks is the best option into reality. He’s incredibly patient with the puck, usually resolving to simpler plays over super complicated. That patience even shows without, waiting to apply proper physicality or enter a lane at the perfect time. His puck control doesn’t flash, but it allows him to move around the ice in a pretty swift fashion. Liske brings detail to his game that you could comfortably see leading him to the professional level.
What will be huge for Liske this upcoming year will be increased ice time. He had to play behind an incredibly stacked top-four, which didn’t bode well for his performance. If Liske can impress in a higher role, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him enter the first round.
A great set of defencemen for the WHL
The WHL is set to be a very good league for defencemen this draft. While they may not have many that rank high in the preseason, the quality is for sure there.
Daxon Rudolph has shown the steadiness and flair you want in every defenceman, making him an early option for the top ten. Ryan Lin displayed those same traits, putting some more flash in the offensive end, creating another option for the top ten. While the race for top defender will likely come from those two, don’t count out Carson Carels. Carels brings a solid stature that is paired with great sense and skating, making him a real threat to have a strong draft year. Rounding out the bunch is Brek Liske, who hasn’t shown much yet, but also hasn’t had the position to succeed. Liske will need to bet on himself and the ice time to make great improvements that will shoot him up the draft ranks.
Just like the forwards, the defencemen out of the WHL this season are sure to bring interesting storylines and lots of discussion. There’s a good chance that the best distributor of defence this draft will be the WHL.
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