The season for prospects eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft has been in full swing for a few months already. It is therefore time for the TSLH Prospects members to share an initial Top 32 ranking of the best prospects available for this draft. To view all analyses stemming from these rankings, watch our podcasts on the preliminary lists from TSLH Prospects. The podcasts are also available in audio format.

Gavin McKenna holds on to first overall… for now

Both analysts, Pascal and Simon, have the same prospect in first overall. It is Gavin McKenna, a Canadian prospect who left the WHL to join the NCAA. Playing on the wing for Penn State, the young prodigy — projected as the top talent of the 2026 NHL Draft for several years — is somewhat disappointing. Whether it’s his lack of physical involvement, his passive defensive play, or his production below expectations, several arguments support the idea that he is currently underperforming for a player who will turn 18 in December.

Nevertheless, the left-hander, standing 6’0” and weighing 165 lbs, has produced 15 points in 14 games. It’s not disastrous. His reputation remains his main asset for now. It will take more data or more games to push him out of first place, according to our analysts. Although Gavin McKenna is opening the door for his challengers to create a debate for the top spot, no one so far seems willing to take the pole.

All analyses for each ranking on these lists are available in video or audio podcast format. (In french)
Youtube Channel: TSLH Podcast – Youtube
Spotify (Audio & Video): TSLH Podcast – Spotify
Apple Podcast: TSLH Podcast – Apple Podcast

Keaton Verhoeff, Chase Reid, Ethan Belchetz and the others

It is clear that three prospects — Keaton Verhoeff, Chase Reid, and Ethan Belchetz — appear unanimously in the top 5 for both analysts. The first two are right-shot defensemen with good size, while Belchetz is a giant-sized winger playing in the OHL. After them, we have Egor Shilov of the QMJHL for Pascal and Ivar Stenberg of the SHL for Simon, who round out the upper part of their rankings. The online consensus holds Keaton Verhoeff and Ethan Belchetz in high regard, and the lists presented here support that view. However, it is interesting to see that several young players do not follow consensus trends in their evaluations.

TSLH Prospects’ favorite

For now, we do not have clear trends to identify a “boy” or a favorite prospect for the two analysts. One could mention Chase Reid and Alberts Smits as potential candidates, as well as Niklas Aaram-Olsen, but nothing really stood out during the TSLH Podcast episode dedicated to the rankings. However, Adam Novotny seems to gain points every time he is scouted by both analysts, so that will be something to watch for in the mid-season rankings.

Notable differences in the Top 32s

Even though several prospects appear in roughly the same range in the two rankings, we can observe many differences. Egor Shilov is in Pascal’s top 5, while he is unranked by Simon. Elton Hermansson is in Simon’s top 10, while Pascal places him at 31st. Marcus Nordmark is 14th on Simon’s list, while the Swede does not appear in Pascal’s at all. In short, the diversity of evaluations among the members of TSLH Prospects has always been a strength of the team, which spends hours watching games to build their analysis.

To access content on prospects, including Montreal Canadiens prospects pool, and everything surrounding the NHL Draft, you can visit the TSLH Prospects section, subscribing to our various audio platforms, checking our YouTube channel, using the search bar at the top of the page, and exploring our TSLH Espoirs : Le Guide for free. Don’t forget Patreon as well!