Welcome to the 2026 NHL Draft Headquarters right here at Last Word On Sports and Top Shelf Prospects. We have you covered with everything you will need to be ready for the big event. This year’s draft is set to take place on June 26th and 27th live from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Today, we bring you our 2026 NHL Draft Rankings for Players 17-32.
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2026 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings; 17-32
17.) Oscar Hemming, Left Wing, 6’4″ 198 lbs, Boston College Eagles, Hockey East
Hemming dominated in the Finnish junior leagues in 2024-25, but the move to the NCAA ranks led to some struggles for the 17-year-old. There were flashes of his offensive skill, but life in the college ranks is difficult for a 17-year-old freshman. Hemming has an excellent shot and quick release. He also is blessed with great size and can win battles on the boards and get the puck to the dirty areas of the ice. However, he will need to continue to work on his skating before he is ready to make an impact at the professional level.
18.) Adam Novotny, Left Wing/Right Wing, 6’1″ 205 lbs, Peterbrough Petes, OHL
Novotny is a pure sniper, with an excellent shot and quick release. He can fool goalies with his wrist shot, snap shot, and even has a good slap shot/one-timer. He loves to find open ice and set himself up to receive a pass from a teammate. Novotny is also able to score goals in tight to the net, pouncing on rebounds and elevating the puck over goalies with a quick move in tight. While he is definitely a shoot first winger, he also has the ability to set up teammates with good vision and passing skills, but does not do this as often as one would like.
Novotny is a hard worker at both ends of the ice. He gets in quickly on the forecheck and wins battles on the boards. He also fights through checks and cycles the puck in the offensive zone to keep possession and create scoring chances. Novotny also brings his physical game to the defensive end of the ice, helping defenders down low.
19.) Oliver Suvanto, Centre, 6’3″ 209 lbs, Tappara, Finland Liiga
Suvanto started the season strong, with a good performance at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup. This continued with a good performance in the Finnish junior leagues and earned him a callup to the Liiga to play in Finland’s top men’s league. While he struggled to produce and even find ice time with Tappara, it is difficult for any 17-year-old to play in a top European men’s league. He didn’t look totally out of place though, and his rapid improvement this year raised his stock for the 2026 NHL Draft.
Playing against his peers, Suvanto has shown high-end hockey IQ. He reads the play extremely well and makes smart passes and decisions with the puck on his stick. He can set up teammates for a scoring chance, and uses his stickhandling ability to open up passing lanes to make it happen. Without the puck, Suvanto finds open ice and gets himself in position to keep the puck moving and create offence. He is also strong in his own end of the ice.
20.) Mathis Preston, Right Wing, 5’11” 175 lbs, Spokane Chiefs, WHL
Preston is an excellent skater, with very good speed and acceleration, as well as the edgework and agility to get past defenders and create space both with and without the puck. What is most impressive, though, is that Preston loses very little speed with the puck on his stick. He is able to beat defenders and control the puck without slowing down.
Preston is a dynamic scorer with the vision and passing skill to create plays for opponents. His ability to change speed and move laterally, while keeping the puck on a string, allows him to create passing and shooting lanes. Preston can also score goals, with his quick hands allowing him to finish in tight to the net and his deceptive release fooling goalies from further out. However, he will need to improve his defensive game going forward.
21.) Alexander Command, Centre, 6’1″ 185 lbs, Orebro HK, SHL
The 2026 NHL Draft lacks depth when it comes to centre prospects. While Command may never become a big-time scorer but rather he projects as a middle-six centre capable of playing in all situations. An excellent skater, Command has a very good first step, excellent acceleration, and good top-end speed. This allows him to push the pace in the offensive zone and get back defensively. His smarts, stickhandling, and passing skills help him to be a playmaker. Command also has a decent shot, but could stand to use it more often.
He shows high-end compete level, getting in quickly on the forecheck and battling on the boards. He is not afraid to get to the dirty areas of the ice. Command also gets back defensively and plays a responsible game in his own end of the ice.
22.) JP Hurlbert, Left Wing, 6’0 185 lbs, Kamloops Blazers, WHL
Hurlbert is a dynamic offensive winger with excellent hands. He can score with an excellent array of shots and a very quick release. His quick hands and ability to deke out defenders allow him to create space in the offensive zone and create offence. He also has excellent vision and passing skills, creating offence for teammates with a tape-to-tape pass.
The offensive potential here is very high. However, Hurlbert is also a risky pick as he needs to work on his skating. He is not as explosive as one would like from a high-end forward prospect. He also needs to work on his defensive game, as he can sometimes look lost in his own end of the ice. He will get the time to improve these areas of his game as he will play for the University of Michigan Wolverines next season.
23.) Tommy Bleyl, Right Defence, 6’0″ 170 lbs, Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL
Bleyl is an offensive defenceman. He is an excellent stickhandler and skater, with very good speed, and outstanding edgework and agility. This allows him to create passing and shooting lanes by skating past defenders or moving laterally and walking the line in the offensive zone. Bleyl keeps his head up and can transition the puck through the neutral zone, creating efficient and effective zone entries. His vision and passing skill allow him to quarterback the play at the point and find open teammates with a tape-to-tape pass.
24.) Nikita Klepov, Right Wing, 6’0″ 180 lbs, Saginaw Spirit, OHL
Klepov has dynamic offensive skills. His stickhandling and passing skills make him an excellent playmaker. He anticipates where his teammates are headed and can set them up with a tape-to-tape pass and create a scoring chance. Klepov also has an excellent wrist shot and snap shot. His release is very quick and deceptive, fooling goaltenders and getting Klepov a reputation as an OHL Sniper. However, he will need to improve his skating and get physically stronger in order to succeed in the pro game.
25.) Liam Ruck, Right Wing, 6’0″ 175 lbs, Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL
The first of two twin brothers available in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Ruck brothers have made news as they have publicly campaigned to be drafted by the same team. The brothers are both talented offensive players, but Liam is the better goal scorer. He is a smart player who knows how to find open ice and set himself up to take a pass from a teammate. Once the puck is on his stick, Ruck has a quick release and an array of powerful, accurate shots. Ruck can also score in tight to the net, with quick hands and the ability to elevate the puck quickly. His goal scoring means he is a bit underrated as a playmaker with good stickhandling, passing skills, and vision.
26.) Ilia Morozov, Centre, 6’3″ 200 lbs, Miami (Ohio) University Redhawks, NCHC
Born in August, Morozov is one of the youngest players in the 2026 NHL Draft. If he had been born a few weeks later, he would not have been eligible until 2027. Given this, his rookie season in the NCAA was very impressive. He makes smart plays with the puck, with the stick handling ability to beat defenders and the passing skills to find a teammate. Morozov is a smart player who makes good decisions in both ends of the ice and is solid positionally. His agility and edgework are also good. However, Morozov can stand to improve his speed and acceleration.
27.) Gleb Pugachyov, Centre/Right Wing, 6’3″ 198 lbs, Torpedo Nizhny Novogrod, KHL
Pugachyov plays a very strong two-way game. His skating allows him to get up the ice and create offence, and also get back and help out the defence in his own zone. He uses his big frame to battle for loose pucks in all three zones, often creating turnovers and turning them into offence via quick transition and smart passes to teammates. Pugachyov is almost always in the right position and makes the smart play both with and without the puck. He never quits on a play, and his non-stop motor allows him to constantly harass opponents with the puck and create turnovers.
Pugachyov uses his size to his advantage, getting to the front of the net. He creates havoc for goalies, screening and distracting them. He also has the ability to pounce on rebounds and other loose pucks and create offence that way.
28.) Brooks Rogowski, Centre, 6’7″ 236 lbs, Oshawa Generals, OHL
Rogowski is a towering forward, coming in at 6-foot-7 and a pro-ready 236 pounds. In addition to his intriguing size, Rogowski has all the tools. He is an above average skater. He plays physically. Rogowski has a strong and accurate shot that features a good release. He uses his long stick to protect the puck, extend possession and make plays off the cycle. He also has very good vision and passing skills. However, there is some issue about Rogowski’s hockey IQ. He can find himself out of position and doesn’t always make the smart play with the puck. He can often press too much offensively, or make risky plays. At times, it appears that Rogowski is playing pond hockey instead of a structured system. He will need good coaching and development to reach his potential.
29.) Marcus Nordmark, Left Wing, 6’1″ 180 lbs, Djurgaardens, SHL
Nordmark plays a power forward style of game. He loves to get in on the forecheck and punish opposing defenders. He cycles the puck down low, maintaining possession and waiting for an opportunity to create a scoring chance. If he sees the opportunity, Nordmark will take the puck to the front of the net. He can score goals with a powerful shot and good release, as well as with soft hands to finish in close to the net. However, Nordmark lacks high-end speed. He can work on improving his choppy stride over the next few years before being ready to make the jump to the NHL.
30.) Adam Goljer, Right Defence, 6’3″ 195 lbs, Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia)
A right-handed defenceman with excellent size and the mobility to play a two-way game, it is no wonder that Goljer’s stock is rising ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft. Goljer creates offence via starting the transition game as well as controlling the puck in the offensive zone and creating plays for teammates. Defensively, he plays a smart positional game, using his long stick to cut down passing and shooting lanes. With his size, one would like to see him play a bit more physical though. It’s unclear if that is because he needs to put muscle on his frame and was playing against men in Slovakia’s top pro league, or if it’s just not part of his game.
31.) Xavier Villeneuve, Left Defence, 5’11” 160 lbs, Blainville Boisbriand Armada, QMJHL
Villeneuve is an undersized offensive defenceman. He will need to add weight to his frame going forward, but the upside based on his offensive game is immense. Villeneuve is an outstanding skater with great speed in both directions and the agility and edgework to get past opponents and create space. His excellent acceleration also allows him to change speeds and fool defenders. Once Villeneuve creates space, he has the vision, anticipation and passing skills to set up scoring chances with a tape-to-tape pass. He plays important defensive minutes in the QMJHL, but will need to keep improving this area to play in the pro game against bigger opponents.
32.) Markus Ruck, Centre, 6’0 168 lbs, Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL
The second Ruck twin eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft is a centre with playmaking skill. He moves the puck quickly with excellent vision and passing skills. Markus controls the puck in the cycle game through a series of give-and-go passes. He gets the puck to an open teammate and quickly moves to open ice to take the return pass. While Markus doesn’t shoot as hard or as often as his brother, he also has a good release, which can fool goalies from further out.
Main Photo: Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; A general view of the exterior of the theatre following the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
