2026 NHL Draft Prospect Report – Keaton Verhoeff (RD)

Keaton Verhoeff is a right-handed two-way defenseman who brings a steady, reliable presence with strong instincts on both sides of the ice, backed by a good motor and good compete to match, and he also likes to push up the ice to stay involved in transition, but he lacks creativity and higher-end offensive touch. He has the base of a solid puck mover with a good first pass, though his puck control can be loose at times, especially under pressure, where he will cough it up more than you would like. Offensively, he shows some habits like cutting to his backhand, but struggles to make plays after that, often throwing pucks on net without much conviction. His skating is decent overall, not overly powerful or fast, and his edges are not a major strength, but he can still angle off opposing threats effectively and hold his own defensively. With his frame, you would like to see him use his body more consistently both with and without the puck to elevate his impact. I think there is a path for him to become a good puck-moving defenseman, and while the ceiling could look something like Noah Dobson, I am not convinced he reaches that level. For me, he sits more in the mid-first round range and likely rounds out as a top five defenseman in this draft class.