DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY

Tag: St. Louis Blues

  • The Final Weekly 2026 Draft Eligible Three Stars

    By Stuart Miller-Davis

    The 2025-26 season has officially come to a close for NHL Draft prospects around the world. The Kitchener Rangers capped off an undefeated run at the Memorial Cup by capturing the franchise’s third title, while Finland closed out the World Championship in Switzerland by defeating the host nation for gold.

    With the season now complete, scouts and NHL front offices will spend the coming weeks relying on video review for final evaluations ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft. With only a limited number of draft-eligible players still active over the past week, this edition of the three stars serves as a season-ending look at the prospects who made the biggest impact in this column throughout the year.

    Here are Draft Prospects Hockey’s 2026 Draft-Eligible Three Stars for the 2025-26 season.

    Gavin McKenna | LW | Penn State (NCAA)

    The top-ranked prospect on Draft Prospects Hockey’s 2026 NHL Draft Rankings also claims the top spot in the season-ending three stars.

    After taking some time to adjust to the college game, Gavin McKenna quickly established himself as one of the most dangerous offensive players in the NCAA. The Whitehorse, Yukon native finished his freshman campaign at Penn State with 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 35 games, ranking fourth in NCAA scoring as an 18-year-old freshman.

    McKenna also played a major role for Team Canada at the World Junior Championship in Minnesota. Following a limited role in his first tournament appearance in 2024-25, where he recorded just one point in five games, the former Medicine Hat Tigers star returned with a dominant showing. He produced 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in seven games to help Canada capture the bronze medal.

    Ivar Stenberg | LW/RW | Frölunda HC (SHL)

    Ivar Stenberg’s remarkable draft season earns him the second star of the year.

    The Swedish winger produced near-historic numbers in the SHL, recording 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 43 games. Since 1990, only Daniel Sedin, Markus Näslund, and Henrik Sedin have produced more points in their 18-year-old season in Sweden’s top professional league.

    The second-ranked prospect on Draft Prospects Hockey’s 2026 NHL Draft Rankings also excelled internationally. The Stenungsund native recorded 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games at the World Junior Championship, helping Sweden capture gold.

    Stenberg later debuted with Sweden’s senior national team during the European Hockey Tour, where he averaged a point per game across five contests before earning a roster spot at the World Championship.

    At the tournament in Switzerland, the younger brother of St. Louis Blues forward Otto Stenberg continued to impress against elite competition. His eight points in eight games ranked behind only Patrik Laine, Auston Matthews, Juraj Slafkovský, and Paul Kariya among draft-eligible players in tournament history.

    Viggo Björck | C | Djurgårdens IF (SHL)

    While Viggo Björck did not produce the same offensive totals as fellow Swede Ivar Stenberg in the SHL, his overall body of work cemented him as one of the premier prospects in the 2026 class.

    The Stockholm native recorded 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 42 SHL games during his draft season, but his progression throughout the year was equally notable. Björck earned increased responsibility as the season progressed and eventually rose into Djurgårdens’ top-line center role late in the campaign.

    After the club’s professional season ended in the opening round of the playoffs, Björck joined Djurgårdens’ U20 squad and immediately dominated. The undersized center recorded 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in nine playoff games while helping lead the team to a U20 championship.

    Björck also enjoyed a standout international season. Skating alongside Stenberg on Sweden’s second line at the World Junior Championship, he contributed nine points (three goals, six assists) in seven games during the gold-medal run.

    Like Stenberg, Björck also earned his first call-up to Sweden’s senior national team. He recorded two goals in five European Hockey Tour games before adding six points (one goal, five assists) in eight appearances at the World Championship.

    Daxon Rudolph | RHD | Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

    Few draft-eligible defensemen were more entertaining or productive during the 2025-26 season than Daxon Rudolph.

    The Prince Albert Raiders blueliner finished third among WHL defensemen in scoring with 78 points (28 goals, 50 assists) in 68 games. Wearing an “A” in his second season with the club, the Lacombe, Alberta native helped lead Prince Albert to first place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference.

    The 6-foot-2, 203-pound defender carried that offensive production into the postseason. Rudolph tied Seattle Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen for the WHL playoff scoring lead with 27 points in 19 games.

    Behind the leadership of Rudolph and Vancouver Canucks prospect Braeden Cootes, the Raiders advanced all the way to the WHL Final before falling to the Everett Silvertips in five games.

    Honorable Mentions

    Caleb Malhotra | C | Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

    Carson Carels | LHD | Prince George Cougars (WHL)

    Liam Ruck | RW | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

  • Weekly 2026 Draft Eligible Three Stars

    Another edition of the weekly 2026 draft-eligible three stars returns with a pair of exciting defensemen and a WHL forward who is on a big-time heater. 19-year-old Czech-born defenseman Tomas Galvas has been passed on in both the 2024 and 2025 NHL drafts, but in 2026 it looks like he should find a home. Carson Carels, who was already named a three-star in October, looks like a lock to be a first-round pick in June, and his continued play will have scouts and analysts wrestling with how high he should go. Finally, Markus Ruck has been on fire recently and was a big part of the Medicine Hat Tigers compiling a 19-game win streak that was snapped on Saturday.

    Tomas Galvas | LD | Bílí Tygři Liberec (CZE)

    The flashy skating of Tomas Galvas was incredibly impressive for Czechia at the 2026 World Junior Championship, finishing second in tournament scoring by a defenseman with nine points (three goals, seven assists). He ended the tournament as the third-highest player on his team in icetime, behind St. Louis Blue prospect Adam Jiricek and Seattle Kraken draft pick Jakub Fibigr.

    The son of longtime Czech pro player Lukas Galvas has returned to the Czech pro ranks after his trip to Minnesota on fire with four goals and an assist in four games. At 5-foot-10 and only 168 pounds, Galvas will still have to fight the notion that he is undersized for an NHL defenseman, but his skating skills continue to make him an interesting prospect. The hockey scouting community is starting to believe he might have a North American pro hockey career ahead of him yet, after his three medals at three World Junior Championships. Galvas landed at number 69 on the NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Ranking for international skaters, which equates to an expected third-round pick.

    Carson Carels | LD | Prince George Cougars (WHL)

    Carson Carels is another defender that has returned to his club team from the World Junior Championships and is excelling. The 13th-ranked skater on the Draft Prospects Hockey 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings didn’t play a huge role for Canada, getting 10 and a half minutes or less of ice time a game, but the fact that he made the team and got to play those minutes was impressive for a 17-year-old.

    Carels has been an offensive monster this season. He already has in 35 games so far this year passed the 35 points (six goals, 29 assists) he put up in 60 games in his first full WHL season. He leads all CHL draft-eligible defensemen in points with 50 and trails only Prince Alberts’ Daxon Rudolph (20) and Soo Greyhounds’ Chase Reid (16) in goals with 11.

    Playing in three games this past weekend, Carels has a pair of goals to go with two assists. Perhaps most impressively, though, was that the Cypress River, MB native led all draft-eligible players this past week in shots on goal with 15. Carels earned himself the number three ranking on the NHL Central Scouting Midterm Ranking of North American skaters.

    Markus Ruck | C | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

    Markus Ruck and twin brother Liam are a big reason why the Medicine Hat Tigers are one of the top teams in the WHL’s Eastern Conference. While Liam has been more of a goal scorer with 25 in 43 games, Markus has been piling up the assists with 50 in 43 games. He is the leader amongst draft-eligible players in the CHL in helpers so far this year.

    After a slow start to the week with just one shot on goal against the Edmonton Oil Kings in a 3-2 shootout win, Ruck exploded for six points (two goals, four assists) in the following two games. The 31st-ranked skater by NHL Central Scouting in its Mid-Term Ranking for North American skaters for the 2026 class had three assists, including two on the power play, and the game’s last goal, as the Tigers defeated the Oil Kings 7-3. Ruck was named the third star of the game against the Prince Albert Raiders for his goal and assist in the Tigers’ rally back from down 4-1. Unfortunately, the Tigers saw the game slip away in the third as the Raiders scored twice on an empty net to win 8-5.