DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY

Tag: Team Canada

  • Weekly 2026 Draft Eligible Three Stars

    2026 is now a month old, with the calendar turning from January to February. As the 2026 NHL Draft continues to inch closer, here’s how some of the top scoring draft eligibles fared this week. This week’s three stars include two players who were passed over in previous drafts and are hoping to find NHL homes this time around, as well as a Swede who appears to be a potential late first-round pick.

    Lukas Sawchyn | RW | Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)

    Edmonton Oil Kings winger Lukas Sawchyn has taken a big leap forward in his second season with the club. The younger brother of Florida Panthers 2023 second-round pick Gracyn, has 69 points (20 goals, 49 assists) in 48 games in 2025-26 after having 55 points (15 goals, 40 assists) in 66 games in 2024-25.

    The crafty winger’s impressive sophomore campaign in the WHL has made scouts take notice as he found himself ranked 168 on the NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings for North American Skaters. Bound for Arizona State in 2026, the 18-year-old, who turns 19 in February, is putting together a season that should get him more attention this time around.

    The 5-foot-10, 174-pound Grand Prairie, AB, native has been incredibly hot recently with 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in his last five games, eight of those in three games this past week. The Oil Kings started the week by dropping a 5-2 decision to the Calgary Hitmen, with Sawchyn chipping in a secondary assist. Traveling to Moose Jaw for its second game of the week, Edmonton got a four-assist performance from the Shattuck St. Mary’s alum, but it wasn’t enough to topple the Warriors as the Oil Kings fell 7-5. In the final contest of the week for the Oil Kings, Sawchyn chipped in a goal and a pair of assists in a 6-3 victory over the Swift Current Broncos.

    Ethan MacKenzie | LHD | Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)

    Sawchyn’s junior teammate Ethan MacKenzie surprised a lot of people by being named to Team Canada for the 2025-26 World Junior Championships and played in all seven games for the bronze medal squad. The 19-year-old has found a new gear offensively in his fourth year in the WHL, with a career-high 44 points (16 goals, 28 assists) in 40 games.

    The 6-foot, 174-pound two-way defender is finding the back of the net at a much higher rate than ever before with six goals in his last ten games. He scored five goals in 54 games in the 2024-25 season. His rise this season has brought his name into focus as a re-entry for the 2026 NHL Draft, with NHL Central Scouting ranking him 74 among North American skaters in its Mid-Term Rankings.

    The West Kelowna, BC, native was the second-highest-scoring draft-eligible defenseman this past week with five points (three goals, two assists) in three games, while firing 12 shots on goal. His biggest game of the week was a two-goal, one-assist performance in a 6-3 win over the Swift Current Broncos. MacKenzie rifled a power play goal up over the Broncos goaltender for an early 2-0 lead. He potted an assist on the man advantage, firing a shot that was tipped in to give the Oil Kings a 3-0 cushion. He later added his second marker by walking in from the point and firing a wrist shot that beat the goalie cleanly on the glove side.

    Marcus Nordmark | RW | Djurgärdens IF (U20 Nationell)

    Swedish winger Marcus Nordmark has been one of the top draft-eligible players in Sweden’s top U20 junior league. With 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists) in 23 games, he trails only Alexander Command (38 points in 25 games) in scoring among players eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft. Nordmark has failed to really make an impact at the SHL level this season, with just one assist in four games. However, he’s only played very limited minutes, with 10:45 as his season high.

    Against his peers on the international stage, the 17-year-old has been dominant with 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists). His exploits have certainly got the hockey scouting community intrigued. He earned the number seven ranking on NHL Central Scouting’s Mid-Term Ranking for International Skaters and is the 22nd-ranked skater on the Draft Prospects Hockey 2026 NHL Draft Prospects Ranking.

    Nordmark trailed only Sawchyn this week in points by draft eligibles, with seven in two games. Nordmark was called up to the SHL for a game against Roglë but didn’t end up playing. He returned to the U20 team and torched Skellefteå AIK with a three-goal, three-assist night. He polished off his week with a goal to tie the game at one in a 3-2 overtime win for his team.

  • Weekly 2026 Draft Eligible Three Stars: World Junior Edition

    The World Junior Championships are well underway, with preliminary games running through to the all-important New Year’s Eve games. The quarterfinals will start in the new year on January 2. While tournament rosters often skew towards already drafted players for countries to bring the best talent, the 2026 edition features a good crop of draft eligibles competing in Minnesota.

    Ivar Stenberg | RW/LW | Team Sweden (U20)

    Ivar Stenberg’s exploits this season playing against men in Sweden’s top pro league already earned him a spot in a weekly wrap-up earlier this season, and against his peers he continues to dominate. The third-ranked skater on the Draft Prospects Hockey 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings should solidify himself as a top player in this class with a strong tournament in Minnesota.

    He’s off to a good start in a pair of preliminary games with three points (one goal, two assists). In the tournament opener, Stenberg picked up a secondary assist on 2024 third overall pick Anton Frondell’s power play blast to open the scoring. With the game tied at two in the late stages of the third period, Stenberg took a feed from Eddie Genborg and took the puck to the net. He made no mistake with a slick backhand that he fed through the pads of the sliding Slovakian goaltender.

    In his second game of the tournament, Stenberg was all around the net. He recorded four shots on goal but wasn’t able to get one to go in. He did, however, add an assist on the Swede’s empty netter by Anaheim Ducks’ 2024 fifth-round pick Lucas Pettersson to close out Switzerland 4-2.

    Jasper Kuhta | C | Team Finland (U20)

    Jasper Kuhta was already catching scouts’ eyes with his production with the Ottawa 67’s in the OHL this season but could elevate his draft stock even more if he continues his strong play in Minnesota. The 19-year-old has 30 points (17 goals, 13 assists) in 32 games in his first season of North American hockey.

    He was all over the scoresheet in his team’s opening game of the tournament against Denmark. Just under two minutes into the game, Kuta fed the puck from behind the net to fellow undrafted 19-year-old Roope Vesterinen. He fired a shot and then popped in his own rebound for the 1-0 lead. Kuhta picked up primary assists on a goal by 2026 draft-eligible Oliver Suvanto and a second goal by Vesterinen as the Fins cruised to a 6-2 win.

    Kuhta notched his first career World Junior Championship goal in his second tournament game in an 8-0 rout of Latvia. Looking for Philadelphia Flyers prospect Max Westergärd in front, Kutha’s pass directed off the goal stick of keeper Mikus Vecvanags and into the net. Later in the game, Kutha added a secondary assist on another goal by Vesterinen in a thorough beatdown of Latvia.

    Gavin McKenna | LW | Team Canada (U20)

    Gavin McKenna has had expectations heaped onto him for a very long time, and with good reason. The reigning CHL player of the year has been pegged as the top prospect for 2026 for a while. McKenna’s NCAA numbers don’t scream “number one overall” as loudly as some would like. 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) is good production for a player who just turned 18 on December 20. After some of the eye-popping numbers from college prospects like Macklin Celebrini and Adam Fantilli in recent seasons, the hockey community was expecting a little more. Despite all that, his talent still has him as the number one overall prospect on the Draft Prospect Hockey NHL Draft Prospect Rankings.

    McKenna is off to a soaring start in Minnesota after finding the back of the net once for his only point in five games at the tournament last year in Ottawa. The Yukon native fed a perfect pass to Nashville Predators prospect Brady Martin, who put home Canada’s first goal of the tournament against Czechia. He added another primary assist in the third period as Canada broke a 3-3 tie. McKenna sent a saucer pass across to Calgary Flames prospect Zayne Parekh. The 2024-25 CHL defenseman of the year skated around a little before firing a wrist shot up and over the Czechia keeper for his second goal of the contest.

    McKenna was instrumental in Canada’s second game of the tournament to help them escape a nail-biter in overtime against Latvia. After Canada was handed a five-minute power play, the Penn State Nittany Lion fed Calgary Flames prospect Cole Reshny in front. Reschny took a few steps before wiring a shot high blocker side for the 1-0 lead. On the man advantage in overtime, McKenna fed a on-time pass to Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael Hage, who made no mistake wiring home the overtime winner.