McKenna tops Central Scouting midterm rankings for North American skaters ahead of 2026 NHL Draft
The 2026 draft will be held at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, marking the first time the Sabres will be hosting in a decade. The first round will be on June 26 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), with rounds 2-7 on June 27 (10 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN).
The NHL Draft Lottery to determine the first 16 picks will be announced at a later date.
Verhoeff (6-3, 208), the second-youngest player on Canada’s roster at the WJC, has 12 points (four goals, eight assists) and 22 blocked shots in 18 games as a freshman at North Dakota. He played in five games at the WJC and was effective, getting four assists while averaging 11:10 of ice time for Canada.
“He doesn’t look like a 17-year-old and doesn’t play like a 17-year-old,” North Dakota forward Will Zellers said of Verhoeff. “He’s such a big body out there and a right-handed shot … that’s a scout’s dream. I think anyone would be dumb not to take him No. 1 or No. 2 overall right now. He’s got such a hard shot. The sky’s the limit for him and he’s got such a good work ethic, too.”
Carels (6-1, 202) was the youngest player on Canada’s roster at the WJC. The left-handed shot has 34 points (nine goals, 25 assists) and 16 power-play points (three goals, 13 assists) in 32 games with Prince George. He had one assist and five shots on goal and averaged 10:12 of ice time in five games for Canada at the WJC.
Reid (6-2, 188), a right-handed shot, has 38 points (15 goals, 23 assists) and 14 power-play points (five goals, nine assists) in 33 games with Sault Ste. Marie. He provided big minutes for the United States at the 2026 WJC with defenseman Cole Hutson (Washington Capitals) missing two games with an undisclosed injury. The 18-year-old had four points (two goals, two assists) and 11 shots on goal while averaging 20:06 of ice time in five games for the U.S.
Malhotra (6-1, 182), the son of former NHL forward Manny Malhotra and nephew of former NBA point guard Steve Nash, leads Brantford with 53 points (20 goals, 33 assists) in 39 games.
“Malhotra is one of many draft-eligible players who are competing and contributing as first-year players in the CHL,” Marr said. “He has been a productive competitor all season for Brantford and the hockey world took notice with his continued standout play at the CHL-USA Prospect Challenge series in November. The NHL DNA aside, he is a complete hockey package in this draft class and has a bright future.”
There are six college hockey players listed among the top 32: McKenna (Penn State), Verhoeff (North Dakota), center Tynan Lawrence (No. 7; Boston University), center Ilya Morozov (No. 8; Miami (OH)), left wing Oscar Hemming (No. 11; Boston College) and defenseman Landon Nycz (No. 28; University of Massachusetts).
The No. 1 North American goalie is Brady Knowling (6-5, 202) of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program Under-18 team. He’s 5-7-1 with a 3.63 goals-against average and .887 save percentage in 15 games. Committed to Boston University, Knowling played one game for the United States at the WJC, losing 6-3 to Sweden, which won the gold medal, in the preliminary round on Dec. 31.
