2026 NHL Draft

[donlever]

Btw, Hagel is beast.

The compete on this guy is off the charts. I watch him and wonder why it is that we never ever get players like this that hits, fights, scratches, claws, at anything and everything in order to win. And has the offence to go along with it. (OK, there's Steamer and Burrows, and maybe a few others but too few, too far between.)

A 6th round draft and he's now used as a comparison for a 2nd overall.

Exactly like Stenberg I'm sure.



Keep 'em coming Cuz...

[Cousin Strawberry]

The article describes McKenna as slower, weaker, has a shittier shot than Stenberg but sees the ice and distributes pucks like a star.

I dunno man....that's tough.

We were also talking about stenberg at 2 or 3 and you wouldn't want him there. That's what I'm saying is crazy when he's clearly the better rated prospect than any of the other prospects

[donlever]

Ultimately I think we are discussing semantics here.

There is no clear cut top dog in this draft.

All of them are maybes in one manner or another.

Turn the fucking failure page, the book is getting boring.

Pick the Canadian (out of the 1/2 option being dicussed) and try something else....

...or go outside the analyst box, take the Unicorn and hope he develops into a massive RD stud.

[Picker of Cherries]

The more I see of Carson Carels, the more I want him picked. He looks like the biggest Asshole. Better than Reid defensively. Still a great skater. 73 points in 53 games in the Dub so he has offence, too. Top pair - him with Buium? They could really use a defensive stud. Reid doesn’t project to be in the class of Makar or Hughes, so Reid probably won’t be much better than Carels offensively, but he won’t be as good defensively. As per always, the Canucks need Assholes. I beginning to think they’ll regret not taking Carels out of their own backyard.

[Nuckertuzzi]

Pick the Canadian (out of the 1/2 option being dicussed) and try something else....

I risk going against my rule of always going BPA, especially picking in the top 5 or 10, but in our case I would really like to build around some Canadians for a change.

Burrows and Lu were key parts of the Sedin era but that core was lead my Swedes, albeit good ones, and the last core were 90% Americans and Swedes.

I won't hate it if we end up with Stenberg because who the fuck knows if he turns out to be the jewel of this draft. It can go any which direction.

I'd just like it to be our boys for once given it's been so long. McKenna now, Dupont next year. Let's work with that. The Buiums, Willanders, Ohgrens, etc., can make nice complimentaries.

First gotta win the lottery. May the 5th be with us.

[Cousin Strawberry]

Ultimately I think we are discussing semantics here.

There is no clear cut top dog in this draft.

All of them are maybes in one manner or another.

Turn the fucking failure page, the book is getting boring.

Pick the Canadian (out of the 1/2 option being dicussed) and try something else....

...or go outside the analyst box, take the Unicorn and hope he develops into a massive RD stud.

Verhoeff having the limited wheels should drop him out of the top 3/4 imo. The league is as fast as ever and I can see him being the 2nd or even 3rd defenseman taken.

You are 100% correct about the merits of this debate. The best player will just as likely end up being who we never saw becoming that good (like Carels for instance)

[Nuckertuzzi]

The best players in this draft will end up being the ones selected right after the ones we select.

[Cousin Strawberry]

The best players in this draft will end up being the ones selected right after the ones we select.

Ha! So true

[donlever]

Verhoeff having the limited wheels should drop him out of the top 3/4 imo. The league is as fast as ever and I can see him being the 2nd or even 3rd defenseman taken.

Where do people get this stuff....

Keaton Verhoeff is a highly regarded 6'4", 208-pound 2026 NHL draft-eligible defenseman known for surprisingly fluid, efficient skating for his size. He uses long, strong strides to close gaps, with excellent backward skating and edge work for angling opponents. While generally deemed mobile, some scouting reports note his acceleration can be inconsistent.

Skating and Mobility Profile

Fluidity: Evaluated as a fluid skater who excels in backward mobility, allowing him to maintain tight gaps.

Stance: Features long and efficient strides to quickly close space in the neutral zone, making him effective at angling attackers toward the boards.

Positioning: Exhibits good mobility on puck retrievals, utilizing pivots and cutbacks to avoid forecheckers.

Areas for Development: While top speed is solid, some analysis suggests his acceleration from a standstill needs improvement.

[Carl Yagro]

I can't quite remember... what was the scouting report on Peter's skating, speed and agility? How did he rank so high in his draft?

Probably a good thing that he wasn't scouted on his dedication or his toxic personality... would have probably dropped him way down.

[Nuckertuzzi]

How did he rank so high in his draft?

Erase the past 26 months from your memory and you got your answer.

Hard to believe he was good once.

[Carl Yagro]

Yeah, I was just giving Cuz the gears for his Verhoeff skating report.

I know Keaton would still catch Peter easily and give him the ol' Matheson treatment.

[Cousin Strawberry]

The big question is about his skating. Verhoeff moves fairly well once he's in-stride, but the footwork is awkward and inefficient. He gets caught flatfooted in neutral ice too often and his pivots are slow, leading to him getting beat up on transitions too often.

Sounds like Topper analyzing DPetey

[Cousin Strawberry]

Yeah, I was just giving Cuz the gears for his Verhoeff skating report.

I know Keaton would still catch Peter easily and give him the ol' Matheson treatment.

Stenburger will mayor mccheese the fuck out of the slow pivoter

[Nuckertuzzi]

Yeah, I was just giving Cuz the gears for his Verhoeff skating report.

Gotya. First thought it was more a shot at Stenberg.