2026 NHL Draft

[Lancer]

That's one of the factors that make the draft such a crap-shoot: ability to project what they will be in 2-3 years' time. Maybe a kid doesn't think the game or has a decision-making speed because they never had to by virtue of their calibre of competition - their skill was just that good. That doesn't mean they can't get better, but how can a scouting staff tell for sure? Just like a prospect whose skating mechanics raise red flags; it may be a matter of him just getting the right skills coaching, or he may never get it. Figuring out how quickly/easily a kid can learn physically as well as mentally... outside of specialized testing (which I've never heard of happening even at the combine, but would be happy to be proven wrong) and interview, I don't know how a scouting staff would quantify that.

[Topper]

or maybe the kid left his heart in San Francisco while riding a scooter in the Tenderlion District