Head-to-Head NHL DRAFT RANKINGS TOP-32 DEBATE

In this episode of The Draft Board Hockey Show, Linc and I do a head-to-head discussion of our Top-32 NHL draft rankings for the 2026 class. We give reasons as to why we have certain prospects in each position and their strengths and weaknesses. This is a fun episode!

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Hosts: Mark (NHL Draft Pros) and Linc (New Wave Hockey)

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the draft board hockey show. My name is Mark, and as always, I'm joined by my co-host Link.

SPEAKER_02 0:08

How are you? What's going on, guys? How are we doing? This is our most anticipated video that we do. It's our head-to-head draft showdown rankings. Me and Mark, we're going to get into it today. All right. Top 32. A lot of discussion between me and Mark. We're going to get into it today. We're going to really go at each other. Uh, we're going into our lists, and I got to tell you guys, um, I definitely, I definitely have some big dissension with Mark. I know that there is going to be something you get to calling it. There's gonna be something we get to, and it's there's gonna be something we get to, and you guys are gonna kind of look at me like, what the heck is going on? Actually, some of you might be like, All right, I get I see I can hear this guy out. We'll see what happens. But you've had a I I know Mark, I know, I know Mark might take a second when I show you.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

You've had a few in the past, and uh never surprises me. I always like it though. I get to chirp you a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 1:05

Well, I I I always have I always I look I always have a reason for mine, okay? I don't have a off the rails reason like, oh, I like the the weird skin. Hey, I've always been able to explain my picks for Mark, all right? So that's what I'm saying. Fair enough, fair enough.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

All right, so without further ado, the head-to-head show. It is a big one. So we're gonna start off. I'll uh do you want the floor first, or do you want me to uh tackle the first overall ranked prospect for the 2026 NHL draft?

SPEAKER_02 1:31

Well, I mean, it's the same person, so I guess I'll start. Let's just let's just get it out of the way here. I have Gavin McKenna first overall, and I know you do as well. Sorry that this is on a Google spreadsheet. I am currently in the process of making some of my uh better graphics this year. Oh, look at that. See, he's he's got he's got a bit better than me. Look, still a college student. But you know who else is also a college student this year uh and doesn't have to worry about it after this year? Gavin McKenna. I mean, we know what he can do, he's done it all year. He's a fantastic player. Uh, he's just been the guy all year. I've never brought him down for my rankings. I know you haven't either. This is the first time where me and Mark have all the way through. We've had the same guy, so there's not been a little there's been no dissension. So we've had a few on the show or number two. Do you want to start this?

SPEAKER_00 2:22

Yes, I mean, I'll I'll go first. Uh, I'm going with Evar Stenberg. I hope that you have something similar than that. Oh, our first wow, number two. We're already at uh differences. Your name your number two for the listeners. Uh, mine is Evar Stenberg.

SPEAKER_02 2:43

Caleb and yours is Caleb Malhotra has now taken hold of my number two. I just wanted to clarify, I wanted to get it out there that what Caleb Malhotra is doing right now is fantastic. I think that he is in contention. Uh, he's been in contention for the top three pick. I think he's going to be somebody that we need to strongly consider for going uh third, second, potentially even first overall. Uh I I look, I think that's I think it's a little extreme. It's a little bit too rich for my blood. I think it's extreme, but I knew to acknowledge what he's been doing. He is showing us the full package. He's really fast, he's hyper intelligent in the offensive zone, he's got a great stick, he's got a great shot as well. He plays the game the right way, two-way game. He's a very energetic player. I like him here too. And I I really it took a while for me to get there, but uh I really do think that he is a player that is second overall caliber. He's showing it in the playoffs. He is, I think he's a little the team leader in points for Brantford. He leads the he leads the Brantford Bulldogs in goals, he leads he is tied to the lead in points. He is going toe-to-toe with guys like uh Jake O'Brien is on his own team, who is feeding him the puck, and he just can't stop scoring. He has eight goals in seven games. He really has come out and showed himself. We have seen OHL playoff performances elevate the draft stock of players before. Remember Beckett Seneca. What he proved with the Oshawa Generals only two or three short years ago showed teams that this kid is something different. I think teams are also going to look at uh Caleb Malhoshra the same way. He's also just been climbing in the standings for me. It's been harder and harder for me to put him like low, like to keep him lower than two for me. I it's just it's a bit a personal thing. So I I've really, really liked, I've really liked him, and I I've given him the number two. I'd take him too.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

Well, okay, so here I'll go. I got I got him number three. So I mean, you know what? And listen, it and it it is deserving. He has definitely shown a really good progression this year. Like you're talking, he has just gotten better and better and better every day. Uh, and this, like you said, doing things in the playoffs right now, showing that you know, playoff counts for a big proportion of you know what a ranking is going to be like, especially because this is hard hockey right now. So, you know, if if he can handle that pressure and do well, then it's it's fair to say that yeah, he is is he a second overall guy? I I you know what I wouldn't I wouldn't put it past him if he if if he makes that jump. Now, I'm assuming that you have Ivar Stenberg at three. Yeah. Okay, so little flip-flop there right off the hop. That's it, that's an early uh, we're we're uh we're already at uh at odds right off the first three picks. That's unreal.

SPEAKER_02 5:37

But I mean, you know, I think how how out uh how at odds are we even? Let's let's be honest right now. Because look, I I think if we're just trading spots at two and three, uh I'm I'm we could argue that I'm trading it based on position, kind of maybe. Um, I I I see Kel Maholtra and what his game is going to be in five years, and I see that as a little bit more valuable right now. So so that's where I'm kind of heading.

SPEAKER_00 6:00

I I think you have to wait until the lottery, though, because I mean I don't see a team like Chicago maybe passing on Ivar Stenberg, considering that you have someone like Anton Frondell there, and they do need a little bit of wing uh fortification in Chicago. So I mean, I don't know, it's hard to say, but again, it might have to do with you know uh tiers. If Chicago has Caleb Maholtra in that the next tier, then obviously they might go with someone like Caleb Maholtra. So I think it just I think it depends on on the team and who's gonna be selecting second overall. I mean, you could even see potentially a defenseman jump up in that second overall spot. That's not a that's not a you can't discount that as well, right? So uh, and we've seen that in years past. All right, so uh I will let you have the next pick at number four. You got Chase Reed. Let me see. Wait a minute, what do I got? I got Chase Reed too. There we go. We're back, we're back, we're back to the agree, guys.

SPEAKER_02 6:53

Guys, we're we're okay. We're okay. We agree again. Okay, we're good. Me and Mark, we're gonna fit, we're not gonna do fisticuffs on the podcast anymore. This one's self-explanatory. I think I've I've been working on you to to kind of get you to acknowledge Chase Reed for a little bit. Because I know you had Keaton Verhoff as your top D for a little bit, but then I kind of worked Chase Reed India for a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

I went back and forth, I went back and forth.

SPEAKER_02 7:16

Yeah, and as as have I. And I think you'll you'll see that with the defenseman rankings as they come up. But what Reed's been doing this year, what he's been showing as an offensive defenseman, has been spectacular. I think that there are certain names to throw around that are in comparison to this. Um, and I there's a but there's a decent uh potential that he becomes the only number one defenseman from this draft, but there's also a decent potential that there are two or three number one defensemen from this draft. I'm just saying that I think Chase Reed has the most potential to become that. He's a guy that I can see developing into a number one power play quarterback, uh first pairing defenseman, and potentially a guy that you throw out on the penalty kill as well. We'll see. He needs to develop and needs to get a lot more consistency with his two-way game. But that's how I feel right now with this pick.

SPEAKER_00 8:05

Yeah, well, you know what the nice thing about Chase Reed is I've been watching him closely for the last two years, and defensively he's gotten a lot better, which is nice. And he does he does have some physicality in his game because you know a lot of offensive defensemen they're kind of they shy away from that. He's not really one of those guys, he actually uses the body along the wall and stuff like that. So you like to see that in young defensemen. So when you have that, you know, that two-way game, it it adds credence uh as to why he might be you know a top three pick, uh, which is really nice. So yeah, I I don't mind that at all. Like I said, has progression is there for Chase Reed, and that's exactly what you want to see in a young defenseman, of course. All right, number five. So I'll go, I'll let you let's let's let's let you go first here. So number five, Carson Carls. And I went with Keaton Verhoff. Oh, here we go. Now split again. We're split again. I mean, we're probably splitting hairs a little bit here at this point. So, you know, why do you got Carson Carls ahead of Keaton Verhoff? Who I you know, listen, I I I I want to hear your take on it. I'll I'll tell you mine.

SPEAKER_02 9:06

It comes down to a couple things for me, and I and I'll I'll be fully transparent and say that Keaton Verhoff is the next pick. I off my board, he's number six on my list. Um, this comes down to a couple things. Number one, uh, I think it primarily comes down to skating. Carson Carls is already a fantastic skater. He's somebody who has benefited from that and has shown more of an offensive game this year because of that, and it's really improved his offensive viability. I think there is a lot more offensive viability, there's a lot more offensive use you can get out of a guy like Carson Carls than people are really saying. This is a 20-goal scorer as a defenseman, as a 17-year-old in the WHL. You just don't, you don't just get those guys out of nowhere. He really developed and worked at his game this year and developed offensively. Not to even mention the fact that this guy could really be a shutdown defenseman at the NHL level. I love his physicality, his mind in the defensive zone and when defending rushes is fantastic. The way that he's able to pinch in the neutral zone has been spectacular. NHL teams love this guy. I think he has the potential to be the number one defenseman off the board uh because unilaterally he's been loved by a lot of he's been loved by all the NHL teams since we were talking about him in September or in August with Scott Wheeler. This is a player who is really, really showing a mature game, a high floor, but a potentially also high-ceiling game. I think he's absolutely worth the top five pick for me. There are times where I watch his game and I think that he is the best defenseman in this class. But again, it's been a tight race for all of them. So it's it's been tough. But I really am confident in a guy like Carson Carls.

unknown 10:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:45

So you know what, you mentioned Carl's having 20 goals this year. Well, guess what? Keaton Verhoff did that last year as a 16-year-old.

SPEAKER_02 10:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

So I mean, you know, and listen, the skating, yes, I understand that whole uh debate about Keaton Verhoff skating and stuff like that. However, he has gone, he's got room to play with that. He's one of those tall kids that takes a little bit, I think he's gonna take a little bit more time to develop. Whereas Carson Carls, he's already kind of has that balance and that uh you know unique skating, I guess you could say, which helps define his game. But Keaton Verhoff, like I, you know, he's got that shot, he he's he's an offensive presence, he's really mean on the ice. I I I think that there's still a next level. I think he's gonna take a little bit more time to develop. However, I think that in the long run, you I mean, yeah, again, you're splitting hairs here between Carson Carl and Keaton Verhoff because I'm gonna go with Carson Carls as my number six. So we just kind of flipped right there. So yeah, so you know, and listen, don't get me wrong, I love Carson Carls. Like that is, and but the other thing is left shot D Carson Carls, right shot D Keaton Verhoff, and we've you know mentioned this before, and I kind of took that into account for my rankings just a little bit. I mean, it's gonna be different, obviously, for mocks and stuff like that. However, uh, just these little nuances, I guess. But you can't like you know what again, we're splitting hairs here. This is this is you know preference and and what you know what what you think is gonna happen in the future. So, but okay, so let's move on to number seven. Here we're gonna keep this thing rolling. I'll go first this time. I got Albert Schmitz at number seven. Link, what you got? I also Albert Schmeets.

SPEAKER_02 12:24

We're back, we're back, we're back, we're back. I have a feeling, I have a feeling that number eight's gonna be the same as well. So we'll see how this goes. Uh, I I'm I'm pretty confident, pretty confident, but um no, with Smeets, uh again, all the same things apply. Dangerously physical. This is a guy who is going to play a lot of minutes at defense at the NHL level. Does he offer something that is going to be bona fide first pairing, like a guy like Chase Reed, Keaton Verhoff, or Carson Carls? Potentially, but it is not as concrete, set in stone like those guys. I really enjoy a guy like Albert Smeets. I think he's very powerful. There's a lot you can derive out of his game, but I'm worried that he may not be the top defenseman in this draft class. And he has shown me a lot less compared to guys like Verhoff, Carl, Reed. So that's kind of what we go back and forth with. Um, I still love him. Again, I wouldn't I wouldn't say that I don't love a guy who I'm picking in the top seven. So be that what it will, but uh yeah, so if if you guys are really mad that I put Smith seven, I don't know what to tell you.

SPEAKER_00 13:29

I you know what, I think that the only limitations with Schmidt's is is his uh offensive upside. Um I I because you know what he went from he started off the season on fire, you know, ended up with 13 points and 40 something odd games in the Liga, which is nice. The one thing that I really kind of thought that he he did really well was when he played at the uh Olympics, he held his own. He was, you know, he obviously that's a big adjustment playing against NHL style players and holding your own. So I thought, man, he he already stepped in and he can show that he can play with men and play with some of the best players in the world. So uh that's one of the reasons why I got him pretty high. I mean, you know what? Who's to say that he doesn't go even higher than that if someone wants someone to step in sooner than later, right? Like I said, Vierhoff will be a little bit more of a project, whereas Schmitz will probably step in within a year or two, you know, depending on your team. So I guess that's how that goes. Yeah, yeah. Number eight. Vigo Bjork Link went with Vigo Bjork at number eight. Let me see who I got at number eight. I went with Vigo Bjork. Oh my god, back-to-back jacks. What do you have to say? I love Vigo Bjork, and you know, we've we've gushed about Vigo Bjork a lot on previous shows. So why wouldn't we certainly with Vigo Bjork?

SPEAKER_02 14:46

We certainly have. I I look he there's we've talked about him so much that it almost becomes repetitive at this point. Vigo Bjork is a insanely NHL ready prospect for being five foot nine. I don't think I've ever seen a guy attack the the all three zones as maturely as he has. At the world juniors, I saw something that I really can't unsee. And I saw him play penalty kill one minute for Sweden on a team that won World Juniors gold. He was a crucial, crucial part to it. And he was active in the offensive zone and he was driving transition. This is a player who, despite his size, has really conquered all the concerns and all the worries that were worried about him. What's left is kind of, we don't think that he is a guy who's gonna go top five. I don't think that he's a guy that NHL teams trust to go top 10. Should he go top 10? Absolutely. I think this guy is going to be one of the remembered as one of the best players from this draft class. He's insanely smart. Remember a guy like Seth Jarvis, who didn't immediately go top 10 in his draft class, and look how coveted he is now for the Carolina Hurricanes. I think Vigo Bjork can be a player similar to Jarvis in that vein, but he can stick it out at center and he may end up being uh more productive on the point side.

SPEAKER_00 16:01

Well, you know while you know Jarvis had like what 100 points in his draft year in the uh WHL, something like that. I listen, Jarvis is a good comparison because they both you know skate well, work hard, responsible defensively, has have some offensive upside. Uh yeah, if you can have a player in the mold of Seth Jarvis, I'm taking him all day long. Now, the like you said, the limitations for Vigo Bjork is that he's listed at 5'9, 5'10. We'll find out come, you know, the combine. However, at this point, yeah, like you just you love his overall game. He is phenomenal, two-way player, like you said, killing penalties for team Sweden.

SPEAKER_01 16:37

Yeah, all right.

SPEAKER_00 16:38

So moving on to number nine, my number nine guy is Daxton Rudolph. Now, I know that Link is probably gonna go a little different in this regard. So, what do we got?

SPEAKER_02 16:48

Oliver just I have Oliver Suvanto at my number nine spot. Talk him up.

SPEAKER_00 16:56

What's the why you got him so high in the top ten?

SPEAKER_02 17:00

Well, we just did a video on him, and I can't wait to talk about it again. Look, you got a big centerman who doesn't turn 18 until September. This guy is going to grow and develop, and the strides we've seen from his skating, from his physicality, from his offensive output, uh, even though it really hasn't shown up in the playoffs, this guy is going to score points long term. I think that this guy is going to fit in the mold of an NHL centerman long term, way better than a lot of other guys coming down the pipe. And he's a guy that I honestly trust more to stick it out and make it make at the next level. Is he going to be a star? No. But at the end of the day, uh, after pick eight in this draft class, I don't think you're going to see a lot of star power. It's not it's not similar to last year's draft class where it was uh 2025 and there was a big top 10 and then not much else afterwards. Oliver Suvanto is a guy who can play a second line or third line center and put up a respectable stat line. I have been floating around the word of Charlie Coyle Light, and Charlie Coyle's been having a very solid season so far. It's going to be a bit of a longer development path for Suvanto, but I think that in the long run, he's going to be a very productive player in the NHL and one that is in there for quite a while. He's playing with men all year this year as a 17-year-old in Finland. I think he's going to be doing that for at least the next two seasons and then make the jump over to the AHL, NHL, and he's going to be a very productive guy, be in the lineup, potentially be on a playoff level team, and be able to contribute in more ways that aren't just on the stat sheet. This is a guy that GMs are going to covet come draft day. And I think he's going to go top 10 based on positional need.

SPEAKER_00 18:44

So, like you almost kind of said what I find is one of his downfalls. You're considered more of a middle six type player, right? Do you want to go top 10? Do you want to take a top 10 pick in the in the middle six role, or do you want to you know take a chance on someone with a little bit more offensive upside? So Daxon Rudolph had like 78 points in 68 games playing in dub. And right now in the playoffs, he's got 11 points in seven games. So that's a defenseman we're talking about, people. And so, you know what? I in my opinion, I would take a little chat, and he's big, he's a big kid, you know, plus six two. I think I'm not sure what his stats are in terms of the uh size, but he's a big kid and he's got some mobility. Now, the skating issues, the the play away from the puck is is a little bit uh of an issue, but I think that you know what given what NHL teams look for, you got a right shot D, who's you know, put up some decent numbers, and if you can fix if you can round out some of his game, I think that that might be a nice pick, and that's why I got him in my top 10.

SPEAKER_02 19:46

I'll get into the reasons why I didn't have Daxon top 10 when I eventually get to him. And don't worry, it is close, but it's not too close. So we'll let's keep it going.

SPEAKER_00 19:57

Okay, so let's go for you. Number 10, Links number 10 is Oscar Hamming. Very nice, very nice. Let's see who I got. Number 10. Ethan Belchez. Well, I got a little little re a little bias, I guess you could say, because uh he's in my hometown. So you know what? I I gotta, I gotta, I gotta lean a little bit towards the big E, the big cheese, they call him. But you know, you're talking 6'5, 227, winger who can, you know, over a pointed game for the Spitfires, but near the end of the season broke his uh clavicle and had some surgery. But this is a big kid. He's mobile. I think that there's still some room to grow in his game. He's gotten definitely better as the year progressed, like from last year as well. Uh I think that the NHL, you know, this is where they start to kind of look at size, and uh, and that's why I got Ethan Belchez at number in the same in the same vein that you were saying that uh the NHL is gonna be looking for some size here.

SPEAKER_02 20:53

I I'll admit I'm maybe a little bit biased picking my US region guy, Oscar Hemming here. But with what I've seen from him, the violence I have seen with him without the puck has been truly transformational. Nobody is as physical as Oscar Hemming in this draft class, and I mean nobody. Maybe Carson Carl comes close, but if you can find this guy who can hit you as hard as Tom Wilson can hit you, and is not and is just as big as him as well, that's pretty pretty, pretty solid as well. He held his own with a Boston College team that honestly was pretty solid without him and was way better once he got there. It speaks volumes to me that he was able to not play at all since August. He had not played in a single game since August, which was the double IHF UA teens in August, where Finland had that really awesome line with Vilo Van Ahalto and Oliver Suvanto and Oscar Hemming, and then he jumps right into that lineup at BC in January, and he doesn't miss a beat. He had more points and more production. And honestly, I'll say it, he looked way better than a guy like Tynan Lawrence did. And he was playing in the USHL with himself as well. Yes, of course, one uh one goal, eight points, 16 games. That's not ringing any bells that's saying draft me top 10. From what I've seen, from what he's shown me on the ice, the points are going to come. And he's staying with BC next year. They lost James Haggins, but they still have a very, very solid team coming in the wings. I really believe in Oscar Heming. I know that he's going to be really, really tremendous next year, especially with a guy like Dean Laturno with him. That's going to be fun. Uh, but I look, Heming, you're not going to shake me from this. He's been playing super well this year, so I'm a big fan of him. So let's keep going.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

Yeah, you know what? Listen, I'll I'll be honest with you. It was uh it was a toss-up between the the next, well, the three picks that we would just mention. Uh actually, so I I got number 11, I got Tynan Lawrence. You mentioned Tynan Lawrence, and then who do you have at number 11? Oh, sorry, Adam Novotny. Okay. So now, you know, for Tynan Lawrence, I'm gonna go with here's another player that I've watched a lot in the last two years. And coming from the USHL into the NCAA playing for Boston University, I think that he's another player, so he I don't know if he's had some nagging in injuries this year, and I think that that might have kind of affected his overall play. And I mean, we can't blame it on that specifically. However, I think that you're looking at a really good two-way forward um who really shined at the Clark Cup last year, USHL playoffs. And so I think that, you know, and he got better. He got better with Boston University as the season. He, you know, that's that's a hard transition to go from the USHL to the NCAA. And so you got to give him his props in that department. So, yeah, so that's that's basically why I got Tynan Lawrence at number 11. And so your number 11 is Adam Novotny. So uh let's talk about Mr. Novatny. Uh, he's another player that we've covered before, so we know his game. And uh, well, he's a player that I've seen live a few times. So, yeah, tell me why you like Adam Novotny at this position.

SPEAKER_02 24:08

Look, I've said it all before, once before, he is just really, really responsible. He is an NHL. Like the things that made me go crazy for a guy like Michael Bronsig Nigard last year or two years ago, are the reasons why I got I really like a guy like Adam Novotny. Very defensively reliable, uh two-way oriented, great shot, is showing more and more smarts as he's come over to the OHL level, has already harnessed a really mature two-way game over in Czechia. There is not much that you can lose betting on a guy like Adam Novotny. He's going to give you a really solid, uh, a really solid wing on the second line who can play two way, who can play a two-way game, isn't going to like peek at monster offensive highlights. Like, I don't think he's ever going to get above 75 points as a player, but he's a guy that you should absolutely take a chance on. I I really do believe that there is not a more there's not a surefire star who can score more than him past him, or someone a surefire star who can play better defense at the wing than he can. I I really do believe that he is a very special player. Uh, and I also think that he's a very positive influence on a clubhouse. He was saying that him and Vaslav Nestrashil were really the vibes guys on that uh that Czech team that went to this the gold medal. Uh and that's always stuck with me for some reason. I know that's superficial and I know it doesn't really work, but Novotny is has really just appeared to me as a guy who is very as a very positive influence on a locker room. And I think if Peterborough, uh if if anyone from Peterborough is watching, they'd probably agree with me as well. So I I'll I'll go out on a limb and say that, but I've always really liked Novotny for both his play on the ice and secondarily how he treated me when we were at the World Juniors.

SPEAKER_00 25:57

Yeah, no, you know what everyone says that he's he's a really good kid, and and you know, when you have good you're good natured like that, that goes a long way, especially when it comes to the combine and the interviews and stuff like that. And like you said, he's he's really responsible. He takes pride in being responsible defensively too, which is nice to see from a young player. So, all right, number 12. I got Oscar Hemming. We already kind of knew that was coming. And then who do you got at number 12? You got oh, multe gustason, woo, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You like your multi-gustison. Hey, I okay, plug him up here, plug him up there, Link. Talk to me. What does Multe Gustisin bring to be a top 12 player in this draft?

SPEAKER_02 26:37

I said this during the mock draft, and I'm not gonna back away from it now. Um, someone can for someone compared him to a guy like Philip Robert for me, and I totally bought it. He is a guy who can skate. Skate, skate, skate, skate, skate. He's big, he's mobile, he can carry the puck, he can do a lot of things for your team defensively, and those minutes add up. If you can find a very reliable second pairing defenseman or first pairing support guy at the NHL level, yes, I think he's a yes, he's a left shot. But he is somebody that all teams need. If you're looking to add some insurance to your blue line, look no further than a guy like Alta Malta Yustavson. Very big fan of him. Um, I think the offense will come, and I think it's a little bit more of a surefire defensive uh position and more of a surefire defensive player than a guy like Daxon Rudolph, who you've put a little bit further. But I have Daxon Rudolph right behind Malte Gustafson, I will say.

SPEAKER_00 27:36

So, you know what? Listen, and I uh it's not that I'm not a big fan of Malte Gustafson. I am, I really like his game, but my only contention is is like you know, his offensive limitations, but defensively, he's really good. He's a big mobile, can skate really well for his size. Yeah, and I got him at 13. So we're we're again we're we're very close in in that department.

SPEAKER_02 27:57

Um I I I think I I think I told you directly. I was like, I was like, where did you have a guy like Anton Salaev? His draft year, defense matters, and if you can find a guy who is defensively reliable on your blue line, you take that every day. And I think a guy like Malty Gusison is gonna be very valued because of that.

SPEAKER_00 28:15

So yeah, but I think Salaev had a little bit more offensive upside than say someone like Malte Gusison. I'd say that's that's that's my contention. All right, let's move on. Let's move on. We're cutting hairs here. Uh, number 14, I got Adam Novotny. We've already talked him up. And who do you got at number 14? You got at 13, you got Daxon Rudolph. So there we go. We're we're close, and then 14 is Ethan Belchez. So I mean, we're we're pretty much all the same. Top 14 are very similar, just in a little bit of a different order. So, hey, we're still on the same page here, Link. We haven't deviated just yet. And uh get ready. Okay, you want to talk about Daxon Rudolph or Ethan Belchez?

SPEAKER_02 28:54

Well, Belchez, oh, I guess with Rudolph, I guess gonna I can explain what I didn't explain earlier. Uh with Rudolph, what it comes down to me is is pace of play and speed. As a defenseman, it's becoming way more important for you to be really on top of your game skating wise. And if there are concerns about his pace of play, if there's concerns about him on the other side of the on the other side of the ice in his own zone on the rush, that worries me. There's a reason why I only see highlights from Daxon Rudolph in the offensive zone. I'm not saying he's not a great offensive defenseman, he definitely can be, but he's not a guy that I'm going to be risking a very high pick on if I can have other defensemen who can do more things than him. That's the reason why I've had a guy like Malta Gustafson who's a little bit more reliable and a little bit more, I'll say it, safe, uh ahead of him. So with Rudolph, there's a bit more questions in my mind, but once again, we're splitting hairs here. He's top 13. I don't think it's that big of a deal. I have him pretty high.

SPEAKER_00 29:56

So yeah, you know what? And for me, to be honest with you, like this is just based on you know how I think that they potentially could become in the future. And it's not it's not a designation as a mock draft. Uh, to be honest with you, mock draft wise, I might drop Rudolph a little bit. Uh, but in terms of like, I just see that he's got a little bit, he's got a more offensive ceiling than multi-guffs ascent. And that's I mean, the skating, you can work on that. And you gotta remember, some of these kids are young and they just need a little bit more time to get you know, grow into their bodies, as they say. So, but I mean, again, we're splitting hairs. All right, let's go to 15. My 15th player is Oliver Suvanto. Link, who do you got?

SPEAKER_02 30:34

Wyatt Cullen! So look, I have Suvanto, I have Suvanto higher, you know that. But Wyatt Cullen is a player who I've seen not talked about enough, honestly. I I think he will when when the April mock drafts eventually rear their ugly heads. We're gonna see a lot of Wyatt Cullen talk, and I don't think we're gonna see him high enough. I I see this guy who skates and stick handles and creates space in the vein of a James Hagins. That's how highly I think of a guy like an old thing. It's in the vein. I I'm comparing him a little bit. He skates super, super well. He's an incredibly smart player, he's great at creating uh ice for himself. And I'm look, I'm getting this prediction in before the UA teens come in. He is going to explode. You heard it here first. That's all I gotta say. Wyatt Cullen is going to make a lot of heads roll when he puts up a ton of points at the UA teens. Even so, even if he doesn't as well, he's going to play college hockey next year as an 18-year-old. He doesn't turn 18 until September. He's another September birthday. He's already exhibited plenty of offensive pro s while being injured for a lot of this season. He's been extremely impressive, and uh he'd be higher for me if he could play center. I really believe in that kid so much. Uh, and I would even believe in him even more if he could become a center. Like, I really do think why I call him that good of a player.

SPEAKER_00 32:08

I go to the NTDP games a lot, and he is a really good player. Don't get me wrong, I think he is a really good player, especially at the USA prospects game. He was one of the standouts at that game. He was flying out there, he was looking really good. Like you said, slowing the play down, reading plays, the the way he was, you know, scanning the ice was really nice. So, you know what? There's potential for him. If he pulls off a really nice U18s, oh yeah, his stock is gonna rise. I don't know if he has the same offensive chops as say a James Haggins. That's my you know, that's my kind of issue right now. But if he pulls off a U18s, I may change that.

SPEAKER_02 32:48

I'll I'll go back and say that look, it's James Higgins light. I'm not saying that he's going to become the guy that you and I like fawned over for most of last year, obviously. But um, no, he's look, he I I look, it's just in the way that he skates and the way that he stick handles. It's just I see James Haggins's motions in that way. They they're very similar in that sort of way, but I will say he's more Hagen's light than he is Hagen's, so that's why I have him at 15 and not like 10. So fair enough.

SPEAKER_00 33:18

All right, let's go to your 16th overall here. So we got Tynan Lawrence and I got Elton Hermansen. So look at that. It's my boy. You're yeah, hey, what not top 16? What's wrong with you, Link? Come on now. Hermouth, Hermo in a top 16 here.

SPEAKER_02 33:37

Uh, I feel like there is a subset of Nova Scotians who would come and kill me if I didn't have Tynan Lawrence top 16. Uh, but believe me, there was that it there was an inner discussion in my head. Uh no, Tynan Lawrence. Uh there's only so far he can fall, and I do believe in him. I believe that he's going to have a better season next year. But we need to be honest about what player he's going to be. And right now, what he's exhibiting to me is not somebody who belongs in the top 15. That's kind of what I've seen throughout USHL and NCAA viewings. It's been both. I think a lot of the immaturity from his game stems from an ability to play Hero Puck, and it didn't work in the NCAA, and he kind of was starting to figure out figure that out towards the end. But they got beat by a team in Yukon. And I I think that that does have to do in part with how bad BU was, but he could have added to this team, and he really honestly didn't. There was there was there was there was a lot of growth, there was a lot of growing pains at the beginning, and it's made me less confident. I'll say that. But I believe in Tynan Lawrence. I know that he's going to be better next year, and I'm excited to see him improve and honestly make me look stupid.

SPEAKER_00 34:47

So okay, so now let me ask you a question. So you we just talked about Wyan Cullen doing some magic at the U18s. What if Tynan Lawrence pops off the U18s? Will you change your mind on Tynan Lawrence if he pops off for Team Canada at the U18s?

SPEAKER_02 35:02

If I see a player who is more willing to distribute the puck, if I see a player who is making smarter decisions, absolutely, absolutely, I can change my mind about Tynan Lawrence.

SPEAKER_00 35:12

That's all I want to hear, Link. All right, so now let's go with uh the the rest of the uh top 32. So we're we're gonna kind of buzz through this back and forth right now. Uh so I got Maddox Dajene at 17, Ilya Morazov at 18, Ryan Lynn 19, Xavier Villeneuve 20, you hold Pippa Ryan in 21, Nikita Klepov 22, JP Herlbert 23, Liam Ruck at 24, and Link and Link has JP Herlbert at 17, Elton Hermanson 18, Ilya Morazov 19, you hold Pippa Ryan 20, Maddox Dajnay, 21, Alexander Kaman, 22, Ben McBeath 23, and Brooks Ragowski, the big bad Brooks Ragowski at 24. So again, let me let me see.

SPEAKER_02 36:01

Let me see your list again. Sorry, hold on. All right, again, yeah, there we go.

SPEAKER_00 36:06

I got I guess yeah, I got Lynn and uh Villeneuve higher, and again, I you know what, I'm not thinking about their heights right now. In reality, in reality, in terms of the real draft, they might drop way down because of that. I mean, I could even see Villeneuve going in the second round, um, just because and he hasn't really popped off offensively this year. He didn't he didn't take that next jump, which has kind of hurt him. But when I watch him play and I see the stuff that he does now defensively, who there's lots of work to be done there, and he's on the smaller side, but I'm hoping that he could get bigger, get a little bit stronger. Uh, you know, I like I said, I I've loved Villeneuve from last year. Um, he's he just he hasn't really progressed, but I still got him. I I'm still betting on my boy. So um yeah, what's your take on uh tell me about some of your guys like Ragowski? That's a pretty high one. I don't even have him in my top 32.

SPEAKER_02 36:58

With Rogowski, I think a lot of what's been informing me with that is uh he is going to Michigan State next year. He the size is incredible, and I think the the path of a guy like Dean Latorno is kind of influencing my pick here. I'm not gonna rank him too, too high, but he's been skating pretty well at the OHL level. He's been producing offense at a decent clip in the OHL level. Let's see what he does with three years at the NCAA. I I really do believe you're gonna transform him into a very intriguing prospect. He has the runway, he has the the means to do so and do a lot with that runway. Name a better coach at strictly development in the NCAA than Adam Nightingale, right? Look at what Ford Martone's been putting doing right now. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 37:46

A little side note the uh battle of Pennsylvania is gonna be unreal for the playoffs. Oh my god, I'm so excited. Don't even for the listeners who don't know that, and uh we're playing against Pittsburgh in the first round. Watch out!

SPEAKER_02 38:00

Yeah, yeah, it's it's gonna be something, but uh I that's what's really been influencing my pick with Ragowski. Is that good?

SPEAKER_00 38:07

Okay, so you know what? Listen, I a lot of these players I have coming up um in my next uh eight players, so we're we're very we're close in that regard. So let me okay. So go ahead and go down to your next eight, finish it off here. Yep, gotcha might be at so links next eight. We got at 25, Nikita Klepov, Yeager Shilov at 26, Gleb Pugachev at number 27, Liam Ruck 28, Xavio Villeneuve 29, Ryan Lynn 30, Mathis Preston 31, and Tommy Blyle at 32. So look at my list. I got William Hawkinson at 25, Mathis Preston 26, Marcus Nordmark 27, White Cullen, 28, Tommy Blyle, 29, Ryan Rubruk. I still got him in the first round. When you're scoring that many goals, you got to keep a kid that high. Alexander Command, 31, and Ben McBeef at 32. So, you know what? There's just a couple that we are off on in terms of so you got Rogowski, I got Rubruk. And you know, listen, Rubruk's still putting up some big numbers, put a 30 goals in 50 games. Uh oh, that one's gonna be a tough one. Like I said, when you're scoring that many goals, I could see him dropping, though. I could see him dropping just because of some other things. But uh, I I yeah, I and Ragowski, we got we got to mention that Ragowski's six foot seven. That's a big kid.

SPEAKER_02 39:30

Yeah, he look, he's look, let's let's cut all of all of it here. Ragowski's going in the first round, whether you like it or not. Uh, like that's just that's just that's just how NHL let's say NHL, six foot seven players. They don't make it past the first call me crazy, but like I'm believing in bigger players more. Jack Nesbitt is committed to Michigan. He had a really solid year this year, Mark. I know you don't want to admit it, maybe not a top 12 year, but he's looking it's looking good in the playoffs, too.

SPEAKER_00 39:59

Had a big game yesterday Sunday against uh Flint.

SPEAKER_02 40:02

So yeah. If you are if you have size and you're scrappy and you play well, I'm gonna take a chance on you. And I was wrong the last two years with Laterno and Nesbitt. I won't be wrong a third time. I think Ragowski is gonna be a very solid player. Yes, I'm sorry that I don't have Rubreck in uh the top tier, and I may look hypocritical when people see a guy like Igor Shilov there, too, because I would honestly the motor might be just uh just the same. But uh Igor Shilov for me, uh when he gets into the offensive zone, I don't think I've ever seen someone whip a puck more accurately or quicker to his his his teammates. He's gonna be able to produce and make assists regardless of where he goes. So that's how I feel about Shilov. Uh other guys that are, I guess that we can talk about Liam Ruck. We both have actually in our in our in our little spots right there.

SPEAKER_01 40:57

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 40:57

Top 32. Um, what was the big thing for you with Ruck? You have him a 24, I have a 27, I believe. I see a kid that he's got a little dog in him.

SPEAKER_00 41:08

He put up 104 points this year in the WHL, and I was watching him back check, stick check, body, like he's not a huge physical presence. However, he doesn't give up on the puck. And when you have 104 points in the WHL and you got a little grit, little sandpaper, a little paste to your game. I can't discount that. I can't discount that. You know what I mean? A lot of people say, well, you know, and the thing is with Liam Rock, he was setting up his teammates like without setting up Marcus, which is you like to see that. So I think that he could hold his own because a lot of people are like, Well, he's like the they're like the Sadians. Yeah, together would they would be really, really fun to watch. However, I think independently they can manage that. And that's uh that's what you like to see. And Liam got a little dog in him. That's why I got him up top 32.

SPEAKER_02 41:53

I I I think I think the twins will be more useful together. So if you have two first round picks in the draft, why not make it interesting? That would be really awesome. But um, overall, I I really do think that uh I really think that this is a good pair, but Liam for sure I think is the one who's been driving all of it. Yeah, otherwise, I I think I think we've uh we've put together a really solid list. We're not too far off. No, there's a couple of discrepancies. I think I might have shocked you with my Malhotra too.

SPEAKER_00 42:21

Uh yeah, but you know what, listen, didn't shock me because I mean I can see it happening. I'm not, I'm not, but I'm just saying that uh, you know, to put him ahead of Evar is a lot of people don't have uh they have it's McKenna Ivar and then the rest. I mean, but so there you go. So you know what? Listen, this was fun. Uh we're gonna we're gonna obviously do one, probably uh we'll probably do one closer to the lottery, and then obviously the one right before the draft. Uh fingers crossed, Link. We're gonna be at the draft. Are you are you can you're gonna be committed to that or what are you gonna go?

SPEAKER_02 42:51

Yeah, I'm gonna be able to go look. I look, I'm committed. Look, I I may have a job already lined up for the summer, but I look, I already know that I have off that week, so I'll be well.

SPEAKER_00 43:00

I got a I got a room for you too. I reserved a room. We got a we got a spot open for you. So um, yeah. So, anyways, there we go. Um, you know what? Listen, that that was fun. If you want to see the entire list, head over to the draft board hockey show on YouTube. We'll have uh you'll see it there, the visuals and stuff like that. Um, but uh yeah, because it's a lot to put into the um the description here. Well, maybe I will. We'll see how it goes. But uh yeah, Link. What a blast talking some uh draft prospect hockey. It's so fun. This is the best time of year. We got a couple months to go.

SPEAKER_02 43:31

I'm feeling great.

SPEAKER_00 43:33

Awesome, buddy. Awesome. So um, everyone, thanks for listening and watching, and we'll see you soon. Cheers.