NHL
Winger Gavin McKenna ranks first on the list of North American skaters eligible for the draft. David Berding / Getty Images
NHL Central Scouting released its mid-term rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft class on Monday evening.
Penn State winger Gavin McKenna ranks first on their list of North American skaters eligible for the draft, while Frölunda winger Ivar Stenberg is atop their international skaters list.
Here are some thoughts and takeaways from our draft experts Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman.
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Find the full list here.
Find the full list here.
Pronman: Lawrence is a bit low for me. I had him No. 1 overall a few weeks ago, so obviously, I’m going to think seventh in North America is off. His offense may not be elite, but he’s a much better play driver than several of the players rated ahead of him due to his skating and work ethic. I was with them on Morozov in this range as of a month ago, but he’s hit a wall lately, and I’m not sure his offense justifies this rating, even if he’s super athletic and hard to play against.
Wheeler: I’ve also got a little apprehension on Morozov at No. 8 in North America. Good player, good prospect, having a good freshman year, but not a can’t-miss top-end guy for me.
I’m not there on towering Oshawa Generals forward Brooks Rogowski (No. 14 in North America), either. He’s going to have some limitations in the NHL and is slotted like a potential top-20 pick. While he has some proponents in scouting circles, and the Central Scouting staff appear to be in that camp, there are some skeptics out there as well.
Wheeler: Malhotra’s ranking (No. 5 in North America) aligns with what scouts have been saying about him for a while now: that he’s firmly in the top-five mix.
Oscar Hemming, who has played just two games this season, landing at No. 11 in North America, also speaks to the strong first impression he has made already at BC — and to the Hlinka performance he put in in the summer.
Ignatavicius has been a talking point in scouting circles this year as well. His ranking (No. 10 among international skaters) positions him as a potential late-first or early Day 2 pick, which, as a Lithuanian player, would come with some history attached to it.
Wheeler: Early on this season, there was talk around Belchetz as a top-five pick in this class and a lot of excitement about his package of size and skill. That has cooled over the last couple of months, though, and it’s reflected in his ranking (No. 9 in North America now).
And how about Ryan Roobroeck, who scored 41 goals and 87 points in the OHL last year, and had nine points in seven games at U18 worlds, all the way down at No. 27 in North America. Scouts are very critical of his competitiveness.
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