Overview
- Central Scouting released its letter-grade watch list for the 2026 draft, grouping prospects into A, B, C and W tiers tied to projected rounds.
- Gavin McKenna drew an A rating and remains the early consensus No. 1 after a strong start at Penn State.
- Defense stands out with 10 A-rated blueliners, highlighted by North Dakota’s Keaton Verhoeff as a top-two projection.
- Stock movement includes Latvia’s Alberts Smits earning an A after solid Liiga play and Sweden’s Viggo Björck landing a surprising B.
- The CHL continues to supply elite talent, with 16 of the 27 A-rated players currently in the league and 19 having CHL experience, while the goalie group looks thinner with seven B-rated netminders.