Ranking national team prospect pools, top 2026 D vs. 2024 D, Zeev Buium’s rookie season: Mailbag To kick-start draft season and wrap up the pool rankings, it's the perfect time for an overdue mailbag.

🆕 Mailbag:
- Ranking national team prospect pools
- Top 2026 D vs. Top 2024 D
- Thoughts on Zeev Buium’s rookie season
- Xavier Villeneuve’s draft standing

And more:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/719...

NHL All-Under-25 Team: Celebrini, Bedard and Schaefer headline 2026 roster Who joins Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard and Matthew Schaefer in this NHL U25 roster exercise?

Introducing: The 2026 NHL All-Under-25 Team.

More: www.nytimes.com/athletic/717...

My top 20 drafted NHL goalie prospects ranking is out at @theathletic.com!

Reports, projections, tiers, and more:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/717...

Scouting NHL prospects at the Frozen Four: What we saw and heard in Las Vegas More than 40 NHL prospects tested their mettle in Las Vegas last week for the NCAA Frozen Four. Here's how they performed.

🆕 Our giant Frozen Four notebook:
- Game notes on 40~ NHL prospects
- Quotes from players and staff

www.nytimes.com/athletic/718...

Top 100 drafted NHL prospects ranking: Michael Misa, Porter Martone lead Wheeler’s 2026 list Welcome to the 2026 edition of Scott Wheeler's ranking of the NHL’s best prospects at The Athletic.

My top 100 drafted NHL prospects ranking is out at @theathletic.com!
- Full reports and projections
- Player tiers
- Sortable user interface and more

The 2026 edition:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/717...

How T.J. Hughes went from afterthought to top college free agent for NHL teams Hughes was a nominee for the 2026 Hobey Baker Award after he had 57 points in 40 games for Michigan.

T.J. Hughes’ story is an instructive one.

My feature on the rise of college hockey’s top free agent, with insight Michigan and Brooks:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/718...

Michigan’s Adam Valentini is ‘an absolute dog’ and shouldn’t be a 2026 NHL Draft underdog Valentini excelled as a 17-year-old freshman for Michigan this season with 26 points in 39 regular-season games.

Adam Valentini isn’t an underdog. He’s “an absolute dog.”

My feature on the #2026NHLDraft prospect that just keeps earning your respect, with insight from Chicago and Michigan:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/716...

Michigan’s Adam Valentini is ‘an absolute dog’ and shouldn’t be a 2026 NHL Draft underdog Valentini excelled as a 17-year-old freshman for Michigan this season with 26 points in 39 regular-season games.

Adam Valentini isn’t an underdog. He’s “an absolute dog.”

My feature on the #2026NHLDraft prospect that just keeps earning your respect, with insight from Chicago and Michigan:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/716...

“He’s just wired differently.”

My feature from the Frozen Four on the rise of Sabres prospect Luke Osburn, with insight from Wisconsin and Youngstown:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/716...

Chicago Blackhawks are No. 1 in Scott Wheeler’s 2026 NHL prospect pool rankings With top players at multiple positions, the Blackhawks have a significant collection of legit prospects.

After making 11 first-round picks in the last four years, the Blackhawks came in at No. 1 in @scottcwheeler.bsky.social's rankings of the NHL's best prospect pools.

Read it here:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/714...

Chicago Blackhawks are No. 1 in Scott Wheeler’s 2026 NHL prospect pool rankings With top players at multiple positions, the Blackhawks have a significant collection of legit prospects.

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 1 Chicago Blackhawks:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/714...

San Jose Sharks are No. 2 in Scott Wheeler’s 2026 NHL prospect pool rankings Despite high-profile graduations, the Sharks have top prospects at every position and some emerging names behind them.

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 2 San Jose Sharks:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/714...

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 3 Calgary Flames:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/698...

Detroit Red Wings are No. 4 in Scott Wheeler’s 2026 NHL prospect pool rankings The Red Wings have several projectable top-nine forwards, a top young D prospect and two of the best goalie prospects.

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 4 Detroit Red Wings:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/714...

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 5 Nashville Predators:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/714...

Utah Mammoth are No. 6 in Scott Wheeler’s 2026 NHL prospect pool rankings The Mammoth have a top seven group of prospects that stacks up with just about any pool in the NHL.

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 6 Utah Mammoth:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/714...

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 7 Seattle Kraken:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/714...

Philadelphia Flyers are No. 8 in Scott Wheeler’s 2026 NHL prospect pool rankings The Flyers have multiple solid prospects at center and on defense, plus a star on the wing and in net.

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 8 Philadelphia Flyers:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/714...

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 9 Montreal Canadiens: www.nytimes.com/athletic/714...

2027 NHL Draft ranking: Landon DuPont tops Wheeler's way-too-early top 25

See @scottcwheeler.bsky.social's full analysis of each prospect, plus 25 more honorable mentions:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/711...

Welcome to our very early first official ranking for the 2027 NHL Draft class.

This initial top 25 is predominantly made up of 2009-born (yes, you read that correctly) prospects.

🆕 at @theathletic.com: My first #2027NHLDraft ranking:
- Top 25
- Honorable mentions
- Tiers and more

All packaged in our sortable user interface:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/711...

St. Louis Blues are No. 10 in Scott Wheeler’s 2026 NHL prospect pool rankings The Blues' pool is missing a truly elite prospect, but they have high-end players at every position.

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 10 St. Louis Blues:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/713...

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 11 Washington Capitals:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/713...

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 12 New York Islanders:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/710...

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 13 Buffalo Sabres:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/708...

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 14 Anaheim Ducks:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/699...

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 15 Vancouver Canucks:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/698...

Ranking the 10 best players available for the 2026 PWHL Draft

The Wisconsin Badgers’ latest batch of generational talents will soon be on the move to the PWHL.

But first, they’re all over our first PWHL draft prospect ranking of the season.

Here’s more on the class of 2026 with @scottcwheeler.bsky.social:

www.nytimes.com/athletic/714...

2026 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 16 Pittsburgh Penguins:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/700...