I’m going to go a little off script for the first round picks this year. For rounds 2-6 I wanted to give a scouting analysis of each player since the casual fan has no idea who any of the players I’m talking about in those articles are. When it comes to the first round players, most of you have an idea who the options are at each draft selection. Some of you have very strong opinions on who should and shouldn’t be selected there as well.

If you want to see my scouting report on each player I encourage you to head over the draft rankings article and click on each player. For the purposes of the draft guide, I’m going to go into a more detailed rationale about why I think each player could be a fit, what I like about them, and what they need to improve upon.

Same format as always. The ‘Dream Scenarios’ are my favorite picks at the position, the ‘Realistic Scenarios’ are who I think will be available and who I think the Sabres could target, and the ‘Wildcard Scenarios’ are players that the Sabres could reach to take or players who could slip down the draft board to the draft position.

The Sabres hold two first round picks in the 2026 draft. This is for the 20th overall selection.

Dream Scenarios

1. Xavier Villeneuve, LHD, QMJHL

DOB: 9/29/07

5’11, 163 lbs

37gp, 6g, 38pts

My Rank: 3rd

Xavier Villeneuve is the third-ranked player in my 2026 NHL Draft rankings.

You read that correctly: third.

Would I take him fourth overall? Absolutely. Would it be good draft management to do so? Probably not, given where the consensus seems to value him. Still, that raises the obvious question: why do I have Villeneuve ranked third while much of the industry is struggling to fit him into the first round?

Let’s start with why I have him this high. Simply put, I have never seen offensive tracking data from a defenseman like this. Ever. Not from Lane Hutson. Not from Cole Hutson. Not from Matthew Schaefer. No one.

Villeneuve posted an offensive transition involvement rate above 50%. The defenseman in second place was nearly 18 percentage points behind him. He led the dataset in shot generation and ranked third in both dangerous shot attempts and dangerous pass attempts. By the way that’s not just among defensemen, but among forwards as well.

Think about that for a second.

I’m tired of hearing about his point totals and how he supposedly had a “down year” offensively. If the most dominant offensive defenseman I’ve ever tracked had a bad offensive season, then why aren’t we discussing him as a candidate for first overall? The answer, of course, is why so many evaluators struggle to place him in their top 20.

Villeneuve is undersized in height and extremely undersized in weight. He avoids physical contact on puck retrievals whenever possible, and there are moments defending the cycle where he looks like a kid trying to grab a toy his dad is holding over his head. Bigger forwards can overwhelm him physically.

Those concerns are real.

But when you dig into the data, you see a more nuanced picture. Villeneuve isn’t a top defender in transition or in-zone coverage, but he’s not a liability either. Despite his size limitations, he’s surprisingly effective in my dataset.

In the cycle game, he attacks puck carriers by forcing them to turn back and then pounces the moment they expose the puck. On retrievals, he compensates for his lack of strength with elite pre-scanning habits. He processes pressure before it arrives, allowing him to make quick-touch outlet passes to teammates in safer areas before contact can even become a factor.

Then there’s the skill.

At the offensive blue line, Villeneuve is Allen Iverson crossing over defenders. Step up to challenge him and there’s a good chance he’s going to leave you reaching at air. His puck skill is probably top-three in the entire draft class, forwards included. He manipulates defenders, creates shooting lanes, and consistently finds ways to get inside dangerous ice despite giving up size to almost everyone on the rink.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he’s heading to Boston University just as the Hutson brothers era comes to an end. If I were a betting man, I’d put money on Villeneuve making it his personal mission to top the 48 points in 39 games that both Lane and Cole Hutson posted as freshmen.

At some point, we have to ask ourselves a simple question: how do you pass on the best offensive defense prospect we’ve seen in nearly a decade because you’re worried about what he isn’t?

Have we learned nothing from the Hutson brothers?

If Villeneuve falls into the late first round, shame on the NHL. Shame on the scouts who let it happen. And if Buffalo has the opportunity to select him and passes, shame on them too.

Maybe after the third time a player like this proves everyone wrong, the hockey world will finally learn its lesson.

2. Mathis Preston, RW, WHL

DOB: 7/21/08

5’11, 176 lbs

46gp, 18g, 44pts

My Rank: 10th

Mathis Preston is the 10th-ranked player in my 2026 NHL Draft rankings.

Depending on which mock draft you read, that probably sounds ridiculous. I’ve seen Preston projected anywhere from the late first round to the middle of the second round, and at this point I almost feel obligated to defend myself before I defend the player.

So let me start here: I’m not ranking Preston this highly because I read a few articles and decided to plant my flag on a sleeper. I’ve watched him extensively over the past two seasons. Every player in this draft guide has been viewed at least five times this year, and I’ve re-watched every IIHF game available. I’ve seen a lot of Mathis Preston.

And the player I keep seeing is a top-10 talent.

A year ago, Preston looked like a near lock to become a top-five pick. Playing alongside Berkly Catton, he showcased elite processing ability, high-end skating, and dynamic puck skill. His pace was excellent, his edgework allowed him to escape pressure effortlessly, and he was one of the rare players who could take a puck in his own zone and create an offensive chance almost entirely by himself. Give him the puck anywhere on the ice and something productive usually happens.

So what changed? Honestly, not much.

The biggest difference between last year’s Preston and this year’s Preston wasn’t the player. It was the production. Some of that was self-inflicted. Some of it wasn’t.

He lost the talented supporting cast he played with a season ago and spent the early portion of the year trying to carry too much of the offensive burden himself. Then he got hurt. Then he was traded to one of the weakest teams in the WHL. None of those factors helped.

At the same time, Preston wasn’t perfect.

He generated plenty of shot attempts, but too many came from the perimeter. There were stretches where he’d spend so much time trying to create the perfect passing lane that he’d eventually settle for a low-danger shot himself. I would have liked to see him rely more on give-and-go sequences and off-puck movement rather than trying to manufacture every opportunity with the puck on his stick.

But even during what many would consider a disappointing season, the underlying indicators remained extremely encouraging.

Preston was still an effective playmaker. More than 20% of his pass attempts went to dangerous areas of the ice, a threshold that has historically correlated strongly with even-strength assist production in my tracking database over the past seven years. He was one of the top passers by volume and efficiency in the dataset. He was involved in 52.4% of his teams offensive transitions and was successful on an elite 83.3% of them. The vision is still there. The creativity is still there. The ability to manipulate defenders and create offense is still elite.

Defensively, there are areas for improvement. He can be inconsistent in his engagement level away from the puck and occasionally chases offense when he should be prioritizing positioning. I think he’ll need to become more disciplined as he climbs levels and faces players who can punish those mistakes.

But those are refinements.

The core tools that drive NHL offense are still present.

That’s why I’ve never really understood why the scouting community cooled so dramatically on him throughout the year. To me, it feels like evaluators became overly focused on the points and not focused enough on the process that creates points.

When I watch Preston, I still see a player with top-six NHL traits. I still see a player who can transport pucks, attack defenders, create passing lanes, and drive offense through skill and intelligence.

In many ways, he reminds me of Ben Kindel’s draft year. Kindel was a player I ranked inside my top 10 while much of the industry was slower to buy in. He eventually went in the late teens to a team looking for inexpensive skill on an entry-level contract and quickly showed he was closer to NHL-ready than most people realized.

I can easily see Preston following a similar path.

He feels like the type of player who gets selected somewhere in the late teens or early twenties, shows up to camp, and suddenly everyone is acting surprised when he makes the NHL roster.

I won’t be surprised at all.

3. Ryan Lin, RHD, WHL

DOB: 4/18/08

5’11, 176 lbs

53gp, 14g, 57pts

My Rank: 13th

From the moment Ryan Lin arrived in Vancouver, he became the engine that drove the Giants. Before Mathis Preston entered the lineup, Lin was essentially their entire offensive ecosystem. Everything flowed through him, and that’s because he is one of the most aggressive offensive defensemen in this draft class.

If there’s an opportunity to join the rush, he’s taking it. If there’s a chance to activate deep into the offensive zone, he’s going. If there’s an opening to create an additional layer of attack, he’s already moving before everyone else realizes it’s available.

What separates Lin from a lot of offensive defensemen, however, is that his aggression isn’t reckless.

It’s calculated.

His hockey sense is among the best in the draft. He understands when to activate, where he needs to arrive to become an option, and when a developing play is too dangerous to gamble on. He reads risk exceptionally well. There are very few defensemen in this class who process the game as quickly as he does. That’s why I surmise he’s been allowed to play with so much freedom.

You don’t spend the entire game worried that he’s chasing offense at the expense of defense. More often than not, he knows exactly where the line is.

From a tools perspective, Lin is very good across the board without necessarily being elite in any one area. His forward skating is strong. His puck skill is strong. Neither trait would rank among the absolute best in the draft, but both are comfortably above NHL standards for a prospect.

The key is that his intelligence amplifies everything.

His skating plays faster because he anticipates where the play is going. His puck skill plays better because he already knows what he wants to do before he receives possession. When you combine those traits with his offensive instincts, you get a defenseman capable of running a power play while also driving offense at even strength.That’s an extremely valuable player.

The concerns come on the defensive side of the puck.

Lin is an average skater when defending backward, and quicker forwards can beat him wide. Once he loses positioning, his size can become an issue because he lacks the reach and strength to consistently recover through physical play.

Ironically, physicality itself isn’t the problem.

Unlike Xavier Villeneuve, Lin welcomes contact. He initiates hits. He competes. He absorbs pressure on retrievals and willingly takes punishment to make the right play. The challenge is that he’s doing all of this in a smaller frame. It would be much easier to project if he were six-foot-two and nearly 200 pounds.

That’s ultimately the debate with Lin.

Can he drive enough offense to outweigh the defensive limitations? It’s why most rankings place him in the middle or back half of the first round instead of grouping him with the elite defensemen in the class.

Personally, I’m willing to make that bet. I believe in Ryan Lin’s brain.

I think he’s one of the smartest players available in this draft. I think he’s going to get stronger. I think he’s going to get faster. Most importantly, I think he’ll keep finding solutions to problems because that’s what intelligent players do.

The players who consistently outperform their draft slot are often the ones who see the game differently than everyone else on the ice.

Ryan Lin is one of those players. If he exceeds expectations, I don’t think it’ll be because he suddenly developed a new tool. It’ll be because his hockey sense was elite all along, and the rest of the league underestimated just how much that matters.

Realistic Scenarios

1. Ilia Morozov, C, NCAA

DOB: 8/3/08

6’3, 201 lbs

36gp, 8g, 20pts

My Rank: 35th

I have a working theory about the 2026 NHL Draft. I think NCAA players are being unfairly penalized for playing against competition that is significantly better than that of their North American peers.

Every year, we talk about point production from the CHL, USHL, and international tournaments, but when a draft-eligible player spends his season in the NCAA, suddenly every flaw gets magnified, and every offensive shortcoming gets scrutinized. The bar is raised because the competition is stiffer.

That’s why I find Ilia Morozov’s draft stock fascinating. To be fair, he is still receiving first-round consideration from much of the scouting community. But I can’t help wondering what the conversation would look like if he had spent this season in the CHL or remained in the USHL.

Morozov spent his draft year at Miami University in the NCHC, arguably the toughest conference in college hockey. Miami finished seventh out of nine teams in the conference and wasn’t exactly loaded with NHL prospects or elite recruits. Morozov wasn’t benefiting from an all-star supporting cast. He wasn’t piling up points next to a collection of future first-round picks.

He was a 17-year-old trying to produce against older, stronger, more experienced players every night. That context matters. In fact, I would argue it makes his production more impressive than the raw numbers initially suggest.

As a player, Morozov is difficult to describe because there isn’t a single defining trait that jumps off the page. He’s a classic “good at everything, great at nothing” prospect.

His skating projects as NHL average. He doesn’t consistently separate from defenders with pure north-south speed, nor does he rely on elite lateral agility to create space. His puck skill is good, and there are flashes where it looks much better than that. His goal against Western Michigan early in the season showcased the kind of hands that make scouts’ eyes widen. But those moments aren’t yet frequent enough to consider puck skill a true calling card.

The same can be said for his vision.

He sees the ice well and can make plays, but his pace limits how frequently he becomes the primary driver of transition offense. More often, he’s supporting the play rather than dictating it. Still, he touches the puck enough and makes enough intelligent decisions at even strength to contribute offensively.

If there’s one offensive weapon that clearly stands above the rest, it’s his shot. Specifically, his one-timer. On the power play, stationed in the right circle, Morozov can absolutely hammer pucks. He has the ability to beat goaltenders clean from distance with very little traffic in front, and it gives him a legitimate NHL-caliber offensive tool to build around.

So if none of the offensive traits are truly elite, why am I comfortable projecting him as a first-round talent and a potential Buffalo target?

The answer is everything he does away from the puck. Morozov was one of the best defensive forwards in my tracking data this season.

Read that sentence again. One of the best defensive forwards. As a 17-year-old. In the NCAA. That is incredibly difficult to do.

His defensive intelligence is exceptional. He consistently disrupts plays through the neutral zone, understands how to support teammates as the F3, and displays advanced awareness in transition defense. He’s active with his stick, willing to engage physically as an F1 or F2 on the forecheck, and competes effectively along the boards in all three zones.

The details are already there.

In many ways, Morozov plays the type of game coaches trust immediately because mistakes are so rare. He understands structure, processes the game quickly, and consistently arrives in the right areas of the ice.

The question isn’t whether he’ll be an NHL player. The question is what type of NHL player he’ll become.

The hope is that another season in college unlocks more offense. That he becomes more assertive with the puck, gains confidence attacking defenders, and starts driving play rather than supporting it. The foundational skills are present. The hockey sense is present. The defensive impact is already present.

Now it’s about determining whether the offense can take another step.

If it does, you’re looking at a legitimate scoring-line forward who contributes in every situation.

If it doesn’t, you’re probably still getting an intelligent, detail-oriented middle-six or bottom-six NHL player who coaches will trust to put in pressure situations.

2. Adam Novotny, LW, OHL

DOB: 11/13/07

6’1, 205 lbs

58gp, 34g, 65pts

My Rank: 17th

Adam Novotny might be the player I have gone back and forth on more than anyone else in this draft class.

There are stretches where he looks like a top-10 pick. In the same game, there are stretches where he looks like a second-round player. That isn’t an exaggeration.

It’s why I have such a difficult time figuring out where he’ll ultimately come off the board. If I were ranking purely based on what happened on the ice this year, he would probably be lower on my list. But the reality is that there are not many wingers in this draft class who possess the combination of size, skill, shooting ability, and offensive upside that Novotny does.

When he’s at his best, he looks like a player who should not escape the top 15.

Novotny thrives when the game flows. He wants to play north-south, attack with pace, make a subtle move at the offensive blue line, and then use his powerful first few steps to create separation. When he gets moving downhill, everything starts to click.

When thinking about Novotny, his shot jumps out immediately.

He can absolutely hammer a wrist shot when he gets inside the dots, and he has the hands to create just enough separation to get it off. He has a scorer’s mentality too. He’s looking to attack dangerous areas of the ice and put himself in positions to finish plays. There is enough vision there to make plays for teammates when defenders overcommit, and enough puck skill to beat defenders in tight spaces.

The problem is that hockey isn’t always played downhill. The biggest issue in Novotny’s game is transition offense. Simply put, he is not a particularly good puck transporter. When the neutral zone gets clogged up and he has to carry the puck through layers of defenders, the game can get difficult for him. He doesn’t consistently read defensive structures well enough to navigate traffic, and he doesn’t have the kind of elite skating to simply blow by defenders.

A lot of the time, he’ll hit the offensive blue line, pull up, and wait for support to arrive.

Rather than manipulating defenders around their stick or using deception to create a lane, he tends to rely on subtle fakes and power moves. Sometimes it works. Sometimes he drives right through a defender. Other times, he ends up getting rubbed out along the wall, and the play dies.

And that’s where the frustration comes from.

Because every time I start focusing on the flaws, he’ll do something that reminds me why I keep ranking him higher than I probably should. There are flashes of real high-end skill here.

The ability to cut laterally and instantly create space. The vision to move a defender off their lane and thread a puck through traffic. The power to attack down the wing and fire a pass through multiple sticks to a teammate at the back post. The shot. The hands. The offensive instincts.

You see all of it.

You just don’t see it often enough.

That’s why Novotny is such a divisive player. If you’re ranking based on impact, you’ll probably be disappointed. If you’re ranking based on tools and projection, you’ll probably be intrigued. Personally, I understand both arguments.

The tracking data isn’t screaming future star. The play-driving ability isn’t where you’d like it to be. There are too many shifts where he fades into the background. But when you’re drafting in this range, you’re often betting on traits.

And from a pure talent perspective, Novotny is one of the most gifted players likely to be available. The challenge for whichever team drafts him will be turning those flashes into a consistent identity. If that happens, he’ll look like a steal.

3. Tommy Bleyl, RHD, QMJHL

DOB: 12/1/07

6’0, 170 lbs

63gp, 13g, 81pts

My Rank: 24th

I was early to the Tommy Bleyl bandwagon. The first game I watched of his wasn’t even because I was scouting him. He happened to be the opponent of a player I was watching. Twice in that game, he broke a defender’s ankles at the offensive blue line, walked down the wall, and fired a pass into the slot. One of them ended up as a goal.

I remember immediately opening up Elite Prospects and looking him up because I wanted to know who this defenseman was. I haven’t really gotten off the bandwagon since.

Bleyl was the power-play quarterback for arguably the best team in the QMJHL this year. Normally, that doesn’t move the needle much for me. There are plenty of defensemen who can put up power-play points. What impressed me was how different his game looked in different situations.

On the power play, he was the conductor. He was manipulating defenders, moving into open lanes to create shooting opportunities for teammates, and making passes through layers rather than just swinging the puck around the perimeter, waiting for something to happen.

At even strength, though, that’s where I really fell in love with the player.

His puck skill is high-end. Not Xavier Villeneuve’s high-end. Nobody is. But it’s high-end. Combine that with what I think is the smoothest skater among the offensive defensemen in this draft class, and you get a player who can create offense in a lot of different ways.

Everything just looks easy when he’s moving. He can escape pressure. He can attack space. He can change directions effortlessly. He can beat a forechecker and immediately turn a defensive-zone touch into an offensive-zone possession.

Then he followed it up by absolutely torching the QMJHL playoffs.

So why isn’t he getting lottery hype? Honestly, I think there are two reasons.

The first is that his defensive game still feels a little soft. He’s a good defender with his feet and stick. He closes quickly. He understands positioning. He kills plays before they become problems. But when the game becomes physical, there are still concerns. He doesn’t engage physically enough and board battles are going to become a bigger issue as he climbs levels unless he adds strength and becomes more aggressive.

The second issue is actually the opposite side of the puck. I want more. Which sounds ridiculous when you’re talking about a defenseman who put up the numbers he did. But I do. I want him to touch the puck more. I want him to activate more. I want him to join more rushes. I want him to demand that the game run through him.

There were times this year when he felt content facilitating offense instead of driving it.

The tracking data reflects that, too. He wasn’t a particularly high-volume shooter, and his transition involvement wasn’t nearly as high as you’d expect from someone with his tools. There were stretches when he would make the correct play rather than the aggressive one.

That sounds like a weird criticism, but I think it’s the biggest thing holding him back.

When I watch Bleyl, I don’t see a player who needs to learn to process the game better. I don’t see a player who needs better skating. I don’t see a player who needs better puck skills. I see a player who needs to realize how good he is.

If he were six-foot-two, I honestly think we’d be talking about him very differently. The NHL loves offensive defensemen who can skate and move pucks, and Bleyl checks both boxes at a very high level. The development path seems pretty straightforward, too. Get stronger. Get more aggressive. Demand the puck more often. Those are things I can live with.

At the end of the day, I’d much rather bet on a player who needs to do more than a player who has fundamental flaws in their skating, processing, or skill.

Tommy Bleyl has the foundation. The question is whether the team that drafts him can convince him to stop being a passenger at times and start being the driver. Because when he’s driving play, he looks like one of the best defensemen in the draft.

Wildcard Scenarios:

1. Elton Hermansson, RW, Allsvenskan

DOB: 2/5/08

6’1, 183 lbs

38gp, 11g, 21pts

My Rank: 15th

There are prospects who are good at everything and great at nothing. Then there are prospects who are genuinely elite in a few areas and leave you pulling your hair out in others.

Elton Hermansson is firmly in the second category.

If you’re the type of scout who likes betting on superlatives, you’re going to love Hermansson. His skating is among the best in the draft class. His puck skill is right there too. In terms of pure talent, there are very few forwards in this draft who can do what he can with a puck on his stick. Honestly, if someone put together a compilation of every ridiculous play I’ve seen him make over the past year, it would probably be one of the best highlight videos in the entire draft class.

He’s that entertaining.

He can beat defenders one-on-one. He can weave through traffic. He can attack through layers of sticks that most players wouldn’t even attempt to challenge. He’ll make a move that leaves a defender completely lost and have you wondering how the play was even possible.

Watching Hermansson is fun because you genuinely don’t know what he’s about to try next. And sometimes it works. Spectacularly. The problem is that hockey games are not won entirely by skill highlights.

For as gifted as Hermansson is with the puck, there are just as many moments where you’re left wondering what he’s thinking. The compete level is inconsistent. The processing is a concern. The details away from the puck simply aren’t where they need to be.

He’ll fly past a board battle and throw a stick into the scrum, hoping the puck pops free to him rather than engaging and helping his team win possession. He doesn’t consistently pressure opponents into mistakes. He doesn’t close space quickly enough as a winger. There are shifts where you can almost feel him waiting for the game to come to him rather than imposing himself on it.

Then there are the decisions with the puck. This is where I get frustrated. Hermansson will make an incredible read and gain the offensive zone with control, only for the play to completely unravel after the first option disappears. He’ll enter the zone, look for a trailer, realize there isn’t one, and then fire a low-percentage shot from the perimeter. He’ll throw pucks blindly into coverage. He’ll attempt a home-run pass that has almost no chance of succeeding. He’ll try to beat three defenders himself instead of making a simple support play and moving into space for a return pass.

It’s almost as if he trusts his skill so much that he feels every play has to be made by him, and sometimes that’s exactly what holds him back. The frustrating thing is that the talent is undeniable.

When you’re watching Hermansson, you can see the NHL player. You can see the version of him that learns how to process the game better, becomes more engaged away from the puck, and starts using his teammates more effectively. If that player ever shows up consistently, you’re talking about a legitimate top-six offensive weapon.

The question is whether he gets there. That’s why I have him ranked where I do. As my first pick in the first round, I’m not sure I’d be comfortable making this bet.

As the second player, I’m taking in the draft? Absolutely. The further you get into a draft, the more willing you should be to swing for upside. Hermansson has flaws. Real flaws. There is a longer development path here than for many of the players ranked around him. But there is also a ceiling that most prospects simply don’t possess. That’s what makes him so intriguing.

With Buffalo already holding the fourth overall pick, I could absolutely see a scenario where they decide to throw caution to the wind with their second first-round pick and take a swing on a player like Hermansson.

2. Jack Hextall, C, USHL

DOB: 3/23/08

6’1, 185 lbs

59gp, 20g, 58pts

My Rank: 38th

Every year I make it a point to get down to the Northtown Center for the USA Hockey Development Camps. I print the rosters, glue them into my notebook, and track the 15-17-year-olds coming through the USA pipeline. One player I’ve been watching since he was 15 is Jack Hextall. And I’ve been waiting for the breakout.

There’s always been something about him that sticks with me after seeing him play. He’s physical. He’s competitive. He plays with a presence you notice right away in these camp settings, where a lot of players kind of blend together. So I was genuinely interested to see what his draft-eligible year would look like.

It was…mixed.

At his core, Hextall is a tenacious, responsible center. He supports pucks everywhere. He’s constantly available through the neutral zone. He’s physical defensively, he competes on pucks, and he moves the puck in a fairly simple, efficient way when he has time. There’s a lot of “coach trust” in his game.

But the skating is where everything gets complicated.

He looks heavy at times. The first step just isn’t explosive enough, and too often, he loses the race to separation right after making his first move. He’ll try to ease pressure, make a play, and immediately have a defender right back on him, forcing another battle. And that ripple effect shows up everywhere.

His puck touches aren’t always clean. Pass receptions can bounce on him. On zone exits, he’ll push pucks a little too far ahead, and suddenly, what should be a controlled exit turns into a 50/50 puck battle. And when he’s under pressure, his passing can get a little inconsistent.

It’s not that he can’t make plays. It’s that he doesn’t always have the time or separation to make them cleanly.

But here’s the part that keeps him in the conversation. He still finds a way to matter. He battles through mistakes. He wins pucks back. He gets to his shooting areas off the puck. He’ll chip in offense without needing the puck to run through him. And over the course of the year, he was still the engine of one of the better USHL lines despite the limitations in his game.

The complete level is real. You notice it every shift. He’s also reliable in the faceoff circle, detail-oriented defensively, and almost never cheats the game to try to chase offense.

The question with Hextall is pretty simple: Is he more than a bottom-six center? Right now, I’m not fully convinced. The skating limits how much offense he can consistently generate. The puck skill isn’t dynamic enough to project him as a driver. And while the effort and detail are always there, NHL centers usually need at least one area that tilts the ice offensively.

That said, I’ve seen him long enough to know why people hold out hope.

There’s a version of him where the skating gets a little bit quicker, the puck game becomes a little cleaner under pressure, and suddenly you’ve got a really impactful defensive center whose offensive game begins to blossom.

If Hermansson is a homerun swing, then Hextall is getting on base. The hope is that a single can develop into a triple.

Photo Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images