4 2026 NHL Draft Prospects Stocks That Are Rising

It's almost impossible to predict anything about the NHL Draft in December. Outside of the first overall spot (and even that one is tricky), the best we can do is give it our most educated guess.

Although sometimes folks skip the "educated" part of that.

What we can do is look at players who we think might rise from their current draft rankings throughout the rest of the season. An important note: inclusion on this list doesn't necessarily mean I think these guys are going to turn into elite top prospects or what-have-you. It just means I think their overall perception could improve by the time that the draft rolls around, or that I suspect that they have more to offer than the general discussion thinks they do.

Chase Reid, D, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)

Leah Hennel/Getty Images

Chase Reid is at the top of this list for me because, as I mentioned to another scout recently, I wanted to slide him into our latest Top 10 and just barely talked myself out of it (and immediately wished I hadn't). He'll be within our next top 10 for sure, but if I'm being honest, he'll probably move up just into or outside the top 5. I like his game that much.

Reid is a defenseman for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL. At 6'2" and 187 pounds, he's pretty average-sized for defense prospects in our current wave, and boy, can he move. Reid is an elite skater with tools that easily project to the NHL—high-end playmaking and passing, great activation, and impressive rush defense, to name a few.

Mistakes don't tend to throw him off his game, and his decision-making is typically sound (and I don't know about y'all, but that is so soothing for me to see in a draft-eligible defense prospect). There's a reason that EliteProspects' crack scouting team has him ranked third overall, and I look forward to seeing other outlets come around to the (correct) belief that Reid should be a top-five pick if he continues on this path.

Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

Michael Miller/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images

If you think you recognize Caleb Malhotra's last name, you do. He's the son of retired NHL forward and current Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra, and while I don't feel certain yet about where he's going to land, I do feel like he's worth paying attention to.

Malhotra, a center, is in his rookie season with the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL. He won't turn 18 until just before the draft, at the beginning of next June, so he's one of the younger players in the class. Malhotra spent last season with the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL and is a Boston University commit, planning to head to college next season, but now that CHL players can play college hockey, he's made the move to the OHL. 

Right now, his rankings range anywhere from fifth overall, from Jason Bukala at Sportsnet, to just inside the first round at 31st overall by EliteProspects' scouting team, with several options in between. For my part, I'm more inclined to go with the late first-round option—but I'm watching closely in case I need to move him up my board.

He's a well-rounded player, strong at both ends of the ice, and is currently on pace for 88 points across the regular season. He's not just valuable at even-strength—Brantford's coaching staff has played him on both the first power play and first penalty kill units, too. Add his attention to detail and strong work ethic, and you've got a player we'll be keeping a careful eye on.

Adam Valentini — F, University of Michigan (NCAA)

Michael Miller/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images

In June, forward Adam Valentini signed with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. By August, he had revoked that commitment and made the decision to join the University of Michigan a year earlier than he'd initially planned. He spent last season with one of my personal favorite development outlets, the Chicago Steel of the USHL, ending the season with 39 points in 58 games. 

Valentini is on the upper end of what folks might consider a smaller forward, coming in at 5'11" and 185 pounds, and his current rankings are fairly concentrated around the end of the first round or beginning of the second. Watching him play, there's reason to suspect that he might end up at the higher end of that range. He's a gutsy player with a motor that doesn't quit, something that immediately endears me to a guy because I've spent too much time watching players with endless natural talent who lack any engagement if they don't have the puck. Valentini doesn't have that issue because he never stops working. Even better news: he's got some innate skill to go with it, with great vision and details. He's going to continue to be enjoyable to follow.

Luke Schairer, D, US National U18 Team (NTDP)

Michael Miller/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images

It wouldn't be a Hannah list without at least one NTDP player. Though we're out of the near-generational run the NTDP had going for nearly a decade, producing top prospects at a pace so rapid we could barely keep up, there are still incredibly good players coming out of Plymouth, Michigan's USA Hockey Arena. There are a few draft-eligibles from this year's U18 team that I'm keeping an eye on, but let's discuss one in particular.

Luke Schairer is a defenseman who's got clear NHL tools to go with his clear NHL size — he's 6'3" and 201 pounds at present. It's very easy to watch him play and imagine him in the professional leagues, not because his talent is there yet, but because his skill set is very projectable.

Great gap control, very poised, really impressive mobility, able to read the ice well in a consistent manner; all things you want in an NHL defenseman. I would like to see his offensive upside more consistently than we are right now and see if he can improve his skating posture (his speed is great), but I like what I see so far.