Way-Too-Early Best Landing Spots for Projected 2027 No. 1 Pick Landon DuPont

We may be only a month removed from the NHL draft, but looking ahead to next year's class is a time-honored tradition—especially with an elite talent like defenseman Landon DuPont already turning heads as the projected No. 1 pick.

DuPont, the son of former NHL defenseman Micki DuPont, had a monster season with the WHL's Everett Silvertips, helping them capture the Memorial Cup.

The 17-year-old posted 73 points in 63 games, including 18 goals, and added two goals and four assists in four Memorial Cup contests, already showing scouts he has the tools to be the next great defenseman.

There will be no shortage of suitors, but only one team will have the No. 1 pick. With signings and trades more or less done, we're getting a good idea which teams are setting up to be the front-runners for DuPont.

Calgary Flames

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Dustin Wolf and Zach Whitecloud

DuPont was born in Calgary, and it would be a fitting storybook twist if he were drafted by the Flames, given that his father spent part of his NHL career there.

Looking at how the Flames roster is setting up this season, there's a strong chance that might happen.

Calgary's offseason has been relatively quiet, and for a team with several issues to address, that is not an ideal position.

Goaltender Dustin Wolf will need a major rebound season for the Flames to contend in the Pacific Division, while young forwards such as Connor Zary and Matthew Coronato must take significant steps forward to bolster the offense.

If newcomer Simon Nemec can elevate his play on the back end, it would be a major boost as Zayne Parekh continues his development.

Vancouver Canucks

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Thatcher Demko and Elias Pettersson

The Canucks did not have lottery luck on their side in 2026, finishing with the league's worst record yet still winding up with the No. 3 pick.

Landing Caleb Malhotra softens that blow, and with his father, Manny, now serving as Vancouver's head coach, the organization could be building toward a compelling long-term storyline.

But their chances of landing the No. 1 pick in 2027 look to be pretty good based on how the roster is set up right now.

They have stars with Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Filip Hronek and Thatcher Demko, but good health and consistency have been problems for a couple years. The Canucks lack depth to cover for any players lost to injury and as we saw last season, if things start to tailspin, it can get really ugly, really fast.

Fortunately for Vancouver, if DuPont winds up there, he'll be a natural fit on its blue line to carry the team forward and won't have too much competition for big minutes with Hronek and Zeev Buium leading the way there.

Seattle Kraken

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Jared McCann, Vince Dunn and Matty Beniers

We're not just picking on the Pacific Division, but the teams there make it easy to think they'll be in the running for DuPont all the same.

The Seattle Kraken are trying to build up, but there's no doubt DuPont would allow them to grow in a hurry.

Seattle's blue line is focused around Vince Dunn and Brandon Montour, and DuPont's arrival would significantly accelerate that group's development. Up front, Jared McCann is entering the final year of his contract, while Matty Beniers, Berkly Catton and newcomer Mackie Samoskevich headline a young core that could drive the franchise forward in the coming years.

Still, the Kraken's lack of offensive punch and overall depth last season hurt them significantly and does not inspire much confidence in their outlook this year.

If Shane Wright is not moved, a breakout campaign from him could be enough to keep them out of the race for the top pick, but it is still difficult to see a clear path to the playoffs for Seattle.

Toronto Maple Leafs

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Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews

After landing Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 pick this year, the Maple Leafs have plenty of reason for optimism.

He will join Auston Matthews and William Nylander to energize Toronto's offense, but the rest of their offseason moves do not exactly scream "playoffs," keeping them firmly in the conversation for DuPont if things go sideways.

Given all the Leafs' needs, especially on the blue line, landing a talent like DuPont would have arguably been better for them moving ahead than the luck they had in landing McKenna.

For all the positive things McKenna will provide Toronto, the Atlantic Division is going to be brutally competitive, and the Leafs will need all of their star veterans including the newly added Sergei Bobrovsky to be at the top of their games to be in playoff contention.

The Leafs will be fascinating to watch because of McKenna and their array of stars, but if things go south again for them, all eyes will be on the ping pong balls to see if they can luck out one more time.

Chicago Blackhawks

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Connor Bedard and Bowen Byram

There are a lot of reasons to be excited about hockey in Chicago again even with Connor Bedard's shoulder injury keeping him out of action until potentially November.

Bringing back Patrick Kane on a two-year deal has fans in their feelings again, and adding Bowen Byram strengthens Chicago's blue line.

At some point, the Blackhawks' rebuild has to turn the corner, but if it does not and they find themselves back in the mix for the No. 1 pick, the scrutiny on GM Kyle Davidson will only intensify.

If they were to win the lottery and land DuPont, though, that would be more than enough reason to feel even more bullish about their future.

Fans in Chicago no longer want to think about top picks; they want the playoffs back. Still, adding a potential blue-line difference-maker like DuPont to a group featuring Bowen Byram and Artyom Levshunov could set the Blackhawks up for years to come.

Winnipeg Jets

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Mark Scheifele, Josh Morrissey, Kyle Connor

The Jets also belong in the conversation for DuPont mostly because we're not sure how long they'll have Connor Hellebuyck in goal to help make them more of a contender.

Winnipeg has star power with Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey, but it is Connor Hellebuyck who ties it all together in goal.

As long as the netminder is there winning Vezinas and contending for MVPs, the Jets profile as contenders; if he is traded elsewhere (to a team such as Buffalo or New Jersey), the conversation around Winnipeg changes dramatically, and the idea of adding DuPont to a young group featuring 2026 first-round pick Viggo Björck suddenly becomes very intriguing.

Putting DuPont on a blue line with Morrissey would make the Jets an infinitely more dangerous team offensively with the way they'd be able to move the puck up the ice and create chances.

Considering how tough the Central Division is, it doesn't take much to get punished in the standings—as the Jets found out last season.

Detroit Red Wings

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Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider

The Red Wings are enduring a nightmare offseason, and being without a general manager has only compounded their problems.

Dylan Larkin, as of now, still wants out, Alex DeBrincat and John Gibson are entering contract seasons, and Detroit is stuck in arguably the NHL's toughest division while trying to end a 10-year playoff drought.

If that mountain of issues proves insurmountable and the Red Wings again land in the draft lottery, the prospect of adding DuPont to a blue line anchored by Moritz Seider should at least give the next general manager some optimism, especially with young talents such as Lucas Raymond, Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper already in the pipeline.

Still, if Detroit falls on hard times, it would be fitting for the team to finally run into some lottery luck after trying so hard the past few seasons to get out of the non-playoff muck.