Way-Too-Early 2027 NHL Draft Scouting Report on Potential No. 1 Pick Landon DuPont

Canadian defenseman Landon DuPont first came to our attention a couple years ago when a scout we respect quite a lot said "Hey, you think [player whose identity shall remain a mystery] is good, you should be watching this kid". So we did. And boy, was it worth it.

Player: Landon DuPont

Position: Defense (shoots right)

Team: University of Michigan (NCAA); prev. Everett Silvertips (WHL)

Height: 6'

Weight: 190 lbs

Points: 73 points (18 goals, 55 assists) in 63 games with the Everett Silvertips (WHL)

First thing to note? DuPont just turned 17 at the end of May, which means the two WHL seasons under his belt have both been as a U17 player. Those two seasons are, in fact, two of the best U17 defenseman seasons in WHL history. He was granted exceptional status by Hockey Canada at age 15 and proceeded to jump into the 2024-25 season and showcase precisely why.

He finished last season with 73 points in 63 games, adding a further 23 points (5 goals, 18 assists) in the postseason. This was the followup to a 15-year-old season where he tallied 60 points (17 goals, 43 assists) in 64 regular-season games with a further 15 in 10 playoff games. Only six WHL defensemen finished ahead of DuPont that season in scoring, all of whom were born in 2004 or 2005. DuPont was born in 2009.

Back to this season: DuPont, wearing an A for the Silvertips, helped usher his team to not only a WHL championship title but to the Memorial Cup final. He followed that up by committing to the University of Michigan, planning to join the team this fall for the 2026-27 season. To the best of our knowledge, the only player younger than DuPont to play for Michigan was Zach Werenski; he turned 17 in July before his freshman season, compared to May for DuPont.

DuPont's Strengths

Derek Cain/Getty Images

To say Landon DuPont is a special player feels like a dramatic understatement. Let's break down why. 

Your Cliffs Notes strengths report: incredible handling skills meets high-end skating, all driven by intelligence and creativity.

There's nowhere better to begin than his skating. DuPont is an excellent skater, speedy and fantastic on his edges with solid four-way mobility. He can change directions on a dime, and has a great first step that is key to eliminating space between himself and his opponents easily and quickly. His edgework and mobility allow him to be slippery, changing up his direction and pace to evade opponents.

The other primary standout of his game? His puck handling. He's constantly seeking opportunity to create and finding teammates easily, and is an incredible passer even with limited time and space. His shot menaces opponents no matter which one he chooses to use, and his control of the puck with it on his stick allows him to pull off some truly slippery moves. His stick work defensively is also top-notch. 

Intelligence and creativity drive it all. DuPont has that rare ability to see the game several steps ahead of his opponents and sort through his options for the best one (though he doesn't have a 100 percent success rate with that—but who does?). He's processing the game at a faster speed than most everyone else on the ice, spotting opportunities and hopping on them as quickly as he can. His relentless tenacity ties into this neatly.

DuPont will be an asset to Michigan's power play this season for sure, but he also played a not-insignificant amount of penalty kill minutes—effectively—for the Silvertips last year. We won't pretend to know the ins and outs of Wolverines' head coach Brandon Naurato's decision-making when it comes to his roster, but it has to feel good having DuPont as an option for both special teams.

DuPont's Weaknesses

Derek Cain/Getty Images

Some people will claim that DuPont's size is a drawback to his game, because he's only six feet tall and 190 pounds. Don't listen to that. He's a strong player, and he uses that strength well, bringing a nice element of physicality to every shift. He'll be going up against bigger players this season, for sure, but he's definitely not one to shy away from contact.

Although we highlighted his processing and intelligence as a strength, DuPont of course still exhibits poor decision-making at times. This usually makes an appearance when he's under pressure or rushed; natural for players his age, even the really talented ones. When he does make these mistakes he tends to recover quickly. Whether this trend continues at a higher level is something to watch this season, but our gut feeling is that it will, and he'll be fine, continuing to develop that decision-making with time.

There are moments where you're left wanting more in the sense that you see his skill and want to see him grab control of the game. It's a valid want, and ideally we'll see more of that from him this season. But this is an area where it's so important to remember that he just turned 17. The games we're judging his play from to build this scouting report were played as a 16 year old. He's entering college hockey, where most players are going to be at least a couple, if not several years older than him. It will be a challenge, and one he should be applauded for taking by the horns.

Draft Outlook

Derek Cain/Getty Images

We currently have DuPont at the top of our 2027 rankings, but it's key to remember that the 

However, it's important that we remember that a) the 2026-27 season hasn't started yet, and b) a lot can happen across a season. Opinions change as more is added to the pile of information with which we evaluate players. Recall the back-and-forth battle between Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg in our rankings last season; while McKenna was always the superior talent, Stenberg's consistency and play away from the puck won out at times. 

It will be interesting to see what fluctuates in the rankings this season, and why. Because there will be players who can and do push DuPont. Right now the most likely candidates for that feel like Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) center Alexis Joseph and Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL) left wing Nazar Privalov. While the forwards-before-defensemen draft shtick doesn't happen nearly as often as it once did, some teams (and scouts) do still prefer to go forward-first, and this year is a forward-heavy draft.

Regardless, it feels unlikely that he'll drop out of the top two—if he drops at all. Stay tuned, because we'll be updating this across the season.