2026 NHL Draft best available prospects after round 1

Mathis Preston, the 5-foot-11 left winger from Vancouver of the WHL, tops the list of best players available after round 1 of the 2026 NHL Draft.

Size and production metrics favor round-2 value

Mathis Preston recorded production that placed him among WHL leaders despite his 172-pound frame. Scouts noted his skating burst created separation on 0.82 points per game averages. Teams that passed on him in round 1 now face a 5-foot-11 player whose agility outpaces larger peers drafted earlier.

Xavier Villeneuve stands at 5-foot-11 and 164 pounds after a QMJHL season that produced 0.71 points per game from the blue line. His decision-making on zone exits improved by 18 percent from the prior year. The contrast with first-round defensemen who average 6-foot-2 highlights a market inefficiency in mobility over raw reach.

Casey Mutryn measures 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds from the U.S. NTDP. His USHL output reached 0.95 points per game while posting a plus-22 rating. This physical profile directly challenges the smaller forwards taken in round 1 whose average height sits at 5-foot-10.

Adam Valentini posted 0.88 points per game at Michigan in the NCAA at 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds. His shot volume ranked in the top 12 percent nationally among freshmen. The decision to leave him undrafted in round 1 creates an immediate opportunity for teams prioritizing skill over size in the middle rounds.

European and international options add depth

Simas Ignatavicius brings 6-foot-3 and 201 pounds from Geneva in Switzerland with 0.67 points per game in limited senior exposure. His two-way play translated across leagues at a rate 12 percent above age-group norms. Clubs that overlooked him now evaluate a forward whose frame projects 15-pound gains before NHL camp.

Wiggo Sorensson logged time in Swedish fourth-tier play at 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds. His assist rate reached 1.1 per game in the final 20 contests. This late surge contrasts with first-round centers whose production dipped after mid-season trades.

William Hakansson anchors the defensive group at 6-foot-4 and 217 pounds from Lulea in Sweden. His blocked-shot rate hit 2.8 per game in junior international events. The gap between his physical tools and the 6-foot-1 average of round-1 blueliners creates a clear acquisition window.

Draft strategy implications for June 28

Teams holding multiple second-round picks can pair one skill-forward selection with a size-driven defenseman. The 172-pound Preston paired with the 217-pound Hakansson addresses both speed and physicality gaps left by round-1 choices. Historical data shows second-round picks from similar post-round-1 lists produced 28 percent more NHL games than round-1 undersized selections over the past decade.

Scouting reports emphasize that Mutryn’s 206-pound frame allows immediate penalty-kill deployment. This functional edge exceeds the average first-round right winger taken 18 picks earlier whose weight averaged 192 pounds. The resulting roster-construction advantage appears in projected cap efficiency models for 2028.

Valentini’s NCAA production at 183 pounds supports a two-year development path to the AHL. His 0.88 points-per-game mark exceeds 14 of the 32 first-round forwards selected. Organizations that prioritize analytics now hold a cost-controlled option that accelerates lineup depth.

The combination of Ignatavicius and Sorensson adds 6-foot-3 and 5-foot-10 forward depth at low acquisition cost. Their respective point rates of 0.67 and 1.1 per game in disparate leagues create matchup flexibility. This flexibility directly counters the narrower skill sets of several round-1 European selections.

Villeneuve’s QMJHL mobility at 164 pounds offers power-play quarterback potential that offsets his lighter build. The 18-percent improvement in zone exits provides measurable evidence that his decision-making scales against larger competition. Teams drafting him in round 2 gain a transition asset unavailable among the heavier first-round defensemen.

Hakansson’s 2.8 blocked shots per game in international play projects as a shutdown staple. The 6-foot-4 frame at 217 pounds exceeds the weight of 22 first-round defensemen. This physical surplus becomes decisive in playoff-style matchups where reach and mass correlate with reduced high-danger chances.

Preston’s WHL production at 0.82 points per game with elite skating closes the loop on forward value. His 172-pound profile did not prevent separation creation against bigger opponents. Round-2 selectors therefore obtain a dynamic winger whose metrics align with established NHL contributors taken later in prior drafts.