2027 NHL Draft Prospects Project Deep Talent Pool

Landon DuPont leads the projected 2027 NHL Draft as the top defenseman from Everett in the WHL ahead of nine other standout prospects.

Projected Top Three Anchor Class Depth

Landon DuPont holds the number one spot on every major scouting list after recording 68 points in 62 WHL games during the 2025-26 season. His combination of size, skating and offensive instincts gives teams a rare two-way defender ready for pro minutes within two years.

Alexis Joseph sits at number two after leading Saint John with 92 points in 68 QMJHL contests. The center’s playmaking vision and faceoff success rate above 58 percent separate him from other domestic forwards in the same age group.

Milan Sundstrom ranks third following a 71-point campaign with MoDo Jr. in Sweden. At 6-foot-3 the Swedish center adds size and two-way reliability that teams value in the middle of the first round.

Scouts note that DuPont and Joseph together give lottery teams immediate choices between a franchise defenseman and a top-line center. Sundstrom’s steady production in a professional development league further widens the talent gap between the top three and the rest of the class.

Mid-First Round Features North American and International Mix

Carter Meyer slots fifth after tallying 61 points with the U.S. NTDP in the USHL. His quick release and power-play quarterbacking skills make him a fit for teams seeking secondary scoring.

Nazar Privalov occupies fourth overall after posting 48 points in 55 games with CSKA Jr. The Russian winger’s speed and net-front presence create a contrast to the centers ranked immediately around him.

Max Calce and Jonah Neuenschwander sit sixth and seventh. Calce recorded 54 points in 48 games for Mannheim Jr. while Neuenschwander reached 49 points in 52 Swiss junior contests. Both centers bring high hockey IQ that compensates for smaller frames.

The group illustrates how European development leagues continue to produce first-round caliber centers who arrive in North America with polished two-way games.

Late First Round Bolsters Organizational Blue Lines and Depth

Luca Santala ranks eighth after a 47-point season with Kiekko-Espoo Jr. in Finland. The Finnish center’s defensive reliability projects him as a middle-six option within three seasons.

Brock Cripps and Jaxon Jacobson close the top ten. Cripps logged 39 points from the blue line for Prince Albert while Jacobson reached 52 points as a center for Brandon. Both WHL products give teams late-first-round options with immediate junior leadership experience.

Three of the final four prospects in the top ten come from Canadian major junior leagues, underscoring the WHL’s continued strength in producing NHL-ready talent at both forward and defense positions.

The distribution shows four centers and two defensemen among the top ten, giving clubs flexibility to address specific organizational needs rather than reaching for positional scarcity.