Today, the NHL Central Scouting Bureau published its initial player rankings for the 2027 Draft, the link to which can be found below. Please also find below the link to the article accompanying that list written by NHL.com Senior Draft Writer Mike Morreale, which contains much detail and insights into the making of this list. This initial rating provides a letter grade with respect to the round in which a player is expected to be taken: an “A” for a 1st-rounder, a “B” for a 2nd/3rd-rounder, a “C” for a 4th/5th-rounder, and a “W” for a 6th/7th-rounder. This is a very dynamic list, and while many of the players will remain at or near their projected draft status, the end result of a player’s selection may vary dramatically. A great example of this is Winnipeg prospect and 2026 draftee Alexander Command (drafted by NJD, and recently traded to the Jets as part of the Connor Hellebuyck deal). Command initially was projected to be a late-round pick last season, then, thanks to an excellent season in Sweden’s top junior league, skyrocketed to become the 12th overall selection this past summer.
As expected, the presumptive first overall pick in the upcoming draft remains University of Michigan d-man Landon Dupont. However, several other names stuck out to me upon my review, for various reasons. The first two players are Saginaw Spirit forwards Dima Zhilkin and Braidy Wassilyn. With respect to Zhilkin, my recent viewing of him confirms that he is a top-10 talent, and also has the physical edge and defensive accountability befit of a captain and leader. Wassilyn also possesses elite puck skills and a scorer’s touch, although he does not appear as committed to the 200-foot game as Zhilkin. However, assuming he continues his break-neck production in his draft season (he currently is tied with Zhilkin for an OHL-leading 24 points), I find it hard to believe he will not be taken within the first three rounds.
Despite d-man DuPont being the projected #1 pick, this draft will be very talent-heavy at the center position (15 of the 28 A-rated players in these ratings man that position). In keeping with that theme, the player with perhaps the most upside in this draft is OHL Guelph pivot Jaako Wycisk. Already a projected first-rounder, Wycisk was dominant at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup tournament in August, finishing tied with teammate Maddox Schultz for a tourney-best 10 points (2G 8A) in 5 games. Already possessing elite vision and a penchant for playing with an edge, he promises to be something to behold once his frame matures physically.
Another high-end pivot in this draft is Switzerland’s Johah Neuenschwander. At the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, the 6’3″ 17-year-old was nearly unstoppable when he had the puck on his stick and was looking to drive the net, finishing with 6 points (3G 3A) in 4 games. Having already competed against men for three seasons in the Swiss National League (Switzerland’s top pro league), look for him to become increasingly dominant as he continues to add muscle to his 185-pound frame.
https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_document/prd/ooeazaxsz8401xbkyrsx.pdf
https://www.nhl.com/news/landon-dupont-central-scouting-preliminary-players-to-watch-2027-nhl-draft
