Welcome to 2026 and thus the 2026 WHL Draft rankings. We had already posted the top-25 ranking earlier and have now expanded to a top-50. Alongside the unfolding of the ranking usually comes an article discussing some of the top talent and the features of the draft that are subject to change as the hockey season wears along. I haven’t yet done that so… tada! Let us dig into the top-3, the first round, and how the draft might unfold as we go along.
As always….we have to start somewhere. As with any ranking, you might be browsing the list and think to yourself that you’d have player A above player B and I am ludicrous for thinking otherwise. You can think that. Many do. It is your yearly reminder that teams disagree with other teams on rankings. Head Scouts will disagree with regional scouts. GMs will disagree with Head Scouts. There is a lot of discussion and disagreement in the game of scouting because… it is truly just an educated guess based on all the information thus far. There are a million reasons why a team might draft one player over another which include regional bias, positional need, balancing of a roster, liking of character, loyalty to an agency, etc etc etc.
The goal of these rankings is to try and predict who will be the better/best players in the years 18-20 most of all. It clashes a touch with our overall rankings in the end which incorporate years after due to NCAA eligibility but that is simply the way it goes. It means that just because a player is scoring points or playing in a decent role in their 16-year-old rookie season in the WHL doesn’t mean that other players don’t have more potential growth left in our eyes and will reach and surpass them in a couple years. These are obvious things, obviously.
With all of that being said, the only thing I can do is share our thoughts at PuckPreps at where things currently stand, and continue to watch as many hockey games as possible to gather more information.
So in the spirit of “we have to start somewhere”…. Let us start.
The Top Group
I think when it comes to this draft, my thoughts have been that there are three players who I could consider as the top player for my taste. Our number one player at the moment is Madden Daneault playing for Red Deer U15 in Alberta. He’s an incredibly smart and agile forward who adjusts well in every situation, has shown he can survive on his own against the best of competition, and in his worst game still creates ample opportunity for his team. At his best, he reminds me of someone who could have an unfolding in the WHL similar to that of a Berkly Catton which could mean 100+ points in a season and one of the best offensive players in the league. Not too bad. Madden currently has 79 points in 19 games for Red Deer and an additional six points in three games with the U18 club.
At number 2 overall we have the dynamic power forward Parker McMillan playing for Yale U15 Prep who currently has 30 goals and 65 points in 16 games played. He was a true force in U15 Prep last season and has already shown he can adapt to playing that style of a shot-first player at higher levels. There have been moments where teams have quieted him a little bit but more often than not he’s grabbing multi-point games against whoever the opponent is. He’s a shot first, net-driving, big body with an excellent release and great determination. I would imagine that many teams could or do have Parker as the potential number 1 pick this year as he’s bigger, stronger, faster, and more punishing than Madden at this current moment. I think he will be an impact top-6 player as soon as he hits the WHL.
At 3rd overall is the curious case of Artello Forestal who plays for OHA Edmonton U15 Prep and is just returning from an injury that saw him out most of the year. He’s truly dynamic, plays with multiple layers, and has so many high-end elements to his game. His stickhandling is potentially the best in the class and his ability to push space and create either one on one or with linemates is excellent too. As he returns, I hope to see the consistency with the creativity play out in full as he looks to get the best of all situations. I can imagine him being a true buzz player at some of the big tournaments to come. He’s only seen four games this year which was two against the strong CIHA, one against RHA Winnipeg, and one against NAX. He grabbed 10 points in those 4 games.
I do think there is an argument now to put Kenzo Gibson (who moved from 5 to 4) in this grouping too as the top part of the draft unfolds.
The First Round
I believe the discussion of this draft around the league right now is about how the top end of things is really dominated by the forwards. I pretty much agree as well. I think there are two or three defenders at this point who I could see getting drafted in those ranges and they are Eli Vickers (5th), Jevin Morrison (11th) and Tyson Wolanski (13th).
While there are certainly other talented defensemen available in the draft, I do agree that the first round should be dominated by quite a few forwards. This class has some creativity, lots of size, and tactical maturity in a lot of the players. I think even if you’re picking in the back half of the first round, you should expect to get a really good producing top-6 forward for your group if you so wish.
There are four players who are a bit undersized in the forward group but are puck controlled maniacs in offensive situations. Liam Bordt (6th) and Danel Ramazanov (7th) are tearing up the scoresheet on a nightly basis for NAX U15 Prep as Danel leans into the playmaking a bit more and Liam has shown off a one-timer slapshot on the PP which devastates goalies. Teagan Dernisky (8th) understands how to be a true compliment player as an undersized guy but still has the speed to hit rushes and the puck control to be dangerous too. He’s been electric for Yale U15 Prep this year in tandem with Parker. Lastly, Brody Antignani (10th) has shown that he has a true knack for finishing plays off in the offensive zone and thrives down low or on the PP. He’s always an x-factor for Edge as even in the seemingly quieter games he can end up with multi-point efforts. He finds a way in the moments he gets.
Another player I want to mention too as it seemed many wondered where he fell into the mixture after a graphic of a top-10 was put out and that’s Brayden Jugnauth who is currently putting up ample points for the Okanagan Rockets U18 team. Brayden was 11th on the last list and falls at 9th currently. I got to see him recently in a few games at the Circle K Classic tournament as he showed off his open ice speed. After watching him last season in U15 and in the summer at the CCM event, I was excited to see if he could still generate offense to the level he was before.
How Deep Is the Draft?
This draft as a whole is certainly a deeper one in the first three rounds. I think specifically in the range of 24-40, there are a number of true players who have the capacity to leap up in a few years with some extra physical growth. It makes this draft one where teams can fill their lineups for a number of seasons. I think of a player like Luke Bodtker (32nd) who has done nothing but impress in every viewing I’ve had of him this year and has risen up the ranks every time. With players like him , Jesse Scriven, Jett Evans, Cole Chudyk, and others, you could see some big leaps in the next number of seasons. I’m as excited as probably you are to see just how high each of them can push before the 2026 WHL Draft.
For our rankings, that means that this draft will be very deep in the 4-star category of potential within players. For example, I think defenseman Nathan Johnson who is currently at 40th overall on our ranking has the justification for being a 4-star rated player. That is how deep this group is currently up top. The 2010-born year was a deeper group in the top 3 rounds too but I think I’d trade a last 3rd in last year’s draft for a late third in this year’s draft. That just means we should anticipate more players making the WHL eventually from this class and being sought after players when they are 19-20 for hockey beyond the WHL.
As always, you can reach out on twitter or through PuckPreps to share some thoughts on your own. It is a true privilege to discuss how others see the class and which players are going to be future stars out of the mixture. As the blurry ranking picture gets more and more in focus over the next number of months you’ll see ample game reports, articles, and changes in ranking as it expands to 100+ from us.
In October, scouts were circling names on pages. In November, they were making a few notes and submitting the early thoughts. Now it is January, where teams start to really focus on who could potentially be available to them and when. The reports get longer and the discussions get more ferocious. Ain’t it fun?
Check out the full top-50 2026 WHL Draft Ranking.