Projection: Top Line C
Projectable Skills: Intelligence, Adaptability, Puck Control
Development Opportunities: Strength, Shot accuracy

Madden goes end to end this season as our projected top prospect for the 2026 WHL Draft because of how well rounded his playstyle is. At top speed, Madden retains his puck control, awareness, vision, and can beat you with a lateral drag move, drop pass, or explode into the middle of the ice with a slash and a shot release. With Madden, you get efficiency, adaptability, and the confidence that from simpler saucer passes to breakaways, he gives you the best package of skills with room for continued growth. While you can certainly argue that other players in this draft have an element to their game which is better than him, it is the totality of the skills working in tandem and the situational IQ which projects Mr. Daneault confidently down the line. Who doesn’t want to add a top line, versatile C into their future?

This tournament was my first viewing of Daneault on the season and he came into it with a lot of hype as a consensus top five pick for the upcoming 2026 WHL draft. To say that he exceeded my expectations would be an understatement as there are a lot of players that can produce points at this level but far fewer that can dominate the competition so naturally and confidently the way that Daneault did. He is an above average sized forward that plays a ton of minutes for his team and is a consistent offensive threat every time he gets the puck in the OZ. His playmaking ability makes him a threat to find teammates at any moment but he also possesses that one shot scoring ability that consistently beat goalies from all over the OZ. His team may have gotten blown out 11-1 in their final game by a strong OHA Edmonton team but that does take away from the absolutely dominant tournament that his young forward had.

2011-born Madden Daneault was the talk of the tournament, leading all players in scoring with 16 points in 5 games—including a hat trick and a six-assist performance. Announcers were raving about his edge work, which was evident in how easily he pivoted off the wall or weaved through defenders. With his reach, lateral movement, and quick hands, he could attack the middle or burn wide, and then either fire a quick shot or hit a teammate with a no-look pass as he drew in coverage like a magnet. His two-way game also stood out—he backchecked hard, broke up plays with smart stick checks, and even made a diving block on the penalty kill. I also liked how he rotated between center and wing depending on the faceoff side, always focusing on winning the puck and transitioning up ice instead of cheating or relying on teammates to do the work for him.

Daneault was one of the very best players at this tournament despite his 2011 birthyear and the noise following him is sure to be deafening as he looks like one of the top forward options in his age group. His intelligence and maturity in the offensive zone are truly a treat to watch as he already has such a honed offensive toolkit and great feel for what is needed in the moment. His approach is so balanced as he attacks with a plan while also rolling with the punches, improvising with the best of them to create chance after chance. His skill level stands out with pristine puck control, dynamism through traffic, and clever micro-adjustments. He’s never truly out of the play; on one instance being knocked to his knees but still protecting with his frame, muscling a one-handed pass to a teammate. Like his brothers, Madden will likely never be blessed with ideal size but he’s so strong on his edges and understands how to utilize his leverage to great effect. If he continues to hone his explosiveness, I don’t see his limited stature being a big hurdle for him at the junior level.

If Red Deer wass cooking up something nice, the 2011-born player was right in the middle of it. It is so nice to see players who are dangerous with the puck almost the entirety of his possessions. If he grabs a loose puck out of a scramble, he seems like he’s already figured out the most ideal way to attack. Calgary was able to keep him on the exterior early on which led to defenders timing the angles and forcing him to try and dangle laterally or pass out of coverage. Give him a bit more time to grow physically and that’ll lessen those plays from a standstill. Overall though, he was anticipating passing routes, picking off weak passes, spinning off pressure to draw a bit more before cycling to the point, and sinking down lower in the zone for a one timer spot. His ability to saucer pass through traffic or see lanes opening up off curls on the outside from down low is strong. Highly intelligent player showed intelligence.