NHL Central Scouting released its preliminary watch list for the 2027 NHL Draft on Monday. Naturally, people will debate the initial rankings.
Count me in among those people.
Overall, it was a better showing for New England natives on the preliminary list this year than it was last year. Fourteen locals were included this time around versus 10 last year. The region also boasts two first-round pick candidates while New England had none last year.
So much will change between now and June's NHL Draft. These takeaways certainly reflect that.
Nevertheless, here are my 13 biggest takeaways.
1. It makes sense that Jamie Glance (Stratham, N.H.) and Carter Meyer (Winchester, Mass.) are both A-rated, potential first-round pick prospects. Meyer was the top point-getter on the U.S. National Team Development Program's U17 team last season, while Glance filled that role for the U18 squad.
Glance, a late '08, opted for his draft year to be with the QMJHL's Saint John Sea Dogs instead of going right to Boston University, and he's off to a strong start with five goals and 19 points in 14 games. So long as he keeps producing, he should be a late first-round pick given that he's a 5-foot-11 right winger.
Meyer will have more eyes on him this season. As a 6-foot-1 center, he's widely considered a potential top-five pick, but it's been an up-and-down start to his QMJHL career with the Québec Remparts with three goals and 15 points in 13 games. The big thing with Meyer will be continuing to get used to the QMJHL.
2. Just my opinion: I can't confidently say any other New Englanders should be considered to be a first-round pick. The one player I might go with though would be Finn Sears (Medford, Mass.). Through 14 games for the NTDP's U18 team, he's second on the squad in points with 14. If he popped off at an over-a-point-per-game pace, I could see him getting first-round looks.
3. I've always really liked Matas Janulis (Lincoln, Mass.), but even I didn't see him elevating his draft stock to this extent (a B-rating) off the jump. In his first 13 games with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, the 6-foot-1, 179-pound defenseman has two goals and nine points.
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He's likely a shutdown defender at higher levels, but Janulis producing well offensively so far helps his draft stock quite a bit. If he continues this production (he's on pace for 10 goals and 43 points), he would likely get some first-round attention.
4. Sam Pandolfo (Winchester, Mass.) is a fascinating case. Given a B-rating, the BU commit has four goals in 13 games for the NTDP's U18 team. He's always been thought to have a high ceiling given his size (6-foot-4, 203 pounds) and hockey IQ. Based on those two attributes alone, I could see him going somewhere in the third or fourth round. But if that production kicks into gear, he's going way higher.
5. Jacoby Weiner (Riverside, Conn.) opened last season as a B-rated prospect, but didn't hear his name called come June. Things may go differently this year. As the Moncton Wildcats' starter, he's been outstanding so far with a 2.94 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
If he can match those stats with his 6-foot-4 frame, Weiner should be drafted in his second year of eligibility.
6. When I was putting my first 2027 NHL Draft rankings of the season together, I struggled with who to rank first: Kurt Beck (Arlington, Mass.) or Jake Boguniecki (Orange, Conn.). Both are '09 defensemen in the QMJHL this season. Both are good-sized: Beck is a 6-foot-3, 194-pound left-shot defenseman, while Boguniecki is 6-foot-2, 183 pounds and a right-shot defenseman.
Beck has four assists in 12 games for the Sherbrooke Phoenix, while Boguniecki has one assist in 13 games. It makes sense for both prospects to begin the season given a C-rating.
7. The biggest surprise was Caiden Pellegrino (Uxbridge, Mass.) given a 'W' rating. The St. Mark's product is top-15 for scoring in the QMJHL and is on pace for 30 goals and 84 points. Sure, he's 5-foot-10 and 168 pounds. But that production is undeniable. If that holds, it's going to be hard to imagine him slipping to the sixth and seventh rounds.
8. Among the W-rated players, an interesting name to watch is Cooper Campbell (Cohasset, Mass.). He's a physical, hard-nosed defenseman at 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds. That alone could get him drafted. He has two assists in 13 games for the QMJHL's Drummondville Voltigeurs.
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9. Phillips Andover defenseman Jack O'Dell is undoubtedly the top NHL Draft prospect in prep this season, and getting a C-rating is the right call. It's no secret that prep prospects are going lower than that in the draft, but I would put O'Dell's abilities in the fourth- or fifth-round range.
10. The other New England prep players ranked were Avon Old Farms forward Ethan Gingeleskie (West Hartford, Conn.), Avon defenseman Marshall Paul and Winchendon goalie Henry Skale. Given how difficult it's become to be picked out of prep, I don't see any other current prep players getting on the midterm or final rankings.
11. I'd classify Cape Breton Eagles defenseman Easton Anello (Windsor, Mass.) and Sherbrooke Phoenix defenseman Noah Mazzola (Lynnfield, Mass.) as snubs.
12. Lots will change between now and the draft. And NHL Central Scouting isn't the be-all and end-all of draft positioning — that comes down to where teams pick these guys. But here's a look at where the New England natives were ranked on the preliminary list last season compared to their eventual draft status:
- B: Casey Mutryn | Drafted in Round 2 by the Seattle Kraken
- B: Jacoby Weiner | Undrafted
- C: Will Bent | Undrafted
- C: Myles Brosnan | Drafted in Round 7 by the Detroit Red Wings
- C: Rian Chudzinski | Drafted in Round 3 by the Anaheim Ducks
- C: Will Manchuso | Undrafted
- C: Niko Tournas | Undrafted
- W: Kaiden Donia | Undrafted
- W: Nolan Duskocy | Undrafted
- W: Brian McFadden | Drafted in Round 5 by the Washington Capitals
Interestingly enough, Dartmouth defenseman Cooper Cleaves (Riverside, Conn.) and then-Cedar Rapids RoughRiders forward Justin Graf (Lincoln, Mass.) weren't ranked, yet both were taken in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. Lots can change.
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13. Thinking out loud here: Who will be this year's Tommy Bleyl? The Cushing alum entered last season with a C rating and finished by being picked 31st overall by the Nashville Predators. My prediction would be Pellegrino going from a W rating to a potential second- or third-round pick.
