The NHL Draft has become very boom-or-bust in New England.
In 2023, Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.) and Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.) were picked inside the top 10. The next two locals taken weren’t until the sixth and seventh rounds. Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.) went in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, as he was the first of five locals taken. While there weren’t any local first-rounders in 2025, the same number of New Englanders were taken for the second straight year.
Needless to say, the last three draft classes haven’t been robust for the region.
Is 2026? Five months out, I don’t think there will be a first-round pick. I do, however, think this class will be more robust.
There are several raw prospects (particularly two big defensemen) who teams likely will want to take a flier on. I’d expect two forwards taken in the first three rounds. And there are a slew of locals in prep who have legitimate cases to be picked.
This story only includes players from New England.
Let’s dive in.
1. Casey Mutryn
U.S. NTDP U-18, 7/5/2008, F, right shot, 6-3/201
Hometown: Norwell, Mass.
NCAA: Boston College
Mutryn isn’t having the kind of offensive breakout season for the National Team Development Program that would have catapulted him into first-round contention. Through 38 games, Mutryn has eight goals and 26 points. That said, he’s the perfect kind of forward to snag somewhere in the second round. At the latest, he’s a third-round pick. The physical tools, two-way ability and his leadership make him someone NHL teams should project for their middle six someday.
2. Rian Chudzinski
Moncton Wildcats, 12/31/2007, F, right shot, 6-1/190
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
NCAA: Boston University
Chudzinski dealt with injury early in his first QMJHL season but still has 14 goals and 23 points in 36 games for Moncton. While his offensive upside at higher levels can be questioned, what can’t be questioned is his compete and willingness to do anything to win. He’s unafraid of physicality, too. A realistic projection would be that he’s someone NHL teams can count on in a bottom-six role someday. His ceiling? That of a point-getting power forward. I’d expect him to be picked toward the end of the second or third round.
Rian Chudzinski, what a MASSIVE hit! 🚂
NHL scouts will absolutely love that! @monctonwildcats #2026NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/CNj4D0skiK
— QMJHL (@QMJHL) January 18, 2026
3. Myles Brosnan
Dexter Southfield, 10/19/2007, D, right shot, 6-1/194
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
NCAA: Harvard
Brosnan is more of an offensive defenseman in prep. He had 36 points in 28 games last season and is tied for fourth in prep points this winter with 42. He spent a weekend with the NTDP’s U-18 team, as well as with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. Brosnan’s skating, puck-moving and offensive abilities stand out among his birth year. The big question scouts will face is whether that translates to higher levels. I initially thought he'd be a fifth to seventh-round pick. But with his production in prep, I wouldn't be shocked to see him gone before the fifth.
4. Brian McFadden
Thayer, 1/8/2008, D, right shot, 6-5/181
Hometown: Holbrook, Mass.
NCAA: Northeastern
This is undoubtedly a swing, but that’s often what the draft comes down to — projecting. McFadden has a long road of filling out and developing ahead of him. And through 19 prep games this winter, he has 13 points — those aren’t numbers that jump out. But McFadden has shown flashes of being physical and imposing his size on opposing forwards. He’s also creative with pucks and is unafraid to try to make plays. The odds are always stacked against every player, but effective, 6-foot-5, right-shot defensemen in the NHL don’t grow on trees. That’s why I’d expect McFadden to be taken somewhere in the range of Rounds 4-7.
READ MORE: 7 takeaways from NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings
5. Will Manchuso
St. Mark’s, 1/8/2008, F, left shot, 6-0/185
Hometown: Concord, Mass.
NCAA: Dartmouth
What I like about Manchuso is that he’s trending up — fast. He burst onto the scene only within the past two years and has risen to being one of the 2008s who probably should at least have been invited to the NTDP evaluation camp. He did, however, get some time with the NTDP 18s this fall. Manchuso is a fantastic skater who has produced all year — he had a strong fall with the Neponset Valley River Rats 18-U squad and has 20 goals and 42 points in 19 games for St. Mark’s.
The unfortunate reality for Manchuso is that 6-foot left wingers aren’t hard to find. So Manchuso needs area scouts to stand on the table for him and convince higher-ups that he’s worth taking over players producing in junior. I believe Manchuso will play professionally someday.
6. Niko Tournas
Moncton Wildcats, 2/17/2006, F, right shot, 6-2/198
Hometown: Redding, Conn.
NCAA: New Hampshire
I like Tournas a lot for two reasons: his production and what he’s gone through. Tournas is having a terrific season with Moncton in the QMJHL, scoring 33 goals and tallying 55 points in 46 games. But the biggest thing is that he knows how to overcome adversity because he’s done it before. He flopped in the USHL in 2023-24 with two goals and five points. A lot of 17-year-olds would have been crushed, but Tournas went to the NAHL’s Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks and found himself again, posting 74 points in 56 games. Yes, he’s a third-year-eligible prospect. But teams can’t say he hasn’t produced at high levels and hasn’t faced — and overcome — adversity.
7. Cooper Cleaves
Dartmouth, 1/5/2006, D, right shot, 6-4/205
Hometown: Riverside, Conn.
In his final year of eligibility, Cleaves has generated some buzz among scouts. Through 18 games with Dartmouth, the Brunswick alum has four goals and 14 points in 18 games. But more than that, he’s proven to be a reliable defensive force for one of the best teams in the nation. Big, right-shot defenders like Cleaves are coveted, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get selected in his final draft.
8. Kaiden Donia
Groton, 1/16/2008, D, right shot, 6-5/183
Hometown: Townsend, Mass.
NCAA: Quinnipiac
Donia is a great skater for his size and has a mean streak. What holds me back from ranking him higher is that his decision-making can be improved, and that’s not always an easy fix. Through 20 prep games, Donia has three goals and 17 points, which is good production. Donia is still raw and eventually will head to a Quinnipiac program that is all about structure and good defense. Like with McFadden, I expect an NHL team to take a chance on Donia somewhere between rounds 5-7. If he hits someday, oh boy.
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9. David Bosco
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 2/8/2008, F, right shot, 5-11/165
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
NCAA: Harvard
I was surprised that Bosco was left off NHL Central Scouting’s first rankings in October. Fortunately for him, he was in January's midterm rankings. Since then, Bosco has impressed in his first USHL season with 11 goals and 22 points in 34 games. He’s a high-end offensive player, but his size is a drawback. He’s the kind of player who likely can play only in a top-six role. If an NHL team picks him, it’s because they think he can be that someday.
10. Justin Graf
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 7/10/2007, F, left shot, 5-11/161
Hometown: Lincoln, Mass.
NCAA: Harvard
Graf’s transition to the USHL has gone about as well as one could hope. He leads Cedar Rapids in points with 38. This has also come on the heels of two highly productive years at Rivers. He’s a terrific playmaker who has no problem getting to high-danger areas. While he wasn’t on NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary list, it’s hard to ignore someone who is scoring this much in the USHL. His brother is San Jose Sharks forward Collin Graf.
11. Will Bent
Halifax Mooseheads, 3/12/2008, F, right shot, 6-1/201
Hometown: Dover, Mass.
NCAA: Providence College
Bent hasn’t produced as expected in his first full season in the QMJHL. Through 37 games, the Providence commit had four goals and 11 points to go along with a minus-21 rating. What Bent does have going for him is his size and pedigree as someone who consistently ranked high in his birth year.
12. Owen McHale
Dexter Southfield, 2/17/2008, F, left shot, 6-2/190
Hometown: Charlestown, Mass.
NCAA: Northeastern
As a senior, McHale is proving there is offense to his game, as he leads Dexter in goals (17) through his first 21 games. But what makes McHale so effective is how much of a pest he is and his physicality. NHL teams clamor for players who can play like that. To me, McHale’s projected ceiling is Florida Panthers forward AJ Greer. And if there’s anything NHL teams want to do right now, it’s play like the Panthers.
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13. Jacoby Weiner
Moncton Wildcats, 6/19/2008, G, catches right, 6-4/227
Hometown: Riverside, Conn.
NCAA: Harvard
Weiner is an interesting case. In NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings, they gave Weiner a ‘B’, which is reserved for second- or third-round candidates in their eyes. But Weiner struggled last season with Kent and has 11 games with Moncton this winter, posting a 2.78 GAA and a .890 save percentage. The biggest asset for Weiner is his size. It will come down to the goalie experts on NHL teams seeing if there’s something there worth drafting or not.
