The Way Landon DuPont Takes Over Games Is What Makes Him The Top 2027 Prospect

NHL Central Scouting released its preliminary list for the 2027 class, and to no one’s surprise, Landon DuPont received an A grade, making him a potential first-round pick. Now, if there were a tier above that, many would expect DuPont to be given that grade. 

Many question marks surrounded his freshman season against Michigan, but so far he’s left no doubt. He showed up in their big games so far; even though he missed their first game against Denver, he came back the next day and was a key factor in their win. 

He’s posted eight assists in eight games and is yet to score his first collegiate goal. That said, he still has a +7 plus-minus and has been very effective on the power play. 

He doesn’t play with the same high-octane pace he had in the WHL, but he adjusted to the college game before the first puck drop. He’s too good a skater, thinker, and competitor to fail at that level. 

"He's on another level," Central Scouting director Karl Stewart said when referring to DuPont, and he’s completely right. Multiple high-end defensemen have come out of the last few drafts: Matthew Schaefer, Artyom Levshunov, Simon Nemec, and Owen Power. Obviously, not all of those players turned out to be truly elite aside from Schaefer, but DuPont, as a prospect is in another tier from those guys, even Schaefer.

When scouts look at DuPont, they see a defenseman with solid size, who’s a 1-percent skater, who works his tail off, and has every tool you could ask for in a franchise player. Central Scouting has no rankings for the 2027 class, but it would be jaw-dropping to see anyone ahead of Landon DuPont. 

There’s still plenty of time in this cycle, but don’t expect the number one spot to change for the rest of the season.