Sometimes, NHL draft prospects just need more time to prove their worth.

Overage players get drafted every year, often but not always on Day 2.

Players who go undrafted are usually flawed or overlooked in some way. In many cases, teams like the player but question the NHL upside and want to see them prove it again, possibly at a different level or in a new environment.

This year's overage players have fought through adversity and done everything they can to prove they are ready in their second or third year of draft eligibility. 

Whether the issue was a player being undersized, having underwhelming mobility or simply not getting the opportunity to show their stuff, these players were all once overlooked at the NHL draft. 

Here's what they've done to earn the chance to hear their name called at the 2026 NHL draft in Buffalo on June 26 or 27. 

Galvas is one of the most fascinating overage prospects in the draft.

He's consistently put up good results at the world juniors for Czechia, playing a key role in the country's best run in its history at the tournament. He has two bronze medals and one silver medal at the world juniors.

His defensive game has become a strength, even against men at the Czech league level. 

Galvas has always been an elite skater with excellent four-way mobility. He sees the ice well with and without the puck, allowing him to impact the game in all three zones.

The big issue has always been his size. He's a 5-foot-10 defender who excels with his feet, skill and intelligence. NHL teams are always shy to give a player like that a chance, but we've seen so much good hockey from Galvas over the last year that he's almost certain to at least get picked this time around.

Making the Canadian U-20 squad was the first big step for MacKenzie, who was nowhere on the radar of most scouts coming into the year. MacKenzie picked up a bronze medal at the 2026 world juniors.

He's always been a solid junior defender who never took his foot off the gas and always worked to move the puck up ice quickly. 

His game can be a bit chaotic and all over the place. It's part of the reason he wasn't drafted last year.

MacKenzie could be a really solid depth piece at the next level, doing enough in his own end and being a positive transition player. 

Part of the issue with Rheaume-Mullen's game is that he's at his best when he's not noticed.

He plays an intelligent, positional game in his own end, and he doesn't try to do more than he's capable of. He's a very good skater, and although he's not a hulking defenseman, size isn't really an issue for him.

The 19-year-old defenseman has been a staple on the Michigan blueline for the last couple of years, playing a steady and quiet game. If he were a bit more of a puck-mover or showcased a bit more dynamism with the puck, he likely would have had his name called last year.

Instead, the understated defenseman will look to patiently await a selection this time around.

In his third year of eligibility, Parsons may have finally done enough to earn a call.

His freshman year at Providence went about as well as it could have gone. He put up excellent numbers in tandem, and when the NCAA tournament came around, he earned the crease. Parsons gave Providence a chance to win every time he was in the blue paint. 

His struggles with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in his first year of draft eligibility were notable, but he's since refined his game. He's less chaotic and much more controlled.

Parsons has become one of the more technically gifted goalies in the draft. He has good size and moves well to ensure that he's squaring up shots all over the ice. 

Woo had a fantastic season in Medicine Hat, putting up 86 points in 56 games, being the primary play driver on many nights and playing on both special teams units. His skating was a major strength, and in his own end, he was more than willing to engage physically to prevent chances. Woo was a driving force for the Tigers' solid year. 

His issue is he's a 5-foot-9 blueliner who likes to play a physical brand of defense, and his offensive tools aren't quite elite enough to fall back on at the next level. NHL teams will wonder whether he can translate his game to the next level or if he's just going to be another undersized defenseman who can hang at the junior level but struggle to get to The Show.

With nearly 100 points this year in the QMJHL, Veilleux could be a prospect worth taking a flyer on. He's such a smart, tactical player who is far from a one-trick pony offensively. He's a very good rush attacker and a resourceful player on the cycle. His game lacks physicality, though, and that's been the major knock on the QMJHL stud. 

Veilleux isn't the most fleet of foot forward, either, which is a tough recipe for NHL success, especially when the forward is 5-foot-9.

Among the players on this list, Veilleux might be the longest shot to make it to the NHL because of the flaws in his game. He might just end up being a very good junior player with a decent overseas career.

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