Ryan Kennedy breaks down his annual list of the top 100 NCAA players to look out for throughout the upcoming 2026-27 college hockey season.
Welcome to my annual Top 100 NCAA players to watch list, a compendium that becomes increasingly vexing for both you and I.
For you, it's about the players I did not include. For me, it's the process of actually whittling down my list to only 100 players, as the NCAA gets stronger with every passing year.
This is the second season in which CHL players have swarmed the college ranks and once again, a former WHLer poised to go No. 1 in the draft is up top. Last year it was Penn State's Gavin McKenna; now it's Landon DuPont's turn at Michigan.
Many of McKenna's cohorts from the 2026 NHL Draft are here, giving this ranking a ton of power up top. Frankly, just deciding who would make the top 10 was hard enough.
As always, this is a ranking of players I'm most excited to watch this season - not necessarily who is going to have the most points or best save percentage. All the players are drafted or will be: College free agents is another column and those players will get their shine at the end of the campaign.
Also, freshmen and sophomores tend to get more spots than juniors or seniors because in most cases, I already know what the upperclassmen are capable of.
I like to spread the love to as many teams as possible, but this is also a brutal meritocracy: If the big dogs take most of the spots, so be it. In fact, I would say this year's list is probably the least diverse ever, since so many top-end players have flocked to powerhouse programs. Don't blame me - I am merely a vessel here.
With all that out of the way, let's get to the rankings.
1. Landon DuPont, D (2027), Michigan: The top prospect for the NHL draft, DuPont is a smart and talented blueliner who will help the Wolverines at both ends of the ice.
2. Ethan Wyttenbach, LW (CGY), Quinnipiac: He ran serious numbers last year, so what does he do for an encore? World junior domination and the Hobey Baker would be my guess.
3. Chase Reid, D (SEA), Michigan State: An exciting offensive blueliner with underrated defensive skills, Reid comes from a Spartan family and will look great in green.
4. Daxon Rudolph, D (BUF), Denver: Another top-end defenseman who put up a bunch of points in the CHL, Rudolph now brings those talents to the defending champs.
5. Caleb Malhotra, C (VAN), Boston U.: Is he a No. 1 center? I believe so. Malhotra played for a dominating OHL Brantford and he'll have a lot of talent to play with on the Terriers, too.
6. Carson Carels, D (CGY), North Dakota: Smooth-skating, no-weakness defenseman already has experience playing with Keaton Verhoeff, so that might be a fun pairing.
7. Michael Hage, C (MTL), Michigan: He could have turned pro, but he wants one more shot at that national title. Can't blame him, considering the skills he and his teammates bring.
8. Dean Letourneau, C (BOS), Boston College: Towering project center broke through last season. Now we get to see what pure domination looks like.
9. Ethan Belchetz, LW (UTH), Michigan State: Speaking of big men, Belchetz comes to East Lansing as a freshman to watch thanks to his size, snarl and skill.
10. Tynan Lawrence, C (STL), Boston U.: Last year was a big jump. Probably too big for mid-season. But now the talented two-way pivot knows what to do in the college game.
11. Wyatt Cullen, LW (NSH), Minnesota: High riser in the draft now gets to prove what the hype was all about. Smart, skilled, and thanks to a late growth spurt, he's got decent size now, too.
12. Keaton Verhoeff, D (SJ), North Dakota: As a freshman, he put up an impressive 20 points while learning how to defend in the college game. The encore should be fun.
13. Ryan Lin, D (SJ), Denver: Another high-profile CHL defenseman heading to the Pios, Lin is a modern-style offensive blueliner who will add more skill to the Denver back end.
14. Tobias Trejbal, G (CGY), UMass: The first goalie taken in the 2026 draft, Trejbal was the best in the USHL and joins a squad who just said goodbye to his buddy Michael Hrabal.
15. Sammy Nelson, RW (2027), Notre Dame: The former NTDP product is a late birthday who headed straight to college. Joins his brothers Danny and Henry in South Bend.
16. Max Plante, LW (DET), Minnesota-Duluth: The reigning Hobey Baker winner could have signed with the Red Wings, but wanted to play with both brothers. No arguments here.
17. Mikhail Yegorov, G (NJ), Boston U.: Everybody loves the advanced stats website, but the Terriers are more stoked about having the solid keeper in their crease again.
18. Oscar Hemming, C (CBJ), Boston College: Last year was weird, but Hemming showed his potential as a difference-maker up front. Excited to see what a full season will look like for him.
19. Ilia Morozov, C (BUF), Miami: As a super-young freshman, he was given tons of ice time and opportunity with the RedHawks. Let's see what the two-way pivot does as a sophomore.
20. Mason West, C (CHI), Michigan State: Former football QB faces another level after spending a bonus year in the USHL. On a deep roster, he'll need to use his size.
21. J.P. Hurlbert, RW (DET), Michigan: Calmly walked into the WHL last season and fired off 97 points. Now for the next challenge: bringing that offense to a vicious Big Ten.
22. Vaclav Nestrasil, RW (CHI), UMass: Big power forward returns to Amherst after putting up nearly a point per game and winning world junior silver during his freshman year.
23. Victor Plante, LW (DET), Minnesota-Duluth: He's the reason brother Max is sticking around and the offensive skills Victor has are undeniable. Could be a fun frosh campaign.
24. Jack Pridham, RW (TB), Denver: Coming off an OHL title and Memorial Cup championship with Kitchener, Pridham now knows what it takes to be a winner. He can score, too.
25. Xavier Villeneuve, D (CHI), Boston U.: A small, ultra-skilled defenseman playing for the Terriers? We've seen this show before and it tends to be very exciting.
26. LJ Mooney, C (MTL), Minnesota: Another undersized player who nonetheless won't be stopped, Mooney returns after tying for second in team scoring during his frosh campaign.
27. Will Zellers, LW (BOS), North Dakota: One of the great breakthrough stories of last season, Zellers brought a very fun offensive toolbox with him to Grand Forks. Let's do it again.
28. Justin Poirier, RW (CAR), Penn State: Smaller winger joined Maine from the QMJHL last year and made an instant impact. Transfer goes from a Black Bear to a Nittany Lion.
29. Niklas Aaram-Olsen, LW (VAN), Boston U.: Wicked shooter from Denmark will bring his talents to the Terriers, who need a reset after last year's bizarre swoon.
30. Cam Reid, D (NSH), Michigan: The Wolverines will have no trouble breaking the puck out with Reid and DuPont in town. Reid is coming off a Memorial Cup win with Kitchener.
31. Maxim Masse, RW (ANA), UMass: Big kid from the 'Q' dominated with Chicoutimi. Now it's time for the next challenge where he joins a dangerous Minutemen squad.
32. Tommy Bleyl, D (NSH), Michigan State: One of the QMJHL's best surprises last year, Bleyl put up a ton of points from the Moncton blueline and now brings his skill set to East Lansing.
33. Jacob Kvasnicka, RW (NYI), Minnesota: Another big-time producer in major junior, Kvasnicka went from the NTDP to WHL Penticton, where he lit it up for the Vees.
34. Blake Zielinski, C (LA), Providence College: Coming from USHL Des Moines, Zielinski was a distributor who needed finishers. The Friars should have the talent to make that happen.
35. Yegor Yegorov, G (CGY), Miami: Russian goalies are all the rage these days and Yegorov has the right profile. With a couple Russian skaters on the Miami roster, he'll have comrades.
36. Trevor Hoskin, RW (CGY), Merrimack: He scored with Niagara, but could he score in Hockey East? The answer is yes, yes he could. He's back for another one with the Warriors.
37. Logan Hensler, D (OTT), Wisconsin: How much offense will there be with Hensler? This will be a good time to find out for the athletic, two-way blueliner, now in Year 3 with the Badgers.
38. Cole Reschny, RW (CGY), North Dakota: Youngest captain in team history leads a power-packed squad with high aspirations. Reschny will be key to the offense, as well.
39. Jack Nesbitt, C (PHI), Michigan: Another big CHL signing for Michigan, Nesbitt is a two-way center with awesome size who can play up and down the lineup for the Maize and Blue.
40. Charlie Morrison, D (NYR), UConn: Big, physical defenseman brings his talents over from QMJHL Quebec. Will likely spend a few years developing with the Huskies.
41. Jackson Smith, D (CBJ), Penn State: The skating acumen and size are the big draws with Smith, who put up impressive offensive numbers as a freshman for the Nittany Lions.
42. Blake Fiddler, D (SEA), Denver: Big blueliner with NHL bloodlines can make an impact at both ends of the ice. It'll be interesting to see how big a role he can grab as a freshman.
43. Will Horcoff, LW (PIT), Michigan: Put up a ton of points for the Wolverines in his first full campaign and the big forward will have to do it again if he wants that national title.
44. Joona Vaisanen, D (PIT), Western Michigan: Losing Vaisanen to injury early last season was brutal for the Broncos. Now they get the excellent skater back for a revenge tour.
45. Egor Barabanov, C (CGY), UMass: Smart, skilled playmaker joins the Minutemen as an older freshman after a breakout season with Saginaw in the OHL. Plays both ends, too.
46. Emmett Croteau, G (MTL), Dartmouth: Put up incredibly stingy numbers with the Big Green last season as a junior. Can he lead them to a deep tournament run this time?
47. Sascha Boumedienne, D (WPG), Ohio State: Puck-retrieving blueliner couldn't break through at B.U., but now he comes to the Buckeyes with the chance to be a difference-maker.
48. Ryder Cali, C (FLA), Providence College: Coming in from OHL North Bay, Cali projects as a middle-six pivot thanks to his excellent two-way game. Big frame is a plus, as well.
50. Joshua Ravensbergen, G (SJ), Michigan State: Taking over for Trey Augustine means Ravensbergen has big skates to fill. Funny enough, he's a lot bigger than his predecessor.
51. Ben MacBeath, D (NYR), Denver: Another CHL transplant, MacBeath comes from WHL Edmonton, where his size and mobility impressed. He'll benefit from a few years in college.
52. Alex Huang, D (NSH), Harvard: High-scoring offensive defenseman was excellent for QMJHL Chicoutimi, where he helped the Sagueneens win a league title.
53. Nathan Behm, LW (CHI), Arizona State: Big winger can really shoot the puck. Comes over from WHL Kamloops, where he flirted with 40 goals last season.
54. Zam Plante, C (PIT), Minnesota-Duluth: The third Plante brother on this list, Zam was deadly on a line with Max last season. One of NCAA's top scorers as a sophomore.
55. Ryker Lee, RW (NSH), Michigan State: His freshman campaign with Spartans was an unqualified success as the talented winger finished fourth in team scoring.
56. Simon Wang, D (SJ), Boston U.: Big project defenseman cut his teeth with OHL Oshawa and Niagara. Now he brings his mobile, 6-foot-6, 230-pound frame to Boston.
57. Michal Pradel, G (DET), Colorado College: Slovakian national has an ideal NHL frame and is coming off a great campaign with USHL Tri-City that included four shutouts in 38 games.
58. Rudy Guimond, G (DET), Harvard: After a couple years of major junior with QMJHL Moncton, Guimond arrives in college, where his experience and size will be a boon.
59. Jack Hextall, C (CGY), Michigan State: Well-rounded, crafty center will have the benefit of being able to play up and down the lineup on a loaded Spartans squad.
60. Samu Alalauri, D (CHI), UMass: His offensive game is still growing, but Alalauri has already shown a lot of promise. He's got smarts, mobility and some bite to his game.
61. Timofei Runtso, D (MTL), Miami: He's got great size and offensive ability, while still possessing a lot of potential. RedHawks get a riser out of WHL Victoria product.
62. Carsen Musser, G (UTH), St. Thomas: With his size and experience, Musser is ready to take the next step as he begins his third college campaign and second with the Tommies.
63. Francesco Dell'Elce, D (COL), UMass: Came to Amherst as a wild card and has already morphed into a key piece on the back end. What's the ceiling for Year 3?
64. Jayson Shaugabay, RW (TB), Minnesota-Duluth: Smooth playmaker was excellent playing with Max and Zam Plante, but will he have different linemates with Victor joining the team?
65. Ethan MacKenzie, D (TOR), North Dakota: Late-bloomer earned himself bronze with Canada at the world juniors. Comes in after a smashing season with WHL Edmonton.
66. Cooper Cleaves, D (MTL), Dartmouth: Big kid with a steady game really impressed as a freshman, improving his defensive compete. Sophomore season should be fun to watch.
67. Cayden Lindstrom, C (CBJ), Michigan State: It's been a rough couple of years for Lindstrom, but the big frame and goal-scoring potential means a breakout could come any time.
68. Brodie Ziemer, LW (BUF), Minnesota: Maximum-effort winger will be crucial to the Gophers' attack as he enters his junior campaign in Dinkytown. Forty-plus points is certainly achievable.
69. Jack Ivankovic, G (NSH), Michigan: If the Wolverines want to go all the way, Ivankovic is going to be front and center. He's not the biggest goalie, but he's impressive.
70. Teddy Mutryn, C (SJ), Boston College: In his only QMJHL season, he ran roughshod, especially in the playoffs for Moncton. Now it's time for the next challenge back home.
71. Darels Uljanskis, D (ANA), St. Cloud State: The Latvian national brought size and offense to OHL Flint last year. Now he joins a Huskies team who needs that talent on the blueline.
72. Cole Tuminaro, D (COL), Cornell: A titan-sized blueliner out of USHL Chicago, Tuminaro brings size and potential to the Big Red - just how they like it in Ithaca.
73. Carl Axelsson, G (UTH), Minnesota-Duluth: College is the next frontier for Axelsson, who went from Sweden to the NAHL to the USHL, improving along the way.
74. Will Skahan, D (UTH), Minnesota State: Physical defensive-defenseman comes over to the Mavs after two seasons with Boston College. Don't expect goals; he just prevents them.
75. Mikey Berchild, LW (CAR), Denver: His size may not be ideal for the NHL, but it'll be just fine in college (plus Carolina drafted him, so you never know...). The kid does have a lot of skill.
76. Casey Mutryn, C (SEA), Boston College: On a disappointing NTDP squad, he was at least near the top thanks to his burgeoning power-forward game. Younger brother of Teddy.
77. Caleb Heil, G (TB), North Dakota: For the Fighting Hawks to be a national championship contender, Heil just has to be good. And he's shown he can do that in the USHL.
78. Anthony Romani, RW (VAN), Michigan State: Former OHLer was a big-time producer with North Bay and Barrie. That offense translated immediately in his freshman NCAA campaign.
79. Tarin Smith, D (ANA), Minnesota: Offensive defenseman and former D-partner of Landon DuPont with WHL Everett joins the Gophers after winning a title with the Silvertips.
80. Teddy Stiga, LW (BUF), Boston College: Undersized pivot swooned as a sophomore, but the motor means you can pencil him in for a comeback in his third season with the Eagles.
81. Luke Osborn, D (BUF), Wisconsin: Offensively-leaning D-man will get more opportunities with Ben Dexheimer in the pros. Getting to the national final last year was a great experience.
82. Max Curran, C (COL), UMass: Czech national and world junior silver medallist comes in from WHL Edmonton, where he was a potent playmaking weapon.
83. John Mustard, C (CHI), Providence College: Great sophomore season had him in the running for a WJC spot with Canada. Expect even more production this year.
84. Henry Mews, D (CGY), Michigan: Injury spoiled his first season in Ann Arbor. Now the offensive defenseman returns with a chance to rack up big numbers on the back end.
85. Zach Olsen, RW (TOR), Colorado College: High-energy freshman winger who will bring speed and physicality, plus chip in some offense for the Tigers.
86. Melvin Strahl, G (CBJ), Minnesota: He got stuck behind Trey Augustine at Michigan State, now he's trying his luck with the Gophers. Swedish national has ideal size in the crease.
87. Jackson Crowder, C (WSH), Ohio State: Shift-disturber with size comes in from USHL Chicago, where he was a point-per-gamer. Not a fun guy to play against.
88. Jack Murtagh, LW (PHI), Boston U.: Talented winger who always shows up. Freshman numbers weren't massive, but it was a messy year for the Terriers. Now they all turn the page.
89. Filip Nordberg, D (OTT), Arizona State: Swede comes over from Merrimack, where he helped Warriors stun in Hockey East tournament. Defense-first with great size and length.
90. Matias Vanhanen, LW (NJ), Boston College: After getting passed over in the draft once, he scorched the WHL with Everett. Doesn't have size, but he's a great playmaker.
91. Zach Wooten, LW (WPG), Wisconsin: Late-bloomer exploded with USHL Green Bay last year. His shot is his biggest weapon, with a very solid frame to go with it.
92. Noah Laberge, D (BUF), Northeastern: Playmaking offensive defenseman put up nearly a point per game with QMJHL Newfoundland last season. Huskies can use him for sure.
93. Mac Swanson, C (PIT), North Dakota: Undersized pivot just keeps proving folks wrong. Found his goal-scoring range as a sophomore and the point totals keep increasing.
94. Christian Kirsch, G (SJ), Quinnipiac: Big Swiss netminder helped OHL Kitchener win league and Memorial Cup titles. Bend-don't-break kind of goalie.
95. William Moore, C (BOS), Boston College: Starts the season on the shelf with an injury, which is not ideal. But the potential to be a difference-maker when healthy is still out there.
96. Alexis Cournoyer, G (MTL), Wisconsin: Comes to the Badgers from Cornell, where he was scintillating as a freshman. Brings great size to the table - and the Habs know goaltenders.
97. Xavier Veilleux, D (NYI), Cornell: Excellent freshman campaign saw him lead the Big Red defense corps in scoring. Brings a solid frame to the back end, too.
98. E.J. Emery, D (NYR), North Dakota: The offense clicked in Year 2, now the junior returns with his eyes on a national title. The skating and the length are still his defensive calling cards.
99. Jack Parsons, G (WPG), Providence College: It's rare that a player has better stats in college than he did in the junior ranks, but Parsons was a revelation for Friars last year.
100. Quentin Miller, G (MTL), Western Michigan: Had great stats in Denver before injury led to the magical Johnny Hicks run. Now Miller gets a fresh start in Kalamazoo.
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