With the first two prospects we highlighted, we looked at a skilled two-way center in Tynan Lawrence before breaking down the play of a fast-growing, ultra-skilled winger who is rising up the boards due to his potential in Wyatt Cullen. Today, we are going to look at Daxon Rudolph, a talented defenseman whose WHL [http://thn.com/whl] production doesn’t quite match his draft rankings. Rudolph is a 6-foot-3, right-handed, puck-moving defenseman with offensive skill and a smart defensive game. In the WHL this season with the Prince Albert Raiders, the 2023 WHL first overall pick scored 28 goals and 78 points in 68 games. Both categories ranked third among defensemen in the WHL, trailing Bryce Pickford and Jonas Woo, both of whom played for the Medicine Hat Tigers. Rudolph’s regular season was outstanding, but he took his game to another level in the playoffs, as the Raiders lost in the WHL finals. Rudolph tied for the league lead in points during the post-season, recording nine goals and 27 points in 19 games. With his track record as a first overall pick in the WHL, as well as his outstanding point production from the blueline, it feels almost odd to see him projected in some cases to fall outside the top 10, but skating deficiencies are why defenders like Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Alberts Smiths, and Keaton Verhoeff have been ranked ahead of him. St. Louis Blues 2026 NHL Draft Targets At Pick No. 11: Wyatt Cullen [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/89c24d5e-d30b-4ebe-85e0-5b255291c08d.jpeg] St. Louis Blues 2026 NHL Draft Targets At Pick No. 11: Wyatt Cullen As we continue to look at the 2026 NHL draft targets for the St. Louis Blues, today, we take a look at a dynamic and possibly still growing forward in Wyatt Cullen. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues/latest-news/st-louis-blues-2026-nhl-draft-targets-at-pick-no-11-wyatt-cullen] The 18-year-old Rudolph is an incredibly smart player. He sees the game well on both sides of the puck. His vision allows him to make plays in the offensive zone and break up plays in the defensive zone. With the puck in the o-zone, Rudolph is a threat to connect on give-and-gos, slide into the play unguarded, and rifle a heavy shot. In his own end with the puck, Rudolph makes heads-up passes and uses his feet to navigate forecheckers. While the concern is that it might not translate to the NHL, at the junior level he is more than capable of making those plays with his feet. The native of Lacombe, Alta., will make the big jump to the NCAA [http://thn.com/ncaa] next season, joining the mighty University of Denver. Despite the loaded blueline, Rudolph is expected to be the leader of the backend and bring the program back to the National Championship. St. Louis Blues 2026 NHL Draft Targets At Pick No. 11: Tynan Lawrence [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/a797af1b-411c-4c50-8437-113860b83808.jpeg] St. Louis Blues 2026 NHL Draft Targets At Pick No. 11: Tynan Lawrence As we inch closer to the 2026 NHL draft, we are going to look at several players the St. Louis Blues can target with their three first round picks. Today, we take a look at Tynan Lawrence, a player who could be available at pick No. 11. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues/latest-news/st-louis-blues-2026-nhl-draft-targets-at-pick-no-11-tynan-lawrence] This draft features several highly rated defensemen, as we previously mentioned, but there are plenty of teams that are in need. While the Blues’ prospect pool on defense doesn’t lack depth or skill, adding a big, puck-moving right-handed defenseman is never a bad thing. It’s a sought-after commodity, and an abundance will only improve the team’s outlook. Because so many teams are looking for defenders, there is a strong chance that Rudolph is selected anywhere between picks 7-10, which would result in the Blues missing the opportunity to draft him. Either way, if a team can fix his skating issues, they could be looking at a potential top-four, two-way defender with a big frame. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/66c2f279-4757-4cb9-90a1-de296e3a65a6.jpeg] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription?_gl=1*v5rozm*_ga*NDAxOTY4NTMuMTc1NTg5NTA0Mg..*_ga_ZET34ZFCGX*czE3Nzc4MTkwMTIkbzQyMSRnMSR0MTc3NzgxOTY0MiRqNDgkbDAkaDA.]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
