The NHL Draft isn’t the most efficient way to find talent.
Historically, teams won’t even get to the end of the first round before they start coming into the dart-throwing section of the draft, hoping that the scouting and development staffs know something that others don’t.
Potentially franchise-altering players will ultimately be found outside of the top 10 picks. Some of them have already overcome significant adversity to get to this point. Some will face other obstacles once they are drafted.
Here are the most compelling players in the 2026 NHL Draft.
At 5-foot-9-inches, Swedish center Viggo Bjorck is a short king
The list of centers in the NHL shorter than 5-foot-10-inches is not long. The list of centers who play at the top of their team’s lineup at that height is even shorter: Brayden Point, Marco Rossi and Logan Stankoven.
His height might be the only thing holding him back from being taken at the very top of the draft. Bjorck is one of the most accomplished draft-eligible players in Sweden’s history, putting up historic numbers as a 16-year-old in the Swedish U20 league. As a draft-eligible 17-year-old, he earned the rare honor of serving as Team Sweden’s top center at the men’s World Championships. Elite Prospects describes Bjorck as “hyper competitive and highly intelligent,” two traits that help him overcome size.