The Scouting Cycle for the 2026 Nhl Entry Draft Has Officially Becun, With Action Underway at the Hlinka Gritzky Cup in Brno, Czechia and Trencin, Slovakia. The Event Brings to make up some of the top draft-eligible and underage prospects from the roreen Players of them are the interest in Tracking in the Early Stages of the New Season.
Team Canada’s U18 TEAM HAS TRITIOLLY IARED ITS Deepest Lineup at the Hlinka Gritzky, and the Results Speak for Themselves. Team Canada Has Been Crowned Champions at the Tournament Twenty-Five Times Sink Its Inception in 1991.
Nhl Fanbases Will Be Excited to Hear that the 2026 Nhl Draft Class is preparededed to provide more high-th-end prospects Than the Most Recent Class That Was Selected in Los Angeles in June. Not to discount the Value of the Players Who Were DRAFARED This year-they will receive the Lineup Support and Aid in the Team-Building Process-But The Dept the 2026 Class Stands Out Differencely in My Opinion.
Here’s a look at some Players who have stood out this week at the 2025 hlinka Gretzky cup:
Keaton Verhoef, Canada-Six-Foot-Hree, 208 Pounds-Right-Shot Defense
Verhoef is a name to keep a Close Eye on as the Season Progresses. He’s One of the Top Prospects from the Chl Who has more to the NCAA in his DRAFT YEAR. Verhoef Previously Played in the Whl with the Victoria Royals, but will be suits up for a storied propagram at north dakota this winter.
Verhoef has been DePloyed in all situations for Canada and is averanging just undastians of ice time per game. He’s Captaining the Group and Playing to his Identity As a Complete Player.
He Produced 21 Goals and 24 Assists, Including Eight Goals on the Power-Play, For Victoria Last Year. He’s Only Produced One Goal and One Assist SO Far in the Tornament, But His Prestnce and Deetail Have Stood Out.
Verhoef Uses His Size to His Advantage by Taking Away Time and Space in the Defensive Zone. He’s Physically Engaged and a Verry Strong Skater, Especially in Straight Lines, for his stature. His Abity to QuarterBack He Reminds Me of Aaron Ekblad at this Stage of His Development.
Ryan Lin, Canada-Five-Foot-11, 177 Pounds-Right-Shot Defense
Lin is playing to his IDENTITITION OffENSIIILY This Week in EUROPE. He’s a Smooth-Skating Transitional Defenseman and Power-Play Quarterback Who Leans Distributor More Than Shooter in the Offensive Zone. He’s Contrabted Two Goals and Two Assists SO Far This Week.
Like any Developing Defencean, Especially Ons Who Rely on High-End Hocky Sense and Small-Earea Quickness to Win Pucks, Lin Will Be Monitored Closely by the Scouts When Under Duress in the Defensive Zone.
Here’s An Example of A Small Area Play that Lin Executed Ve going This Week in the Game Versus Switzerland.
These Kinds of Sequences Provide Me More Confense in his All-Around Game, Proving that Lin is Calculating with this Approach Defensively and Has The Quickness and Vision to Move Pucks Out Of Harm’s Way Effectively.
Mathis Prestton, Canada-Five-Foot-10, 177 Pounds-Right-Shot Center
At this time of year, I’m monitoring plays who Impact The Game Based on their ELITE Elect, but also looking to Identify their ‘b’ Game when they are awarded production Offering. In Prestton’s Case, He Scored Three Times Versus the Swiss and Had One Assist Versus Finland.
Prestton Produced 23 Goals and 22 Assists Playing for Spokane in the Whl Last Season. He also controlled nine Goals and Seven Assists in Twenty Playoff Games. He’s Playing to his Strengths With Team Canada and Averago 15 Minutes Per Game Ice Time While Being DePloyed at Even Strength and The Power Play.
Prestton is the Kind of Player who stands out with him relantless compit. He’s Always Anud the Play and Involved. He’s the Kind of Player Coaches Start at the Beginning of Each Period to set the tone for their team, and he makes Life Miserable on Opponents with his Quickness and Push-Back in the Trenches.
Here’s An Example of Prestton’s ‘B’ Game League to A Scoring Chance Off a Zone Exit and Speed Rush Through The Neutral Zone:
I cou them Provide Feedback on Most of the Canadian Roster This Week. To a man, the group is ‘Buying in’ and playing to a ‘team Identity’ that has rested in a Perfect 3-0 Record Through The Round-Robin Power of the Tornament.
Happy SAID that, here are some players from one of the Notations that have caught my eye:
Marcus NordMark, Sweden-Six-Foot-One, 183 Pounds-Left-Shot Winger
NordMark has controlled Four Goals and Five Assists in Sweden’s First Three Games at the Tournament. He’s a fantastic skate who leads the power-play Breakout and Attacks with Speed Through The Neutral Zone. Where he gains the Edge on the Offensive Blue Line, He Explodes Toward the Net with or with the Puck on HIS Stick, and Opponents Need to Be Aware of His Prestce the Entire Time He is on the ice.
HIS Abity to Impact the Game Offensively is Impressive. NordMark Produced 20 Goals and 25 Assists in Only Thirty-Hree Games Split Between the J18 and J20 Levels in Sweden Last Year.
Filip Novak, Czechia-Six-Foot-Two, 198 Pounds-Left-Shot Winger
I’m Curious to See How Novak Transitions to the Whl He Come Over to Play for Lethbridge This Fall. He Missed Mosat of Last Season Dealing with Injury, But the Previous Season, His Power Style Produced 26 Goals and 32 Assists Alongside 98 Penalty Minuts. So far at the tournament, He has controlted two assctions whom skating Between 16 to 22 Minutes Per Game. The Bulk of His Time on ICE Comes at Even Strength and on the Power Play.
Novak Provides Opponents All They Can Handle With His Statur. He is the Most Playing Between the Hash Marks in the Bumper Position on the Power Play and when setting Screens and Tracking Rebounds Art Quick Decisions with the Puck on His Stick Working Of The Fank. It’s my belief He Shulad Thrive on the Smaller Ice Surfaces in the Whl.
Here’s An Example of Novak Using His Size, Strength and Skill to Produce Scoring Chances on the Power-Play in Czechia’s Game Versus Canada:
Thursday was a day off at the Hlinka Gritzky, which allows the texts a day to reset themar bodies after Playing Three Games in Three Days. It also Allows My Colleagues in the Scouting Fraternity to Take in Some of the Sights that a EuroPean Summer Has to Offer! It’s definitely a perk of the job at this time of the year compared to tracking thrive north quebec in the Dead of Winter.
FRIDAY’S Semifinal Matching Pit Team Canada Against Team Usa and Team Sweden Versus Team Finland. Both Games Ares-Leverrege Rivalry Contests that Shroud Provide Loads of Feedback for All The Nhl Teams in Attendance.
