Scout’s Analysis: Who’s within the operating to go No. 1 at 2027 NHL Draft?

Every yr, Labour Day weekend marks the unofficial finish to the summer time vacation season. Students return to the category room, Major League Baseball inches nearer to its post-season, and NHL rookie camps start to open later this week.

For NHL draft prospects, the brand new season is already underway in Europe. The Canadian Hockey League, in addition to the USHL and different ranges of junior hockey, are competing in coaching camps scattered all through North America. NCAA hockey will start in earnest in the beginning of October. 

I’ve already began the method of analyzing information and reporting on precedence gamers for the 2027 NHL Draft. Gathering intel on high prospects begins lengthy earlier than the start of their draft eligible season. My database at The Pro Hockey Group is loaded with experiences on gamers who’ve stood out as “underage” prospects forward of their official draft yr. 

With that in thoughts, right here’s a pre-season take a look at a number of the high prospects for the 2027 NHL Draft who could also be within the operating to go first general.

Note: This isn’t a rating. I’m merely highlighting just a few of the precedence gamers I’m monitoring to start out the season.

Landon DuPont: Right shot defenceman, 6-foot, 192 kilos, Michigan Wolverines (NCAA)

DuPont is the consensus pre-season high prospect for the 2027 NHL Draft. The former Everett Silvertips defenceman has made the transfer to the NCAA to play at Michigan after a really profitable run within the WHL. DuPont contributed 45G-126A, was plus-117 and whistled for 108 penalty minutes in his 155 mixed common season and playoff video games with the Silvertips over the course of two seasons.

He’s a transitional defenceman and energy play quarterback. DuPont is stocky, sturdy and by no means shies away from battling for pucks alongside the boards and bodily boxing out his opponents in entrance of the online. He’s an entire participant, and a prospect who would possibly show too troublesome to unseat atop this class. Like Keaton Verhoeff final season, it is going to be fascinating to observe how DuPont adjusts to enjoying in opposition to the talent, dimension and velocity of the NCAA recreation, however his elite hockey sense, skating and energy ought to make his transition to the school ranks comparatively clean.  

Nazar Privalov: Left shot ahead, 6-foot-4, 227 kilos, CSKA Moskow (KHL)

An argument can already be made that Privalov can, and can, problem DuPont for the first-overall slot. It’s unattainable to show the scale and talent that Privalov supplies. He’s an enormous ahead who can play his pure centre place, or slide over to the wing and regulate with ease. He’s very troublesome to verify and strikes exceptionally properly in open ice with and with out the puck on his stick. Privalov contributed 30G-19A in 51 video games enjoying on the junior stage (MHL) in Russia final season. He made his KHL debut this previous weekend and is projected to play nearly all of the season in Russia’s high professional league. 

Milan Sundstrom: Left shot centre, 6-foot-2, 207 kilos, MODO (Sweden J20)

Sundstrom is off to an awesome begin this season. He’s posted 3G-2A in his first two league video games enjoying for MODO. Sundstrom stood out for Sweden on the U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August, the place he contributed 2G-4A in 5 video games. He’s large, lengthy, rangy and sensible.

Sundstrom breaks the ice down very properly and identifies open area to create scoring possibilities together with his course of. He takes key face-offs and could be trusted in all conditions. One space of Sundstrom’s recreation I’m monitoring carefully is his skating. I’ve no points together with his stride on straight strains in, however I’m curious to see how his small space agility and edge work improves over the course of the season. For now, he arrives in all places on time so it’s not a priority, however he might want to make some changes as he matures and tracks in the direction of the professional recreation. 

Sergei Skvortsov: Right shot winger, 6-foot-1, 165 kilos, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

Skvortsov is a dynamic winger who’s graduated from the junior ranks (MHL) the place he contributed 19G-24A within the common season final yr and adopted it up with 9G-9A in 17 playoff video games. He’s added extra energy and weight to his body within the low season and nonetheless has room so as to add way more as he matures.

Skvortsov is a distinction maker. He’s elusive with the puck on his stick, particularly when he works off the weak facet half-wall on the ability play, and an enormous menace off the push. He’s produced 1G-1A in his first two professional video games on the KHL stage, appears poised for a giant season and has top-line NHL offensive upside. 

Dima Zhilkin: Right shot winger, 5-foot-10, 185 kilos, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

Zhilkin is a really intriguing prospect who produced 36G-39A in 59 common season video games in his second OHL season. He joined Team Canada on the U18 World Championship and performed to his identification as an underage prospect by contributing 5G-2A in 5 video games. Zhilkin likes to shoot the puck and he has a deadly launch. He has a knack for locating pucks in site visitors, particularly high-danger areas, and depositing them behind the online earlier than opposing netminders have an opportunity to set themselves.

Zhilkin was deployed in a wide range of roles for the Spirit final season and may find yourself logging a ton of ice time in all conditions once more this yr. He’s a Michigan commit (2027) who battles within the trenches and is usually engaged defensively. 

Here’s an instance of how shortly pucks are on and off Zhilkin’s stick. The following clip exhibits how he can go bar down in site visitors with out dropping ahead momentum off the push:

Jaakko Wycisk, proper shot ahead, 6-foot-1 204 kilos, Guelph Storm (OHL)

It was unattainable to not discover Wycisk on the Hlinka Gretzky match. His mixture of energy, compete, velocity and talent led to him contributing 2G-8A in 5 video games. Wycisk was chosen second general within the OHL Draft by the Storm in 2025. With the Storm internet hosting the Memorial Cup subsequent spring I anticipate his function to extend exponentially because the season strikes alongside.

Wycisk had a strong rookie marketing campaign final yr that resulted in 17G-26A. He averaged 17:30 per recreation of ice time with the majority of his shifts coming at even energy and the ability play. In my opinion, Wycisk has the dedication and hockey sense to develop his function to incorporate extra shifts on the penalty-kill. I admire the presence he performed with on the Hlinka Gretzky and I’m eagerly monitoring to see if he can carry the identical affect into his second season within the OHL.