2026 NHL Draft – Top 5 Playmakers – Hockey Writers – NHL Entry Draft

The 2026 NHL Draft has plenty of playing talent. Here are the top five players in this year’s class, all of whom should be drafted very high.

5. Wyatt Cullen, LW, USNTDP (USHL)

Back in October, Wyatt Cullen was considered a middling prospect. In the months since, he’s worked his way into the top 10 discussion in Beckett Sennecke-esque fashion.

Cullen’s skating and hands are among the best in this year’s class, but his playmaking is also deadly. The 17-year-old midfielder—who doubles as a skill player—has recorded 16 goals and 29 assists in 40 games with the US National Team Development Program (USNTDP) this season. He led the program in assists and points per game, with respectable margins, too.

Because of his intelligence, manipulation, and vision, Cullen is a great player. He has the power to go forward in the six.

4. Ivar Stenberg, LW, Frölunda HC (SHL)

In contrast to Cullen, Ivar Stenberg is considered the top prize in the 2026 class for a long time. Today, he is widely considered the second best player this year, and his play is a big reason why.

Stenberg set all-time scoring numbers in Sweden’s top league, U20 Nationell, last season, recording 26 goals and 27 assists in 27 games. Jumping to the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) with Frölunda HC, he had the third-highest point total by a draft prospect in history, recording 11 goals and 22 assists in 43 games. Only Daniel and Henrik Sedin beat him in the scoring department.

With excellent vision and one of the most well-rounded performances in the class, Stenberg is a top player. He can create scoring opportunities in many ways. He is quick and decisive in transition and is dangerous both with and without the puck in the offensive zone.

3. Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

Going back to the climbing area, Caleb Malhotra fits the bill. The Brantford Bulldogs midfielder is defined by the perfection of his game, which plays a key role in his performance at the top.

In a team full of Bulldogs stars, Malhotra managed to stand out. He recorded 29 goals and 55 assists in 67 regular season games, then added 13 goals and multiple assists in 15 playoff games. With 110 total points, his total ranks fourth among players under 18 over the past decade—only Michael Misa (137 in 2024-25), Nick Suzuki (119 in 2016-17), and Cole Perfetti (111 in 2019-20) had more.

As already mentioned, Malhotra is not only a great player in his opinion. He is an incredibly hard worker, wins tons of battles and is very active in the defensive zone. With his impact in all three areas, he may be one of the NHL’s best players one day.

2. Viggo Björck, C/RW, Djurgårdens IF (SHL)

Viggo Björck’s status as a star player goes back a while. He really put himself on the map after averaging 1.81 assists per game as a 15-year-old in Sweden’s top under-18 league and 1.12 assists per game in their under-20 league last season. He jumped to the SHL in 2025-26, and after a slow start, returned to his elite two-way form.

Viggo Björck (#2026NHLDraft) had one of the biggest first half compared to second half light increases I’ve seen in my years of tracking data.

During the fall, he was a good test at the SHL level. Since the beginning of 2026, he has posted offensive and defensive results. pic.twitter.com/qSBLWK49O0

— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) March 16, 2026

Throughout the regular season and playoffs, Björck recorded seven goals and 11 assists in 45 contests. Those are already good numbers for a draft-eligible prospect, but more importantly, his play and overall offense went from terrible to extraordinary in the second half. His defense, meanwhile, remained formidable.

Björck’s vision and ability to create within the offensive zone is at a high level in this draft class. He has the potential to be a two-way center, with 1C upside.

1. Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State University (NCAA)

Awarding the playoff crown for the 2026 NHL Draft, of course, is Gavin McKenna. He got off to a slow start at Penn State University, but the talent definitely showed. In 35 games, he scored 15 goals and added 36 assists.

In the Western Hockey League (WHL) last season, McKenna recorded the highest assist per game rate of a draft year or junior this century. In the NCAA this season, he doubled his assist-per-game average as the second-highest of the year or the youngest prospect of this century. It is important not to put again most of the stock is raw numbers, but they are undoubtedly high.

McKenna’s hockey sense, vision, and hands make him the most dangerous player in the program. He can slow things down at his pace and make perfect passes that way, and use his game-breaking hands to open shooting and passing lanes.

McKenna, Björck, Malhotra, Stenberg, and Cullen each have a top-10 pick for the 2026 NHL draft. Their play has a big role in that.