Know Players From 2026 NHL Combine – Hockey Writers – NHL Entry Draft

The 2026 NHL Combine is over and taking place in Buffalo, New York, from May 31 to June 6. There are a lot of stories coming out of it, from who will end up going first to the Vancouver Canucks, who holds the third overall pick and recently hired Manny Malhotra, if they end up drafting his son, Caleb Malhotra.

The combine gives prospects one last chance to impress NHL front offices and has an impact on player draft stock, whether it moves up or down teams’ draft boards. However, what most people don’t think about is who they are as people, what drives them as players, and what their answers are when teams ask them weird or reasonable questions.

Casey Mutryn

Casey Mutryn has played for the United States National Development Team Program (USNDTP) for the past two seasons. In the 2025-26 season, he played 25 games and recorded 16 points in them. He played another 62 games for the US National U18 team where he recorded 46 points (18 goals, 28 assists).

His draft ranking is all over the place from being ranked as high as 23rd by SMAHT Scouting, to 61st by McKeen’s Hockey.

There were strange questions that the teams asked the players, one of them was that if you were an animal, which animal would you be,” said Mutryn, “It was a meaningless answer, but on the ice I said a lion, and on the ice I said a dog.” He said he chose a dog because he is a dog person and has a dog himself.

He also likes to play golf, he said his best score was 71. Speaking of golf, he even had a hole-in-one when he was 11 years old. For those wondering, the hole was 175 yards away.

Mans Gudmundsson

Mans Gudmundsson is a right-back who played 35 games for Sweden’s national under-20 team and recorded 25 points (1 goal, 24 assists).

Gudmundsson is expected to go anywhere from the end of the second round to the beginning of the third round this year. In the draft rankings, he is ranked as high as 61st by Elite Prospects and as low as 86th by the Consolidated Rankings.

He prides himself on his two-way game, being able to move the puck up the ice and control the pace of play. He also loves playing in transition, which he says is one of the strongest parts of his game. Defensively, he is a physical presence who likes to use his body, especially in front of his net.

Keaton Verhoeff

Keaton Verhoeff spent the 2025-26 season at the University of North Dakota, playing in 34 games while recording 20 points (six goals, 14 assists), and helped his team to a Frozen Four appearance; however, it just fell short in the National Championship game. Verhoeff is ranked as high as 2nd by FloHockey and as low as 12th by Elite Prospects.

Verhoeff has said himself that his strength is his skating ability and how he can explode when he goes out. He was originally a goalie when he started hockey, and when he was 11 years old, he decided it was time to switch to defense. He said he was happy to be changed and he has never been a guy who wants to sit in the net or in the corner by himself. He said he was happy to be with all the boys and to be a part of this game.

Asked about his biggest adjustment going into the NCAA, he said: “I think the biggest thing for me is looking at the guys’ sticks and they break quickly. The biggest thing I’ve noticed is the guys’ sticks and the details are a little tight.”

Oliver Suvanto

Oliver Suvanto played in Liiga with Tappara, playing 48 games, recording 11 points (two goals, nine assists). Playing in Finland’s top league will certainly help him prepare to play hockey in North America.

Suvanto is ranked as high as 13 by Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet and as low as 28 by SMAHT Scouting.

I asked Suvanto, “What is one thing people might not know about you?” His answer was, “My friends know everything about me, but I play the drums.”

He is also a big music guy, his favorite genre is country. He said he doesn’t really have a favorite artist, but he really likes Jelly Roll.

He talked to 20-plus teams, the Montreal Canadiens being one of them, and they asked him what kind of pitcher he would be. His answer was a military boat because it is big, numerous and powerful.

He has also received many comparisons to Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, for the way he plays a full 200-meter game and how high his hockey is.

Alessandro Di Lorio

Alessandro Di Lorio has played in Sarnia for the past two seasons, and this season he has played for them in 45 games, recording 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists). He was ranked as high as 47th by McKeen’s Hockey and as low as 92nd by Elite Prospects.

When asked by the team that interviewed him what kind of animal he is, he said that he is a person who digs gold out of the snow, and a dog out of the snow.

He ended up getting a major injury this season and had to fight through it, and he said he felt like he learned a lot about himself going through that process, and of course, teams asking him about the injury and kind of “behind” it.

Asked about his style of play, he said: “I think I see the ice well, obviously you want to create space for your teammates, and, like I said, I play that physical game, flexibility, I like to find guys on the ice.”

He also wants to improve on the puck, he added, “I feel like I have a very good shot, but I would like to create more opportunities for myself.”

The final step of the draft process has officially concluded, and we now await the 2026 NHL Entry Draft to be held in Buffalo on June 26-27. Who will be taken above everyone’s expectations, and who will be let down? We’ll find out in a few weeks.