Lincoln Kuehne – 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile – Hockey Writers – NHL Entry Draft

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Lincoln Kuehne

2025-26 Team: Arizona State Sun Devils (NCAA, NCHC)
Date of Birth: Nov. 28, 2007
Place of birth: Fargo, ND, USA
Ht: 6-foot-1.5
Wt: 210 pounds
Points: R
Position: D
NHL Draft Eligibility: Eligibility for the first year of 2026

Levels

After two seasons with the US National Team Development Program, where he logged 10 points and 51 penalty minutes in 61 games as a defensive blueliner, Lincoln Kuehne had options, but he didn’t take the easy way out. The Swift Current Broncos selected him in the 2022 Western Hockey League (WHL) US Prospect Draft, and he could join the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). He may also have played one more year of junior hockey in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and played his draft year before starting college.

Instead, he turned 18 in November and enrolled at Arizona State, joining the Sun Devils roster in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), one of the most competitive college leagues. He played 30 games as a true freshman against programs such as Denver, North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, and Western Michigan. He was 17 in the first month of his NCAA career.

Hockey Writers 2026 NHL Draft Guide

Entering the NCAA at 17, especially against NCHC competition, is not easy. Kuehne experienced the ups and downs that came with it. He averaged 11:47 of ice time per game, the lowest among Arizona State regular defensemen. He wasn’t used on the power play and only appeared on the occasional penalty kill.

His stat line, one goal and one assist in 30 games (both coming in the same contest against Omaha on February 20), is slim. But head coach Greg Powers had veteran options ahead of him, including NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year Kaden Murchison and a blue line built to compete in his second season at the highest level. But in the underclassman role, Kuehne has excelled, and the tools that have earned him a roster spot are constantly emerging.

His skating is his greatest asset. It’s smooth, fluid, and works on all surfaces. He uses a heel push to slide through opponents, cover lanes with active feet, and cover ground faster than most defenders in his draft class.

Against North Dakota in November, he dodged and escaped better than any other Arizona State blueliner on the ice, using slick edges on tight corners to deflect pressure and make the first pass. Against Denver in February, he slid effortlessly into relief situations, filling the defensive structure with quiet feet and composure. When opponents bundled pucks together, Kuehne rose to the occasion, interrupting rushes and disruptive looks before they could develop. His stickwork is smart: he sweeps the area before clearing it, using his reach and timing rather than relying on his body.

He solidifies opponents who take the puck away from him on the move, fights hard in front of the net, and delivers smart bumps and seals that create space for teammates or take away opponents. As one of the NCAA’s youngest players, he has been solid in board battles all season. Against St. Cloud State in February, the players could not attack his heels or increase the speed difference. The Arizona State Press highlighted his 51 penalty minutes for the NTDP and suggested that discipline will be a priority for Powers’ staff, but at the college level, Kuehne has directed his edge in a more productive way.

It’s hard to predict his ceiling with the puck on his stick. His vision from the point is limited. He’s never been much of a producer at any level, and the NCAA was no different. He can catch and release pucks, move them to the center, and make the occasional tricky backhand pass, but those plays are rare.

His break decisions are slow under the heavy pressure of predictability, and he switches rims instead of touching rebounds. Against Notre Dame in October, consistent puck habits held him back, with a few shifts where he focused on incoming pressure rather than checking for exits. That prediction is troubling. A deep NHL defenseman can live without a violation, but he has to move the puck well, and Kuehne isn’t there yet.

At the CHL/USA Prospects Challenge in November, Kuehne played his best starting minutes all season and was the best defenseman on the ice. He took pucks out with confidence, hit one-on-one checks on the break, and drew pressure to look up before securing the puck and making a run.

Aggressive stance, long reach, and flashes of physical strength combine into an impressive defensive radius. Against his age group, with real ice time and a meaningful role, he looked like the best of the 64, compared to Adam Engström of the Montreal Canadiens: a mobile, physical, right-shooting defenseman whose level of skating and competition projects into a deep NHL role before his offensive game fills up.

At the 2026 NHL Combine in Buffalo, Kuehne measured in at 6-foot-1.5 and 210 pounds, a frame that already filled out more than most 18-year-old defensemen. He is not a physical project. He grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, and followed the same NTDP-to-Arizona State pipeline as teammate Cullen Potter, a 2025 NHL Draft pick.

Lincoln Kuehne – NHL Draft Projection

Kuehne projects as a third- through fifth-round pick. His right-handed draft alone will get NHL scouts in the building, and his physical tools, skating, and NCHC experience earn him a spot many defensemen place outside the top 100 on public draft boards.

Central Scouting’s 65th ranking among NA skaters and Draft Prospects Hockey’s 66th suggest the scouting community sees him higher than the combined boards. The team that drafts him is betting that his skating will remain his best, his physicality will translate, and his puck-moving will improve over two or three more seasons in the NCAA.

Realistic projections place him as the NHL’s fifth or sixth defenseman who defends the rush, kills penalties, and keeps opponents in front of him. For a late-round, right-shot blueliner with his frame and mobility, that’s a significant investment.

Measurements

Kuehne is a smooth skater, who uses his strong speed on defense quickly and when he enters the play in the offensive zone. His gap control was always strong with NTDP, and it translated very well in college, getting pucks out and running forward against the boards became his specialty.

2026 NHL Draft: McKeen’s Early Season Favorites – USA Part Two – McKeen’s Hockey (November 2025).

Kuehne is an independent, right-shooting defenseman with NHL size at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds and enough skating ability to literally play in the pro game. He defends with structure and position, keeps opponents in front of him, and shows the ability to catch early gaps and reduce speed north and south.

Lincoln Kuehne Scouting Report – Neutral Zone (May 2026).

Power

Smooth, fluid skater with active feet that closes lanes quickly, closes down laterally, and uses edges to escape pressure in tight spots
Right-handed defenseman with pro size (6-foot-2, 210 pounds at the NHL Combine) and physicality to compete in board and forward battles
A smart protective stick that holds the space before removing it; reads rounds below the goal line and uses stop rather than rush
He played 30 NCAA games in the NCHC as a true freshman, the most competitive path available to a defenseman who deserves to be broken up.
Featured 64 top tools in CHL/USA Prospects Challenge when given meaningful minutes and top pairing role
He won a bronze medal with the United States at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship
Comparison of Adam Engström (Montréal Canadiens): a mobile, physical, right-shooting defenseman who projects a level of skating and competition before the offensive game is full.

Under Construction – Needs Improvement

Produced one goal and one assist in 30 NCAA games; the attacking game does not appear more than a deep role in this category
The view from the point is limited; his interception decisions are slow under the heavy pressure of forechecking and he is automatic to make touch plays
Averaged 11:47 of ice time per game as a freshman, lowest among Arizona State regular defensemen
Manipulation and manipulation need to be refined; practices associated with the puck have been marked in many sports
Accumulated 51 penalty minutes in 61 NTDP matches in 2024-25; moving the visible edge without crossing the line of discipline remains a work in progress

NHL Power

Kuehne’s guess is a fifth or sixth defenseman who kills penalties, defends the rush, and keeps opponents honest up front. He’s not going to play the fitness game. He won’t lead up the ice or create offense on the blue line. He will defend, compete physically, and use his skating to slow down the pace.

There have been games this season where his toolkit has looked too vanilla to hold an NHL role. There were others, most notably the Prospects Challenge and the Denver game, where his defensive speed and involvement showed a player who can stop games at the professional level. His true game likely falls somewhere in between: a speedy defenseman with quick feet and a body whose NHL future depends on whether his flashy moves become consistent habits. He has at least two NCAA seasons at Arizona State to prove that.

Risk Reward Analysis

Risk: 4/5, Reward: 2/5

The Power of Fantasy Hockey

Offense: 2/10, Defense: 5/10

Awards/Achievements

Won bronze with the United States at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship
Played 30 NCAA games as a true freshman at Arizona State’s NCHC (2025-26)
He made his school debut on October 3, 2025 vs. Penn State (finished tie-1)
Recorded NCAA’s first career goal and assist in the same game vs. Omaha on Feb. 21, 2026
Selected by the Swift Current Broncos in the 2022 WHL US Prospect Draft
Attended the 2026 NHL Combine in Buffalo (official measurements: 6-foot-1.5, 210 pounds)