Are you wondering how NIL money has affected the first round of the NHL Draft? I went back and looked at the last drafts from 2023 to see what might happen now. I am not an NIL expert, and I am not here to break down the exact year it started, and what those incremental changes were. But Gavin McKenna going to Penn State sent shockwaves through the hockey world, and that will have a huge impact going forward.
This isn’t a new concept. The first active collegiate player to enter the NHL Draft was Al Karlander, who was at Michigan Tech. He was a trailblazer. The Red Wings chose him 17th overall. He played in 269 NHL games and 212 in the WHA. The 5-8 Canadian center was a success. There have always been college players in NHL Drafts, but now they have been going higher and higher, and the volume for this year’s might be the best. I can’t give a number for that.
2025 had 76 active or affiliated players drafted, the most since 2005, when the NHL had a seven-round format. College Hockey Inc. pointed out that there were nine active players last season. Was that an anomaly, or is that the norm? I think it fluctuates as all drafts do. This year, you can follow the money to some degree, but I don’t think there will be 5 or 6 active players.
Gavin McKenna – Penn State – If he doesn’t get picked by the Toronto Maple Leafs, I’ll be shocked. It makes too much sense based on talent, need, all of it.
Keaton Verhoeff – North Dakota – He may drop a bit, but his tools and Frozen Four experience loom large.
Tynan Lawrence – Boston University – I think a lot of teams wiped out what he didn’t do at BU, because of a lot of reasons, and defaulted back to what he did to help Muskegon win a Clark Cup as a younger player, and he was the MVP. He had an injury that caused him to miss some time this season. Keep that in mind, too.
Oscar Hemming – Boston College – He came to North America, in-season, to join BC and did well. As a 17-year-old, his power forward profile will serve him well.
Ilia Morozov – Miami University – He’s the youngest player in Division 1 Men’s hockey, a 6-3 center. He played in all 36 games. How can he not be a first-rounder?
Adam Valentini – Michigan – He is a wild card. He can play center or wing. He didn’t play center as a freshman with Michigan. His goal scoring was talked about, but he is 5-9, so he may drop to the second round. Time will tell with this one.
The key to the final number is how many players will commit to teams after the draft. The list will grow before the draft hits and just after. That’s where the impact can really be felt.
