This has been a fun-filled tournament so far. If you’ve listened to me, this could be Sweden’s year. But for this article, we’ll highlight three 2026 NHL Draft-eligible defensemen who have a lot of talent.
Alberts Smits
Smits has been impressive. The 6’3” Latvian is already over 200 pounds, the magic number for most defensemen in the NHL these days. He doesn’t care what team he’s facing or who is on the ice. This is genuine. He is a machine that just goes about his job in a controlled manner. Playing for Jukurit in Liiga will be good for him.
I love his power play point shot and his footwork while walking the line. His passing is on point, and it has some power behind it. I feel he will get physically stronger over time, but a lot of what you see is what you will get in the future — with more refinement in his game. I think he’s top ten and possibly top five in the upcoming draft.
Chase Reid
Reid has been patrolling the blue line for Team USA. He’s 6’2” and 187 pounds, and he’s a right-handed shot. He’ll get to 200 someday. In the meantime, he’s producing at a point-per-game pace in the tournament. He’s been killing it for the Soo Greyhounds and should continue to do so after this.
His passing is very accurate. His shot gets on net, and he has a ton of poise. When I saw him elbow a player in the face, I knew that would get on all the scouting reports. He’s in the top ten all day long and possibly higher.
Keaton Verhoeff
Verhoeff is just 17, and he’s starting to get some playing time with Canada. It’s a stacked team, so he had to work his way into the lineup. I think that’s more about what the coach wants. At 6’4”, 212 pounds, he’s developing at the University of North Dakota. A place where defensemen go to shine. It’s a factory, and he has 11 points in 16 games. In the tournament, he has one point in two games. He looks polished, but had a turnover last game, so let’s see if that affects his playing time.
This right-handed shot stud has been going up and down in some rankings based on the moment. So far, he’s the top defenseman in my eyes. Verhoeff is smart, poised, and he knows when to jump into the offense, and his first pass is pro-quality. Some teams would be tempted to take him first overall.
These three defensemen will likely swap spots in rankings for the next few months.
