2026 NHL Draft: Top 10 right wings

The 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round will be June 26 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 on June 27 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at the top eligible right wings. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Elton Hermansson's dominant play at the 2026 IIHF World Under-18 Championship is something he can build off of as he tries to reach the next level.

The 18-year-old right wing was named the tournament's best forward after tying for the scoring lead with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in seven games to help Sweden win the gold medal.

"In the offensive zone I think I played good," he said. "But it's some other stuff I need to work on that I'm not so happy about in that tournament. Intensity stuff, more physical play."

Despite his own self-analysis, scouts were happy with what they saw.

"He might be one of the top prospects in stick-handling and deking in the whole draft class because he has the ability to carry the puck through traffic and create space for teammates, making him a constant threat," NHL Director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. "And on the power play we all saw how his one-timer and quick release were working."

Here are NHL.com's top 10 right wings available for the 2026 draft.

1. Elton Hermansson, MoDo (SWE-2)

NHL Central Scouting ranking: No. 5 (International skaters)

Hermansson (6-foot, 182 pounds) spent most of the season in Allsvenskan, the second-highest professional level of hockey in Sweden, and in 38 games he had 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists). It was tied for the fourth-most points ever by an under-18 player in the league, behind William Nylander (27 points, 2013-14), Anton Frondell (25 points, 2024-25) and David Pastrnak (24 points, 2013-14).

Nylander and Los Angeles Kings forward Artemi Panarin are the two players Hermansson said he tries to pattern his game after.

"He has vision and patience and he's manipulating the defenders," Vuorinen said. "His skating is smooth and agile, and I feel these elements will make him a great NHL player."

2. Nikita Klepov, Saginaw (OHL)

NHL Central Scouting ranking: No. 8 (North American skaters)

Klepov (6-foot, 180) led the Ontario Hockey League with 97 points (37 goals, 60 assists) in 67 games. He's the first rookie to lead the league in scoring since Patrick Kane with London in 2006-07. Born in Deerfield Beach, Florida, he's the first United States-born player to lead the league in scoring since Jason Robertson with Niagara in 2018-19. Klepov also led OHL rookies in goals and assists and won the Hap Emms Award as the league's rookie of the year.

"Nikita Klepov grew on me every time I watched him," Central Scouting's Nick Smith said. "He's explosive, shifty with elite hockey sense and skills. He has that nose for the net with an NHL release. He created some magic playing with smart players like (Egor) Barabanov. He’s a top-six guy at the next level, which we don’t say about too many players."

Klepov, who turns 18 on June 27, will play at Michigan State University next season.

3. Casey Mutryn, USA U-18 (NTDP-USHL)

NHL Central Scouting ranking: No. 24 (North American skaters

Mutryn (6-3, 206) had 46 points (18 goals, 28 assists) and led the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team with 10 power-play goals in 62 games. That includes five points (two goals, three assists) in five games as captain for the United States at the World Under-18's.

"I think over the course of the year he proved he's one of these players that's going to play that power forward game and is going to find a role with a team," Central Scouting associate director David Gregory said. "You could get a really sneaky good player later in the first round, potentially."

The 17-year-old is committed to play at Boston College next season, where one of his teammates will be his older brother, Teddy Mutryn, a San Jose Sharks prospect.

4. Liam Ruck, Medicine Hat (WHL)

NHL Central Scouting ranking: No. 20 (North American skaters)

Ruck (5-11, 174) was second in the Western Hockey League with 104 points (45 goals, 59 assists) in 68 games, four points behind his twin brother and teammate, Markus Ruck. He was second in the league in goals and tied for third with 16 power-play goals.

"Liam has shown a very high hockey IQ," Central Scouting senior western scout John Williams said. "He’s not the type of player that needs the puck on his stick a lot to be dangerous. Less of a transporter than his brother. I think that will help him be able to transition to higher levels easier and allow him to adapt well and play with other possession-type players. He's the type of player that can find space, and the puck finds him."

5. Mathis Preston, Vancouver (WHL)

NHL Central Scouting ranking: No. 32 (North American skaters)

It was an up-and-down season for Preston (5-11, 172). He had 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in 36 games with Spokane to start the season. He was traded to Vancouver on Jan. 5 but sustained a knee injury in his second game and missed two months. He returned March 6 and had nine points (three goals, six assists) in his final eight games, then had six points (two goals, four assists) and a team-best 21 shots on goal for Canada at the World U-18s.

Preston stood out during the fitness testing at the NHL Scouting Combine, finishing in the top 10 in seven events, including tied for third in the 10-meter sprint at 2.04 seconds.

"He has a game-breaker type of game, with dynamic speed and quickness," Williams said. "He can score, he can make plays. He plays at a really high speed, high pace. ... If you believe in skill and talent, then that's a guy that you want to look at it in the first round."

6. Simas Ignatavicius, Geneve (SUI)

NHL Central Scouting ranking: No. 10 (International skaters)

Ignatavicius (6-2, 201) was named rookie of the year in National League, the top professional league in Switzerland, after he had 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 52 games. It was the most points by an 18-year-old forward in the league since 2015-16.

"He has north/south power with skill and he can attack with speed, length and strength rather than pure finesse," Vuorinen said. "He has a versatile toolset and maturity in his play. Also, his two way reliability predicts NHL interest." 

Ignatavicius, who was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but raised in Lithuania, has an athletic background. His father, Mantas, played basketball professionally throughout Europe, and his mother, Rita, was a high-level handball player.

7. Jaxon Cover, London (OHL)

NHL Central Scouting ranking: No. 29 (North American skaters)

Cover (6-1, 183) was third for London with 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists) in 67 games, and his six power-play goals were tied for second. The 18-year-old will spend another season with London and then is committed to play at Penn State.

Cover began his career playing inline hockey while growing up in the Cayman Islands. He didn't transition to ice hockey until 2023.

"Jaxon Cover is that late bloomer that can make the game look easy," Smith said. "He has a ton of skills with the puck and can wheel when he gets it. He's still early in his development and learning how to be consistent, which most young players are. He has a really high ceiling, though, and when he matures could be a steal."

8. Gleb Pugachyov, Nizhny Novgorod Jr. (RUS-JR)

NHL Central Scouting ranking: No. 9 (International skaters)

Pugachyov (6-3, 198) had 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 33 games in Russia's junior league. The 18-year-old also had three points (two goals, one assist) in 13 Kontinental Hockey League games after making his debut Jan. 6.

"He is strong in puck protection and in driving play through size and skill," Vuorinen said. "He can win pucks, backcheck hard, and create offense with quick passes, smart separation moves, and the ability to beat defenders 1-on-1. He can drive to the net hard. We see a high ceiling on him as a winner profile-type."

9. Rian Chudzinski, Moncton (QMJHL)

NHL Central Scouting ranking: No. 63 (North American skaters)

Chudzinski (6-foot, 191) had 38 points (21 goals, 17 assists) in 54 games, providing significant secondary scoring for a Moncton team that finished with the best record in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. He also had 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 21 QMJHL playoff games to help Moncton reach the league final.

"He did really well in the playoffs for Moncton," Central Scouting senior eastern scout J-F Damphousse said. "Played on a line with Gabe Smith (Utah Mammoth) and brought a physical element. I think teams will appreciate that aspect of his game."

The 18-year-old is committed to play at Boston University next season.

10. Vilho Vanhatalo, Tappara Jr. (FIN-JR)

NHL Central Scouting ranking: No. 16 (International skaters)

Vanhatalo (6-3, 194) had 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in 38 games in Finland's junior league. He also made his debut in Liiga, the top professional league in Finland, and had one assist in eight games with Tappara.

The 18-year-old likely will play in Liiga full-time next season.

"He needs a center who gets him at speed with good passes, because Vilho can carry the puck well, and his release is fast and he uses it often," Vuorinen said. "He has a lot of ceiling, and next season Tappara men's team will be an important step for him."