Verhoeff's Rise: Top NHL Draft Prospect

0:00NHL stories, making news on March 12th. Keaton Verhoof stands out as a top prospect for the 2026 NHL draft. The 17-year-old defenseman switched from the Western hockey league to the University of North Dakota after rule changes like Canadian juniors go. Straight to college, he's keeping up a hot scoring pace there, matching his 21 goals from last season with the Victoria Royals. His smooth jump to college caught hockey candidate's attention, landing him a spot on their World Junior's team. Playing against 19 and 20-year-olds, the young right shot got 4 assists in 5 games, despite limited minutes alongside another. Prospect At North Dakota, coaches give him over 20 minutes a night because of his size, smarts, and booming slap shot. Scouts rave about his offensive vision and power play skills, predicting he'll run top units in the pro someday. That said, backward skating, pivots and rush defense need work, with some calling his mobility average.

1:00Experts believe targeted coaching can fix those issues tied mostly to his stride. Most draft rankings put Verhoaf in the top 5, maybe even first overall, though one analyst slots him lower. He models his game after stars like Drew Dowdy and plans to return to college next year to keep building. This story is made possible by our sponsor, see the episode description. Get phones in a pillow, simple idea, surprisingly addictive, S-O-L-I-S-O-L-P-L-O dot com.