2027 Nhl Mock Draft: Projecting Lottery Picks Based On Nhl Central Scouting's Preliminary Rankings

Towards the end of October, NHL Central Scouting released its "Preliminary Ranking" ahead of the 2027 NHL Draft. There is a long way to go, and a lot of changes are expected between now and then, but most of these young prospects will have a chance to be impact players in the NHL. 

Of course, this draft is currently headlined by Landon DuPont, who is currently playing at the University of Michigan. He is a dynamic defenseman who projects to be a star at the highest level. 

In NHL Central Scouting's Ranking, all of the players currently projected to be selected in the first round have been given an A-rating. If the Blackhawks don't get at least one of these players, that would be shocking, as it would imply that they turned this 2026-27 season around in a big way. 

This mock draft has the lottery picks (1-16) based on the best prospects who received an A-rating in October. The order was determined by the standings heading into action on Friday, November 13th, in reverse order, and includes trades. In the spring, a lottery will determine the first two picks, and more could be traded by then. 

1. Vancouver Canucks - Landon DuPont, D, Michigan

2. Chicago Blackhawks - Nazar Privalov, FWD, Moskva

3. Los Angeles Kings - Sergei Skvortsov, FWD, Torpedo

4. Philadelphia Flyers - Jonah Neuenschwander, F, EHC Biel-Bienne

5. Columbus Blue Jackets - Carter Meyer, FWD, Quebec

6. Pittsburgh Penguins - Dima Zhilkin, FWD, Saginaw

7. Detroit Red Wings - Milan Sundstrom, FWD, MoDO Hockey

8. San Jose Sharks -  Brock England, FWD, Seattle

9. Philadelphia Flyers (From Toronto Maple Leafs) - Sammy Nelson, FWD, Notre Dame

10. Calgary Flames - Alexis Joseph, C, Saint John

11. Winnipeg Jets - Andrei Pustovoy, FWD, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

12. Buffalo Sabres - Brock Cripps, D, Prince Albert

13. St. Louis Blues - Jaakko Wycisk, FWD, Guelph

14. Utah Mammoth - Jamie Glance, FWD, Jaint John

15. New York Islanders - Bosse Meijer, FWD, Frolunda

16. New York Rangers - Noah Davidson, FWD, Medicine Hat

There is sure to be somebody who was not listed here, with or without an A-rating (27 As were handed out by NHL Central Scouting), who jumps into this group. Maybe they will even be a star NHL player, but there is a lot of hockey ahead to determine that. 

The thing that sticks out the most from looking at this group is the fact that there are only two defensemen. Only 5 were given As by the league, and that includes DuPont, who is a no-brainer top-3 pick, likely first overall.

Lots of players here are going to jump up and down boards. There are hot and cold starts impacting this ranking so far. For example, Alexis Joseph was a top-three contender coming into the year, but he's been underwhelming so far with the Saint John Sea Dogs. Joseph has 8 goals and 10 assists for 18 points in 17 games. That production in the QMJHL must explode if he wants to end up being a top-five pick. 

It isn't a bad start for Joseph, but not as dominant as folks believe he can be. His style is often compared to that of Nathan MacKinnon, who is a dominant top-five player in the NHL and has been for almost a decade now. Again, all of these prospects will have their peaks and valleys, and the smartest teams will be able to see through those. 

Only 1 goalie, Vilmer Saleb Forsberg of Brantford, was given an A, and he is not currently projected to be a lottery pick. His position (teams don't generally draft goalies high anymore) may get him selected late in the first round or possibly even in the second round. 

If the Blackhawks have the second overall pick, and they don't trade it for immediate roster help, Nazar Privalov would be a fine addition to their farm system. Their organizational pool of young players is already strong; they are just waiting for it to translate more to the NHL team. Chicago is also projected to have the first two picks of the second round, their own and Vancouver's. 

The sad reality is that the Blackhawks are 5-13-1, and the likelihood of them having a good draft pick in the lottery is high. The players have not given up yet, but the organization will surely be looking at all of these rankings and will be well prepared by the time June's draft comes around. 

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