Every year, Labour Day weekend marks the unofficial end to the summer holiday season. Students return to the class room, Major League Baseball inches closer to its post-season, and NHL rookie camps begin to open later this week.
For NHL draft prospects, the new season is already underway in Europe. The Canadian Hockey League, as well as the USHL and other levels of junior hockey, are competing in training camps scattered throughout North America. NCAA hockey will begin in earnest at the beginning of October.
I have already started the process of analyzing data and reporting on priority players for the 2027 NHL Draft. Gathering intel on top prospects begins long before the beginning of their draft eligible season. My database at The Pro Hockey Group is loaded with reports on players who have stood out as “underage” prospects ahead of their official draft year.
With that in mind, here’s a pre-season look at some of the top prospects for the 2027 NHL Draft who may be in the running to go first overall.
Note: This is not a ranking. I am simply highlighting a few of the priority players I am tracking to start the season.
Landon DuPont: Right shot defenceman, 6-foot, 192 pounds, Michigan Wolverines (NCAA)
DuPont is the consensus pre-season top prospect for the 2027 NHL Draft. The former Everett Silvertips defenceman has made the move to the NCAA to play at Michigan after a very successful run in the WHL. DuPont contributed 45G-126A, was plus-117 and whistled for 108 penalty minutes in his 155 combined regular season and playoff games with the Silvertips over the course of two seasons.
He’s a transitional defenceman and power play quarterback. DuPont is stocky, strong and never shies away from battling for pucks along the boards and physically boxing out his opponents in front of the net. He’s a complete player, and a prospect who might prove too difficult to unseat atop this class. Like Keaton Verhoeff last season, it will be interesting to monitor how DuPont adjusts to playing against the skill, size and speed of the NCAA game, but his elite hockey sense, skating and power should make his transition to the college ranks relatively smooth.
Nazar Privalov: Left shot forward, 6-foot-4, 227 pounds, CSKA Moskow (KHL)
An argument can already be made that Privalov can, and will, challenge DuPont for the first-overall slot. It’s impossible to teach the size and skill that Privalov provides. He’s a massive forward who can play his natural centre position, or slide over to the wing and adjust with ease. He’s very difficult to check and moves exceptionally well in open ice with and without the puck on his stick. Privalov contributed 30G-19A in 51 games playing at the junior level (MHL) in Russia last season. He made his KHL debut this past weekend and is projected to play the majority of the season in Russia’s top pro league.
Milan Sundstrom: Left shot centre, 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, MODO (Sweden J20)
Sundstrom is off to a great start this season. He’s posted 3G-2A in his first two league games playing for MODO. Sundstrom stood out for Sweden at the U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August, where he contributed 2G-4A in five games. He’s big, long, rangy and smart.
Sundstrom breaks the ice down very well and identifies open space to create scoring chances with his process. He takes key face-offs and can be trusted in all situations. One area of Sundstrom’s game I’m monitoring closely is his skating. I have no issues with his stride on straight lines in, but I’m curious to see how his small area agility and edge work improves over the course of the season. For now, he arrives everywhere on time so it’s not a concern, but he will need to make some adjustments as he matures and tracks towards the pro game.
Sergei Skvortsov: Right shot winger, 6-foot-1, 165 pounds, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
Skvortsov is a dynamic winger who’s graduated from the junior ranks (MHL) where he contributed 19G-24A in the regular season last year and followed it up with 9G-9A in 17 playoff games. He’s added more strength and weight to his frame in the off-season and still has room to add much more as he matures.
Skvortsov is a difference maker. He’s elusive with the puck on his stick, especially when he works off the weak side half-wall on the power play, and a massive threat off the rush. He’s produced 1G-1A in his first two pro games at the KHL level, looks poised for a big season and has top-line NHL offensive upside.
Dima Zhilkin: Right shot winger, 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Zhilkin is a very intriguing prospect who produced 36G-39A in 59 regular season games in his second OHL season. He joined Team Canada at the U18 World Championship and played to his identity as an underage prospect by contributing 5G-2A in five games. Zhilkin loves to shoot the puck and he has a lethal release. He has a knack for finding pucks in traffic, especially high-danger areas, and depositing them in the back of the net before opposing netminders have a chance to set themselves.
Zhilkin was deployed in a variety of roles for the Spirit last season and should end up logging a ton of ice time in all situations again this year. He’s a Michigan commit (2027) who battles in the trenches and is generally engaged defensively.
Here’s an example of how quickly pucks are on and off Zhilkin’s stick. The following clip shows how he can go bar down in traffic without losing forward momentum off the rush:
Jaakko Wycisk, right shot forward, 6-foot-1 204 pounds, Guelph Storm (OHL)
It was impossible not to notice Wycisk at the Hlinka Gretzky tournament. His combination of power, compete, speed and skill led to him contributing 2G-8A in five games. Wycisk was selected second overall in the OHL Draft by the Storm in 2025. With the Storm hosting the Memorial Cup next spring I expect his role to increase exponentially as the season moves along.
Wycisk had a solid rookie campaign last year that resulted in 17G-26A. He averaged 17:30 per game of ice time with the bulk of his shifts coming at even strength and the power play. In my opinion, Wycisk has the commitment and hockey sense to expand his role to include more shifts on the penalty-kill. I appreciate the presence he played with at the Hlinka Gretzky and I’m eagerly monitoring to see if he can carry the same impact into his second season in the OHL.
