2027 Draft Watch: Way Too Early Edition

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By Keenen KandaNetFront Sports Contributor

October 4, 20266 min read

Pre-article note: Arik Krause is also covering the Road to the 2027 NHL Draft, however this series will break down some additional players whose draft stock is noteworthy to watch.

Yes – it’s only a few weeks into the WHL season, but even as the start of a 68-game season really starts to ramp up, some players are already making early cases for their 2027 draft stock to increase. Here are my five players that are making that case already, and where I believe their draft stock currently sits;

Artem Katsuro, F, Calgary Hitmen

I’ve been big on this kid so far this season, and for good reason. 17-years-old (Jan 2, 2009) from Moscow, Katsuro captained all three of his U16, U17, and U18 CSKA Moskva squads to first place in their Groups. Through the first 3 games of the season, Katsuro is playing at a 1.67 PPG average, on pace with his CSKA Moskva U17 season, and lagging slightly behind his more recent U18 average. With 3-2-5 through those games, Katsuro sits on pace for 113 points on the season. Katsuro has shown in that three game sample that he can compete in the North American game – his size, speed, and eye for the game are proving at an elite level so far. As with many overseas players, I often worry how the North American game will affect them, especially when we’re talking about rookies who are playing in their first games on a smaller rink with guys who grew up playing to that size and style of play – Katsuro is no longer one of them. Arik Krause projected Katsuro would likely be a Round 3 or 4 selection with a path to the 2nd Round; I believe if Katsuro can keep this up, he’ll be closer to the 2nd Round end of that projection.

Way Too Early 2027 Draft Projection: Late 2nd Round/Early 3rd Round

Grayson Malinoski, G, Seattle Thunderbirds

I covered Malinoski as an October player to watch in the WHL. However, things have evolved even in the couple of weeks since then. I questioned Malinoski’s development after his arguably subpar year last year at 3.48 GAA and a 0.896 SV%. Starting the year off strong with your first career shutout is no small feat. But to do it twice in a row? Don’t call that a coincidence. His 31-save shutout against Wenatchee was immediately followed up with a 32-save shutout against Prince George exactly one week later. Sklenicka made 25 of 27 stops against Wenatchee on Friday, October 2nd, and with a back-to-back home-and-home line up for next weekend against Vancouver (and likely each goaltender starting opposing games), does the performance of both goaltenders affect the proverbial ‘starting goaltender’ spot in Seattle? And if Malinoski performs well yet again, do NHL scouts put him back on their radars for his final draft eligible year after he was skipped over both of the last two years? If he can exhibit growth into a true WHL starting goaltender, this could be the year.

Way Too Early 2027 Draft Projection: Late 6th Round/7th Round

Kayden Stroeder, C, Edmonton Oil Kings

Kayden Stroeder presents an interesting case to this Draft Watch list. His last two seasons have averaged 0.50 and 0.58 PPG, respectively; at the current moment, Stroeder is sitting on a 1.0 PPG pace. Where my concern lies is two places – regular point production and faceoffs. I believe Stroeder has a strong case to be a mid-round selection, with a path into the higher rounds here in his first draft-eligible year. Where a lot of that case lies is with those two concerns. Look at why he’s currently on a point-per-game pace – a hat trick against Regina in game 5 of the season. Before that? It was a 0.5 PPG pace. Secondly is his faceoffs. Keep in mind Stroeder is a first-line centre in Edmonton; through the first five games, he’s won 23 of 70 faceoffs, or 32.8%, in the dot. If I’m an NHL scout, both of those stats worry me. Don’t get me wrong, I believe we’re not even close to Stroeder’s ceiling, but if he can’t resolve his faceoffs and production consistency, I worry that his draft stock may drop rather than rise. Regardless, I’ll be interested to see how Stroeder develops this year as one of only a handful of returning players to the Oil Kings roster (13 rookies!). If he can hone in these skills, expect this projection to be on the high end.

Way Too Early 2027 Draft Projection: 4th Round/Early 5th Round

Ben Harvey, RW, Prince Albert Raiders

Prince Albert knew exactly what they were getting when they selected Edmonton-native Ben Harvey 4th overall in the 2024 WHL Draft. After a decent 45 games with Prince Albert last year, potting 14-13-27 in those 45 appearances, Harvey appears to be on a mission in his first NHL draft-eligible year. Through 6 games so far this season, Harvey has collected 5 goals and 3 assists for 8 points, a 1.33 PPG pace. Many scouting reports found on sites like EliteProspects tend to say the same thing – Harvey has outstanding eyes and decision-making in the heat of the moment. There’s only a handful of players at this level that can see the game the way he does, and the way he sees the game is at an NHL level. If Harvey can continue to keep the offensive firepower alive and make the plays that keep his opponents guessing, I think Harvey pleads a great case to join Prince Albert teammate Brock Cripps in the first round.

Way Too Early 2027 Draft Projection: 2nd Round

Odin Vauhkonen, D, Victoria Royals

One day removed from being eligible for last years’ NHL draft. Odin Vauhkonen got the short end of the stick on hockey player birthdays, but it may not be the worst thing for him. Last year in his rookie season with the Victoria Royals, Vauhkonen would end with 3-20-23 and -11 on the year; although due to the way plus/minus works by not counting in powerplay scenarios (which is where most of his point production stems from), Vauhkonen’s numbers looked skewed on paper. To that point, Vauhkonen’s offensive contributions at 0.35 PPG aren’t anything to sniff at for a defender, especially when 20 of those 23 points were assists – making him a perfect fit for an NHL team looking for a puck-moving defenceman. Through 3 games so far this season, Vauhkonen has potted 1-3-4, putting him on a 1.33 PPG average. If the past is any indication, he likely won’t keep up quite this level of offensive output, but if his deployment remains similar in high-pressure situations and continues to quarterback the Victoria powerplay unit, I could easily see Vauhkonen finding his way into an early round.

Way Too Early 2027 Draft Projection: 3rd Round

As always, October is way too early of a time to tell where a player will be drafted in roughly nine months time. However, the conversations never start too early on players to keep your eye on, or the way that those players develop down the stretch. This is only the first of many Draft Watches, so be sure to check back here on netfrontsports.com frequently for more.

*All stats listed are thru October 3, 2026