Giants’ Lin tops Wheeler’s Preliminary Top 64 NHL Draft rankings for 2026
Vancouver Giants defenceman Ryan Lin is the highest ranked CHL player in Scott Wheeler’s Preliminary Top 64 rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft.
Lin – who was named to Team CHL for this month’s CHL USA Prospects Challenge in Calgary and Lethbridge – has impressed early on with the Giants where in just 17 games, he has 21 points (three goals) to lead all WHL d-men in scoring.
“Lin is the smartest defenseman in this draft class and, for me, the most well-rounded,” Wheeler wrote. “Lin does everything at a high level, executes the small things extremely well and plays the game with a rare quality, maturity and detail for a D his age.”
Top 10 also features Ethan Belchetz (Windsor/OHL) at no. 6, Xavier Villeneuve (Blainville-Boisbriand/QMJHL) at no. 7, Ryan Roobroeck (Niagara/OHL) at no. 8, Chase Reid (Soo/OHL) at no. 9 and Daxon Rudolph (Prince Albert/WHL) at no. 10.
“He has NHL clubs drooling over his hulking frame, legit skill/scoring and developing playmaking and pace,” Wheeler wrote of Belchetz. “He has also really developed his wall game, so he’s more focused on bumping players off the puck and making a quick play off the boards.”
As for Villeneuve, Wheeler added: “His skill level, hockey sense and puck play are all legitimately elite. He’s constantly making plays and finding openings.”
Furthermore, 19 players listed will represent Team CHL at this month’s CHL USA Prospects Challenge in Calgary (Nov. 25) and Lethbridge (Nov. 26). Tickets and more information can be found here.
In total, Wheeler names 29 CHL players in his Top 64.
The 2026 NHL Draft will take place next June in a yet to be determined location.
| Ranking | Name | CHL club |
| No. 4 | Ryan Lin | Vancouver Giants |
| No. 6 | Ethan Belchetz | Windsor Spitfires |
| No. 7 | Xavier Villeneuve | Blainville-Boisbriand Armada |
| No. 8 | Ryan Roobroeck | Niagara IceDogs |
| No. 9 | Chase Reid | Soo Greyhounds |
| No. 10 | Daxon Rudolph | Prince Albert Raiders |
| No. 11 | Carson Carels | Prince George Cougars |
| No. 14 | Mathis Preston | Spokane Chiefs |
| No. 17 | Adam Novotny | Peterborough Petes |
| No. 18 | JP Hurlbert | Kamloops Blazers |
| No. 23 | Nikita Klepov | Saginaw Spirit |
| No. 24 | Beckham Edwards | Sarnia Sting |
| No. 25 | Egor Shilov | Victoriaville Tigres |
| No. 26 | Caleb Malhotra | Brantford Bulldogs |
| No. 32 | Vladimir Dravecky | Brantford Bulldogs |
| No. 34 | Alessandro Di Iorio | Sarnia Sting |
| No. 35 | Lars Steiner | Rouny-Noranda Huskies |
| No. 39 | Giorgos Pantelas | Brandon Wheat Kings |
| No. 41 | Olivers Murnieks | Saint John Sea Dogs |
| No. 43 | Maddox Dagenais | Quebec Remparts |
| No. 45 | Brooks Rogowski | Oshawa Generals |
| No. 46 | Braidy Wassilyn | London Knights |
| No. 50 | Tobias Tomik | Vancouver Giants |
| No. 56 | Pierce Mbuyi | Owen Sound Attack |
| No. 57 | Rian Chudzinski | Moncton Wildcats |
| No. 58 | Colin Fitzgerald | Peterborough Petes |
| No. 61 | Cooper Williams | Saskatoon Blades |
| No. 62 | Jaxon Cover | London Knights |
| No. 64 | Thomas Vandenberg | Ottawa 67’s |
