17 OHL Players Included on Chris Peters’ 2026 NHL Draft Rankings
FloHockey NHL Draft and Prospects Analyst Chris Peters has released his final rankings ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft, with 17 Ontario Hockey League players earning spots on the list, including seven projected first-round selections.
Leading the OHL contingent is Soo Greyhounds defenceman Chase Reid, who checks in at No. 3 overall. Since arriving in the OHL, Reid has emerged as one of the league’s most reliable and complete blueliners. The Chesterfield, Mich., native has recorded 88 points (25-63–88) in 84 career regular-season games over two seasons with the Greyhounds.
“Reid has the size, athleticism and skating ability to be a real difference maker,” Peters wrote. “His hockey sense has come along, while his defending continues to improve.”
Close behind at No. 4 is Brantford Bulldogs forward Caleb Malhotra, who enjoyed a standout rookie campaign. The Toronto native produced 84 points (29-55–84) in 67 regular-season games, setting a new Bulldogs franchise record for points by a rookie. His impressive season earned him recognition as a finalist for the Emms Family Award as OHL Rookie of the Year.
“Hockey sense, character, compete, skill. The list goes on and on,” Peters said of Malhotra. “Malhotra projects as a No. 2 center with a chance at being a No. 1 as he develops.”
Despite the high-end talent available, Peters believes this year’s draft class remains one of the most difficult to project.
“There has never been a draft quite like the 2026 NHL Draft to my memory,” said Peters. “Not as long as I’ve been doing dedicated draft coverage for the last 13 years. That creates excitement, some drama and a whole lot of unpredictability.”
OHL Players Included in Peters’ Final 2026 NHL Draft Rankings:
3. Chase Reid (D) – Soo Greyhounds
45 GP, 18G, 30A, 48 PTS.
4. Caleb Malhotra (C) – Brantford Bulldogs
67 GP, 29G, 55A, 84 PTS.
12. Ethan Belchetz (LW) – Windsor Spitfires
57 GP, 34G, 25A, 59 PTS.
19. Adam Novotný (LW) – Peterborough Petes
58 GP, 34G, 31A, 65 PTS.
28. Nikita Klepov (RW) – Saginaw Spirit
67 GP, 37G, 60A, 97 PTS.
29. Brooks Rogowski (C/RW) – Oshawa Generals
46 GP, 15G, 27A, 42 PTS.
31. Alessandro Di Iorio (C) – Sarnia Sting
45GP, 12G, 19A, 31 PTS.
38. Ryder Cali (C) – North Bay Battalion
47 GP, 16G, 20A, 36 PTS.
40. Ryan Roobroeck (LW) – Niagara IceDogs
49 GP, 30G, 28A, 58 PTS.
44. Alexander Bilecki (D) – Kitchener Rangers
66 GP, 9G, 20A, 29 PTS.
48. Adam Nemec (LW) – Sudbury Wolves
31 GP, 14G, 21A, 35 PTS.
51. Thomas Vandenberg (C) – Ottawa 67’s
59 GP, 25G, 25A, 50 PTS.
59. Maksim Sokolovskii (D) – London Knights
44 GP, 2G, 6A, 8 PTS.
60. Vladimir Dravecky (D) – Guelph Storm/Brantford Bulldogs
58 GP, 9G, 19A, 28 PTS.
69. Alex Kostov (C) – Flint Firebirds
47 GP, 24G, 31A, 55 PTS.
71. Egor Barabanov (C) – Saginaw Spirit
68 GP, 28G, 63A, 91 PTS.
75. Ryder Fetterolf (G) – Ottawa 67’s
41 GP, 2.07 GAA, 0.923 SV%, 29-9-3
For Chris Peters’ full 2026 NHL Draft final ranking list, visit FloHockey.tv.
Loading ...