NHL Central Scouting’s first look at the 2027 draft board has already put the Chicago Blackhawks back in familiar territory: near the top of the lottery conversation.
The league released its preliminary ranking toward the end of October, and while plenty will change between now and June, the early picture is clear enough. Landon DuPont sits at the top of the class, and the draft’s first round is packed with players who have already earned A-ratings from Central Scouting.
DuPont, who is playing at the University of Michigan, is the name driving the entire class right now. He’s a dynamic defenseman and the kind of prospect who looks built to be a star at the NHL level.
In this mock lottery projection, the order is based on the standings heading into action on Friday, November 13th, with trades included. The first two picks will still be decided by the spring lottery, and more movement could happen before draft day arrives. The projected top 16 looks like this:
- Vancouver Canucks - Landon DuPont, D, Michigan
- Chicago Blackhawks - Nazar Privalov, FWD, Moskva
- Los Angeles Kings - Sergei Skvortsov, FWD, Torpedo
- Philadelphia Flyers - Jonah Neuenschwander, F, EHC Biel-Bienne
- Pittsburgh Penguins - Dima Zhilkin, FWD, Saginaw
- Detroit Red Wings - Milan Sundstrom, FWD, MoDO Hockey
- San Jose Sharks - Brock England, FWD, Seattle
- Philadelphia Flyers (From Toronto Maple Leafs) - Sammy Nelson, FWD, Notre Dame
- Calgary Flames - Alexis Joseph, C, Saint John
- Winnipeg Jets - Andrei Pustovoy, FWD, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
- Buffalo Sabres - Brock Cripps, D, Prince Albert
- St. Louis Blues - Jaakko Wycisk, FWD, Guelph
- Utah Mammoth - Jamie Glance, FWD, Jaint John
- New York Islanders - Bosse Meijer, FWD, Frolunda
- New York Rangers - Noah Davidson, FWD, Medicine Hat
One thing jumps out immediately from that group: there are only two defensemen in the projected lottery mix. Central Scouting handed out just five A-ratings to defensemen overall, and DuPont is the obvious headliner there. He’s viewed as a no-brainer top-three pick and likely the first player off the board.
There’s also plenty of room for movement as the season unfolds. Some of these prospects are off to hot starts, while others have already hit rough patches.
Alexis Joseph is a good example. He came into the year as a top-three contender, but his production with the Saint John Sea Dogs has been more ordinary than dominant.
He has 8 goals and 10 assists for 18 points in 17 games, and that output needs to take off if he’s going to stay in the top-five conversation.
That doesn’t mean Joseph is out of the picture. It just means he hasn’t separated himself the way many expected.
His game is often compared to Nathan MacKinnon, a top-five NHL force for nearly a decade, and that kind of ceiling is exactly why teams will keep watching him closely. The smartest front offices will be able to sort through the peaks and valleys.
The goalie pool is even thinner at the top. Only one netminder, Vilmer Saleb Forsberg of Brantford, received an A-rating, and he isn’t projected as a lottery pick. Given how teams tend to value goalies, he could wind up going late in the first round or even in the second.
For Chicago, the bigger picture is hard to miss. If the Blackhawks land the second overall pick and don’t move it for immediate help, Privalov would be a strong addition to a system that already has plenty of young talent.
The organization’s prospects are there; the next step is getting more of that talent to translate at the NHL level. Chicago is also projected to own the first two picks of the second round, its own selection and Vancouver’s.
The reason all of this matters is simple: the Blackhawks are 5-13-1, and that makes a strong lottery position very much in play. The players haven’t quit, but the front office is already looking ahead, and by the time June arrives, it should have a pretty good handle on this draft class.
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