Big Hype Prospects: DuPont, Vanhanen, Lecompte, Pridham
The 2026 Memorial Cup has been action-packed. On the other side of the round robin, the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers and WHL’s Everett Silvertips have broken away from the pack and will compete for the CHL championship. One roster represents immense depth, while the other has one of the strongest top-lines in recent, junior hockey memory. Both are led by top NHL draft talent, giving us another chance to borrow MLB Trade Rumors’ Big Hype Prospect series. This time, we’ll focus on the top scorers, and storylines, from Canada’s top tournament.
Four Big Hype Prospects
Landon DuPont, RD, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2025-26 Season – 63 GP, 18 G / 55 A / 73 P, 52 PIM, +59
Landon DuPont receives a rare double-feature in the Big Hype series on the other side of the second-highest scoring season a 16-year-old defenseman has ever put up in the WHL. He is the modern addition to a list including Doug Bodger (1982-83), Jim Benning (1979-80), and Scott Niedermayer (1989-90) and DuPont fits right in with the trio of NHL veterans. He was nothing short of electric this season, consistently taking over shifts with his effortless skating and next-level thinking. Those star traits are continuing to propel Everett past their competition at the Memorial Cup, even as DuPont fights through an injury that held him out of the Silvertips’ Game 3 against the Kelowna Rockets. He was back in the lineup for a 6-1 win over the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, though, and should get superstar treatment in the Final. On the other side of this tournament, DuPont will face tough questions about a potential NCAA future ahead of what appears to be, from far out, a surefire first-overall selection in 2027.
Matias Vanhanen, LW, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2025-26 Season – 62 GP, 21 G / 66 A / 87 P, 6 PIM, +58
Playing in front of DuPont has had its perks for the last two seasons – but winger Matias Vanhanen has shown the boost a complimentary style can bring. He led the Silvertips in scoring this season while playing smarter and harder than most of his peers. Vanhanen has the oomph to bully his way through traffic, or through battles in the corners, even while standing at 5-foot-10. The winger was largely unknown after spending last season – his first year of draft eligibility – in Finland’s U20 league. His year ended with a five-game taste of the Liiga and Vanhanen has brought those pro habits into his first season in North America. Boosted by smart, playmaking instincts, reliable puck-control, and a tireless motor – Vanhanen has held scout attention all season long. He is a strong blip on the draft radar and could be playing his way into high second-round territory with a tournament-leading seven points at the Memorial Cup.
Nathan Lecompte, C, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)
2025-26 Season – 61 GP, 27 G / 36 A / 63 P, 20 PIM, +21
Another player entering his second year of NHL Draft eligibility, Nathan Lecompte found a new gear in his ability to drive the Saguenéens’ offense this season. He was a constant threat coming down the wings, capable of finding sneaky passes on odd-man-rushes or simply firing a hard wrist-shot in a blink. Lecompte’s ability to suck in opponents created space for goal-scoring teammates and he was quick to follow chances through to the net. He had the benefit of great company in Chicoutimi – but still fit perfectly as the orchestrater in a loaded top-six. Lecompte was a surprise performer at the New Jersey Devils’ 2025 training camp, as a free-agent invite, and has draft precedent in his family – the son of a former Chicago Blackhawks first-round pick Eric Lecompte. Perhaps most exciting for the scouts is Eric’s 6-foot-5 frame, which could suggest some late growth for the 5-foot-10 Nathan. That growth will come at Northeastern University – a club that should cater well to Lecompte’s ability to stand out on the fast break – next season.
Jack Pridham, RW, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
2025-26 Season – 65 GP, 46 G / 44 A / 90 P, 54 PIM, +38
Chicago Blackhawks draft pick Jack Pridham broke out as a dominant scorer while playing as one of only 50 age-20 players in the OHL. He used every bit of his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame to punish opponents, standing as a bully in the middle of the offensive zone with the quick hands needed to convert on pucks that come his way. Pridham added to that a lights-out shot when left with too much space, and a new layer of speed as he broke into the zone. There is buzz that the OHL’s second-ranking goal-scorer could go unsigned by Chicago this Spring, which would allow his rights to expire in the Summer unless he announces a new commitment to the NCAA – having previously decommitted from Boston University. That could set the third-year draft-eligible up to re-enter the 2025 draft class, though his eligibility has been debated by draft pundits. Should he enter the class, Pridham would quickly become one of the most interesting prospects of the year – with the size and quick thinking needed to earn a pro role juxtaposed by a much lower developmental standing than many of his other age-20 peers.
Daxon Rudolph Close To NCAA Commitment
According to Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects, a top prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft, Daxon Rudolph, might have narrowed down his choice of NCAA schools to three top-tier programs.
Rudolph reportedly is between Denver, Michigan State, and Boston College as his preferred destinations, with a visit to Denver expected to come later this week, per Robinson. A right-handed defenseman, he has a consolidated ranking of ninth among the major outlets that cover prospects eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.
In his second season with Prince Albert, he scored 28 goals, tying Josh Morrissey for the club’s record in scoring by a defenseman, for 78 points in 68 WHL games. The 18-year-old added 27 points in 19 playoff games for the Raiders, losing in the Western league final to the Everett Silvertips. That capped off a career with 119 points and a +45 rating in his two seasons there.
The Lacombe, Alberta native notably competed in two separate tournaments before the WHL playoffs. As an assistant captain for Canada’s U18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he scored four points in five games and notched two assists in three games for the CHL team at this past Prospects Challenge.
The 6-foot-2 defenseman is known as a prospect who can string together offense. His passing and puckhandling are key attributes when he makes flashy plays, but also help him in his transition game and complement the steady offensive reads he visualizes. Defensively, his stick is active and precise in its ability to clog passing lanes and disrupt the flow of a puck carrier, which rounds him out with what many scouts project as a solid-floor for a blue-liner.
Any three of these schools would be a mutually beneficial partnership between program and player. Among his potential NHL draftees, Rudolph could join a few notable names, depending on the school he decides to attend.
Starting with the defending national champions in Denver, Rudolph could join an elite right side that already has fellow top prospect Ryan Lin, who recently announced his commitment to the Pioneers, and Blake Fiddler (2025-SEA-2nd). David Carle’s program has not only dominated in his tenure but has seen a few defenders in recent memory carry on their talents to the NHL past the NCAA, like former Hobey Baker winner Will Butcher, Scott Mayfield of the Islanders, and most notably, Zeev Buium.
Michigan State would also see Rudolph connect with a 2026 eligible right-shot defenseman. Chase Reid, a projected lottery selection, is likely to lead the charge in terms of blue line minutes after a great season with the Soo Greyhounds in the OHL, which has him slotted to be off the board early. Along with Reid, Tommy Bleyl is sure to add some competitiveness for ice time as another top prospect out of the QMJHL. So on the Spartans’ right side, Rudolph would join a hefty group with a potential commitment to East Lansing. Adam Nightingale already has a shiny resume, a great class of recruits, and is backed by a history of Spartans who’ve fared well in the NHL; Duncan Keith, Torey Krug, and Jeff Petry are a few to name, with former second overall pick Artyom Levshunov as a recent graduate.
Boston College would be the most intriguing option if Rudolph were to make a decision best for his ice time. Going off of College Hockey News, sophomore Luka Radivojevic, who scored 16 points in 34 games of his freshman season, is the Eagles’ best righty as of their roster projection. Nolan Joyce rounds out that side entering his senior season, but it would be a huge boost for Greg Brown‘s program if he were able to bring Daxon Rudolph to ‘The Heights’. Outside of forward Oscar Hemming, the Eagles don’t have a major first-round pick from the 2026 draft to boast on their team next season. Rudolph could certainly be that player.
Afternoon Notes: Stone, Devils, Korczak
The hole in the Vegas Golden Knights lineup will remain as they head into Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. Winger Mark Stone will miss his fifth-straight game with a lower-body injury sustained in Game 3 of the second round, per Jesse Granger of The Athletic. He had three goals and seven points in nine playoff games prior to his injury.
Stone continues to fill a top role with the Golden Knights when healthy. He finished the regular season with 28 goals and 73 points in 60 games – a full-season pace of 39 goals and 100 points. Vegas has bumped Pavel Dorofeyev up to the top-line, and added Brandon Saad to the lineup, in Stone’s absence. Dorofeyev has excelled, with six goals and seven points since Stone went down. Saad has two assists, including on the opening goal of the Western Conference Finals. Vegas will continue to bank on their production while Stone targets a Game 3 return.
Other notes around the hockey world:
- The New Jersey Devils have picked up their third-year option with the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder per a team announcement. New Jersey began their affiliation with the Thunder in the 2017-18 season, two seasons after the club relocated to the city in place of the Stockton Flames. Adirondack has made the postseason in five of their seven seasons in partnership with the Devils, going as far as the Conference Finals twice. They were knocked out of the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs in a first round series that went to seven games and featured three overtimes. Their lineup was led by Devils’ defense prospect Jeremy Hanzel and goaltender Jeremy Brodeur, son of Devils legend Martin Brodeur.
- Former New York Rangers prospect Ryder Korczak will continue his career in Slovakia’s top league. He has signed a one-year contract with HC Slovan Bratislava of the Tipsport Liga per a team announcement. Korczak spent last season on a one-year deal with Vlci Zilina. He finished the year with a team-leading 21 goals, and 44 total points, in 52 games played. The 2021 third-round pick was unable to continue his scoring spark into the AHL. He racked up 35 points in 117 games across two seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack – and 10 games with the Syracuse Crunch. Korczak was a premier junior scorer, racking up 246 points in 248 games across six seasons in the WHL. He seems to have found the same spark overseas and should move into a key role on a Bratislava squad that finished second in Slovakia this season.
Central Notes: Wild, Schmidt, Engle
There is a mixture of good and bad news for the Wild as they head into the third game of their series against Colorado tonight. Michael Russo of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that defenseman Zach Bogosian will indeed return from the lower-body injury that kept him out of Tuesday’s game. Meanwhile, after missing practice Friday due to illness, winger Mats Zuccarello took part in today’s morning skate and will be good to go for this game as well. However, the news isn’t as positive for center Joel Eriksson Ek. He didn’t skate today and has been ruled out for tonight’s contest, meaning that Minnesota will be trying to get back into the series without their top center once again.
Elsewhere in the Central Division:
- A promising Stars prospect is on the move for the second time in less than six months. Earlier this week, WHL Victoria announced that they’ve acquired winger Cameron Schmidt from Seattle in exchange for a pair of draft picks, including the seventh-round pick in the draft from a few days ago. The 19-year-old was a late third-round pick last year, falling due to his smaller stature. But Schmidt is coming off an impressive 2025-26 season, one that saw him reach 100 points in 72 games between Vancouver and Seattle. He’ll now get a shot at one more run at the junior level before likely turning pro for the 2027-28 campaign.
- Jets prospect Edison Engle has changed his college commitment. According to Illegal Curve’s David Minuk and confirmed by Brad Elliott Schlossmann of the Grand Forks Herald, the 19-year-old will now play for Western Michigan next season instead of Ohio State as originally planned. Engle was a sixth-round pick by Winnipeg last summer, going 188th overall. He played for OHL Brantford this season and in his first year at that level, he put up 28 points in 61 games during the regular season before adding five more in 15 playoff contests.
Prospect Notes: Hallander, Fiddler, Ivankovic
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Filip Hallander has returned to his home country of Sweden for training after recovering from a blood clot per Seth Rorabaugh of Trib Live. Hallander only played in 16 games this season – 13 in the NHL and three in the AHL – due to the blood clot.
Bad health kept Hallander from playing through his NHL rookie season – his next step after posting 89 points in 102 games through two seasons in Sweden’s SHL. Hallander found his confidence in Sweden and looked to return a much more capable play-driver, after getting his first taste of the AHL between 2021 and 2023.
Hallander began the season with Pittsburgh and scored four points, before a three-game scoring lull earned him a bump to the minors. He added one more point with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before being removed from the lineup.
Hallander is a confident puck-mover who uses his skill to beat defenders and rack up points. He has yet to prove that talent at the top flight, though he does have 62 points in 107 career AHL games. He will be evaluated by the Penguins for availability at 2026-27 training camp upon returning from Sweden. If he is cleared by doctors, next season could be Hallander’s first chance to dig his feet into an NHL role.
Other notes out of the prospect world:
- Seattle Kraken prospect Blake Fiddler has announced his commitment to the University of Denver. He will join a strong cohort of young defensemen headed to the National Championship winners, alongside top 2026 draft prospect Ben MacBeath and Ryan Lin. Fiddler offers a confident bit of puck-movement and physicality, blending well with Lin’s dynamo offense and MacBeath’s strong defensive presence. Their additions will give Denver more than enough to make up for the loss of Hobey Baker Award finalist and San Jose Sharks prospect Eric Pohlkamp. Fiddler, a Texas native, racked up 11 goals and 36 points in 63 games with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings this season. He carved out a second-pair role and posted a career-high plus-23.
- Sticking with college hockey, Nashville Predators prospect and University of Michigan starter Jack Ivankovic will join Team Canada at the World Championship per Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek. This will be a golden chance for Ivankovic to prove his iron man abilities after missing a chunk of the season due to a lower-body injury. Ivankovic returned well ahead of schedule from that injury and led Michigan to a Frozen Four semi-final loss against the eventual championship-winning Denver Pioneers. The second-round draft pick set 25 wins and a .921 save percentage in 35 games with Michigan this season. His performance marked the most wins from a goaltender under the age of 19 since Tyler Wall posted 26 wins with UMass-Lowell in 2017 and Billy Sauer posted 25 wins with Michigan in 2007.
Central Notes: Benn, Hyry, Klippenstein
Stars captain Jamie Benn is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, the same fate he faced last year before signing a one-year deal to remain in Dallas. While Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News believes that the organization would be willing to bring him back, there would need to be some tough discussions first as he’s now coming off his second straight subpar playoff performance. He’ll be 37 when next season starts so while he could still hold his own in a bottom-six role during the regular season but will those postseason struggles give them enough pause to start the search for a new captain? If not, Benn is eligible to once again sign a bonus-laden deal as long as it’s a one-year pact. He did so last summer, accepting a $1MM base salary with up to $3MM in bonuses, $2MM of which were reached and will count against their salary cap in 2026-27 thanks to them ending the year using LTIR.
More from the Central:
- Still with the Stars, forward Arttu Hyry won’t be available for AHL Texas in their series against Chicago, relays 100 Degree Hockey (Twitter link). The 25-year-old suffered a lower-body injury in the fifth game of the Dallas-Minnesota series earlier this week and while it was initially thought that it was a day-to-day issue, it appears that’s not the case. Hyry was on Texas’ roster at the trade deadline, meaning that Dallas can send him down once he’s cleared to return. He had 19 points in 27 AHL games along with five points in 20 NHL appearances during the regular season.
- Wild prospect Carter Klippenstein will be leaving the WHL next season to make the jump to the NCAA. Providence College announced on its Instagram page that the 19-year-old has committed to playing for them next season. A fifth-round pick last summer, Klippenstein was limited to just 38 games this season due to injury. Still, he was fairly productive, tallying 11 goals and 17 assists in those outings. With the transfer of leagues, Klippenstein’s signing timeline will be extended, giving Minnesota a couple of extra years to determine if they want to sign him. Had he stayed in junior, they’d have had to make that call just over a year from now.
Evening Notes: Hedman, Foster, Saarinen, Greig, Davidson
Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman was a full participant in practice as he continues to try to work his way back to game readiness, relays NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger. However, head coach Jon Cooper noted that his captain is still uncertain to return at some point in their opening-round series against Montreal. Hedman hasn’t played since March 19th when he exited that game early due to illness and then left the team on a leave of absence soon after. He had 17 points in 33 games this season and would be a big addition to Tampa Bay’s lineup if he’s able to get back into one of the final games of the series.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Still with the Lightning, prospect forward Aiden Foster has joined AHL Syracuse, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 19-year-old was drafted in the fourth round last June, going 127th overall and spent this season with WHL Prince George. Foster set new career highs offensively with the Cougars this season, picking up 14 goals and 21 assists in 65 games while surpassing the 100-PIM mark for the third straight year. Foster has yet to sign his entry-level contract and will likely serve as a Black Ace for the Crunch’s playoff run.
- The Kraken have reassigned goaltender Kim Saarinen to AHL Coachella Valley, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 19-year-old spent the season on loan to HPK in Finland and played quite well at the Liiga level. In 38 starts during the regular season, Saarinen posted a 2.11 GAA with a .916 SV% and put up even better numbers in nine playoff appearances at 1.68 and .944, respectively. Saarinen was under contract with Seattle this season but since he didn’t get into ten NHL games, his deal is eligible to slide and will still have three years left on it heading into 2026-27.
- The Department of Player Safety announced (Twitter link) that the disciplinary hearing for Senators forward Ridly Greig will be held on Monday. The incident happened in the final game of their first-round series against Carolina for throwing a sucker punch at Sean Walker. With this being a phone hearing, any supplemental discipline would be capped at five games with Greig serving the suspension next season with Ottawa’s playoff run already over.
- The Blue Jackets announced (Twitter link) that former player Matt Davidson has passed away at the age of 48. Davidson spent three seasons with Columbus, playing in 56 games where he had a dozen points. He had recently kicked off his post-playing career in hockey and was working for WHL Portland as their Director of Player Personnel before his passing.
Flames Sign Axel Hurtig To Entry-Level Contract
The Calgary Flames have signed defenseman Axel Hurtig to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal begins in the 2026-27 season. Hurtig was a seventh-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, after a year in Sweden’s U20 league. He played one more season in Sweden after his draft, before moving to the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen for the last two seasons.
Hurtig, 20, is a towering defenseman who took on a top-four role soon after joining the Hitmen. His 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame made Hurtig an effective rush-defender, where his long reach and strong physicality created little space for opponents to push past. He was quick to move the puck up ice after forcing turnovers but often left the role of joining the rush to his defense partners. In 119 games with the Hitmen, Hurtig only racked up 35 points – just narrowly more than the 21 points he scored in 77 games at Sweden’s U20 level.
Despite quiet scoring totals, Hurtig found his way towards routine impact. He played in all seven games of Sweden’s fourth-place finish at the 2025 World Junior Championships, recording 10 minutes of ice time on average to go with one point and a plus-two. That experience, and a knack for stepping up physically, helped Hurtig earn the Hitmen’s captaincy for the 2025-26 season. He became the first European captain in the team’s history. With a letter on his chest, Hurtig racked up 19 points, a team-best plus-21, and eight five-minute major penalties this season. His defensive presence helped the Hitmen finish the WHL season in eighth place.
Hurtig’s size should help him bridge the gap between junior and pro hockey. He will add another strong stick to the Flames’ left-defense depth chart and could fight for his NHL debut next season with an entry-level contract in place. The Flames have leaned heavily on young left-defenders, including Yan Kuznetsov and Kevin Bahl, through much of this season. They have also promoted puck-movers Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz on the right-side. With a heap of young potential on the blue-line, Hurtig’s defensive presence will hope to round out Calgary’s future on the blue-line.
Golden Knights Sign Alex Weiermair To Entry-Level Contract
The Vegas Golden Knights have signed 19-year-old forward Alex Weiermair to a three-year, entry-level contract. Weiermair currently leads the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks in scoring with 32 goals and 75 points in 57 games.
Weiermair moved to the WHL partway through the 2024-25 season after a slow start to his sophomore year at the University of Denver. He only notched eight points in 33 games with the Pioneers, continuing a trend for muted scoring that followed him through AAA and two years with the U.S. National Team Development Program. But now in the CHL, it seems the physical winger has finally found his stride. He reached 21 goals and 46 points in 41 games with Portland to close off 2025. That show of offense, mixed with Weiermair’s 6-foot-2 and 207-pound frame, was enough to convince Vegas to draft him in the sixth-round of last year’s draft.
One season later, the Golden Knights will vindicate Weiermair’s selection with his first pro contract. This deal will remove Weiermair’s eligibility to return to college, likely setting him up to move to the AHL after his CHL eligibility ends at the end of this season. In moving to the Henderson Silver Knights, Weiermair will join many other hard-hitting Vegas prospects, including Ben Hemmerling, Kai Uchacz, and Trevor Connelly.
Canucks Prospect Parker Alcos To Play In NCAA Next Season
Last offseason, the first allowing CHL players to play in the NCAA, there were a flurry of commitments from players looking to play at the collegiate level. This season, the commitments have been more slow and steady. On Friday, a Canucks prospect decided to make the switch as defenseman Parker Alcos announced on his Instagram page that he will play at Quinnipiac University next season.
The 19-year-old was a sixth-round pick by Vancouver back in 2024, going 189th overall. This season, Alcos has split time between WHL Edmonton and Kelowna, combining for five goals and 18 assists in 47 games, already surpassing his production from the previous two seasons.
The Canucks will now have two prospects with the Bobcats in 2026-27 as 2025 seventh-rounder Matthew Lansing is in his freshman year with the club. Alcos is the second NHL-drafted player to commit to switching from junior hockey to playing at Quinnipiac as he’ll join San Jose goaltender Christian Kirsch in doing so for 2026-27.
The change in leagues could work to Vancouver’s benefit. Had Alcos not decided to make the switch, the Canucks would have only had until June 1st to sign him to an entry-level contract or lose his rights. Now, those signing rights will be extended, allowing Vancouver to get a longer look before making a decision on whether or not to ultimately sign him.