National Hockey League franchises and talent evaluators finalized their player profiles on June 22, 2026, ahead of the upcoming 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens are actively weighing high-end talent against specific roster openings.
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Penguins Eye Quebec Remparts Center
According to reports from The Hockey News, Quebec Remparts center Maddox Dagenais has emerged as a prominent target for the Penguins.
The 6-foot-4, 196-pound forward recorded 30 goals and 62 points across 62 games during the 2025-26 QMJHL regular season.
Dagenais expanded his production from the previous season, where he secured 12 goals and 26 points in 43 games.
Evaluators praise his size, net-front presence, and powerful skating transition style.
Hunter Hodies of The Hockey News evaluated the defensive capabilities of the Quebec Remparts center as "okay."
Canadiens Explore Options for 28th Pick
Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens are exploring options for their 28th overall selection.
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Analysis from Habsworld. net indicates that Montreal could potentially use the asset to trade up or select falling regional prospects.
The outlet published a specialized short list of first-round options ranking from 17th to 23rd overall, highlighting a shallow pool of available centers and a heavy concentration of available wingers.
Notable prospects in that range include Oliver Suvanto (center, 11 points in 48 Liiga games), Nikita Klepov (winger, 97 points in 67 OHL games), and Ilia Morozov (center, 20 points in 36 college hockey games).
Other names include Alexander Command (44 points in 30 U20 Nationell games), Xavier Villeneuve (defender, 38 points in 27 games), J.
P. Hurlbert (sniper, 97 points in 68 games), and Elton Hermansson (forward, 11 points at Hlinka-Gretzky).
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The Montreal front office remains positioned to add depth to the bottom of its roster, depending on draft-day player availability.
