Top 2027 NHL Draft prospects to watch at Hlinka Gretzky Cup
With the calendar turning to August, it’s time to kick things up a notch.
The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is the first major event on the NHL Draft calendar, with the best 2027 and 2028 draft players taking center stage in front of representatives from all 32 NHL franchises. It’s not always the most thrilling hockey, with most teams struggling to get up to speed quickly. Canada has typically dominated this tournament, and won when the event was last in Edmonton in 2024. USA won gold last year, and will look to do the same in enemy territory.
Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Slovakia, Germany and Switzerland will make up the event, which is not operated by the IIHF like the U-18 World Championship is. This event features most of the top eligible talent, while the U-18s can often be impacted by late-season injuries or major junior playoffs.
Today, we’re looking at 15 of the top prospects to watch in Alberta. This is just a base-level breakdown of who to watch – there are obviously many more players worth keeping an eye on. For the 2028 NHL Draft fans, Canada’s Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue, Finland’s Paavo Fugleberg and USA’s Joey Cullen are among the top names to follow.
Brock Cripps, RHD (Canada)
Could Cripps be this year’s Xavier Villeneuve or Ryan Lin for Canada? The 5-foot-10 defenseman had a massive WHL rookie season, registering 37 points in the regular season and another 21 points in 20 postseason games with Prince Albert. Add in a gold medal game at the U-17s and it was hard to beat that type of introduction to the hockey world. Cripps is a highly skilled modern-day defenseman but obviously lacks the size scouts want. Does that mean he’ll fall in the draft? Probably, but nobody will deny his raw talent and hockey sense, and his frame won’t be a problem in Edmonton.
Landon DuPont, RHD (Canada)
DuPont is special, and it’s amazing we get to see him get a second crack at gold this year. Like most modern-day defenders, DuPont is incredible with the puck, moving quickly and decisively. He’s more creative than any defenseman we’ve seen in quite some time. With the extra space, DuPont can absolutely take over a power play, either firing a hard shot or using it to take defenders out of position before setting up someone else. But DuPont brings much more than just offense. He blocks shots, competes hard and has the speed to get back after a scoring chance to break up a play. After watching him play so well in Everett, I’m excited to watch him in college. This tournament, in particular, is a precursor to him making his (likely) lone World Junior appearance this winter.
Brock England, C (Canada)
England was the primary reason to watch the Thunderbirds last season and that’s not going to change in 2026-27. I loved his play at the U-17 World Challenge, and it was nice to score more than 20 goals and 50 points as a WHL rookie. The strong skater does a great job of creating quality chances on the fly, blasting past older opponents like they’re standing still. He’s an excellent playmaker, too. For a mid-sized forward, England isn’t afraid of physical contact, either. I expect England to be one of Canada’s top scorers this year.
Alexis Joseph, C (Canada)
Like DuPont, I expect Joseph to make Canada’s World Junior team in a few months. The 6-foot-5 power forward had 60 points as a QMJHL rookie, while also putting the world on notice at the U-17 World Challenge with six goals and 13 points in five games. Modern-day power forwards need to be strong skaters while playing with a ton of pace, and he meets those requirements effortlessly. Joseph uses his big frame to power past opponents, but he also has so much natural skill that allows him to skate around everybody with ease. This tournament could help push the narrative that he’s a legitimate top prospect for 2027.
Lukas Kachlíř, RHD (Czechia)
Kachlíř was excellent at this event a year ago, and he’ll be relied on even more this year. He put up excellent numbers in the Czech U-20 league and even played double digit games in the top pro league. Internationally, the undersized defender often gets tasked with eating minutes and does it effectively. He’s small, but he might be one of the most skilled Czech defenders we’ve seen in years. Kachlíř moves well, always seems to be under control, and can fire a missile from the point.
Michal Hartl, RW (Czechia)
Hartl has been productive at all levels domestically and has plenty of experience with the U-18 team already. His numbers were nothing to get excited about, but it was impressive how he adapted his game to all different situations and handled defensive assignments. He’s a detail-oriented forward who plays with some decent flashes of skill and a quick motor. Hartl will play a lot of minutes at this tournament, and it’s well deserved.
Adam Nemec, LW (Czechia)
No, this isn’t the Slovak winger the Ottawa Senators drafted a few weeks ago. Instead, Nemec – who recently signed with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs – is one of the most exciting European forwards for the draft. He put up excellent numbers in the Czech U-20 league and has been one of his nation’s most productive players internationally the past two years. There’s a ton of upside here as a playmaker and I think he’s one of the smartest players heading to this tournament. I’m not sure he has the explosive skating needed to really shine, but I expect Nemec to be able to outthink opponents quite consistently.
Lenni Kokkonen, RHD (Finland)
Kokkonen already has a strong, 6-foot-2 frame and isn’t afraid to throw the body against older competition. His numbers were muted a bit in U-20 league play, but he was lights out at the U-17s last fall. That’s where we saw how good of a puck distributor he can be, and that continued in his spot duty at the U-18s in the spring. Kokkonen is always looking for the right pass and is capable of making smart decisions under pressure. I expect Kokkonen to play a lot in Edmonton.
Luca Santala, RW (Finland)
Santala had a massive international season, scoring at just under a goal-per-game rate with the I-18 national team. He also put up excellent numbers in the Finnish U-18 league while also playing quite a bit in the U-20 division. The 6-foot-2 forward isn’t overly physical, but he has an excellent shot and can dominate shifts in a way very few his age can do. I still want to see some improvement in consistency, but I was amazed watching him last year, more often than not. I can’t wait to see what type of role he has with the London Knights.
Dorian Eklund Aspe, C (Sweden)
Eklund Espe is easily one of the most noticeable Swedes in this year’s class. The 6-foot-4 center obviously has massive size, but he also knows how to use that power already quite nicely. He has been a bit so-so internationally in his career, but has almost always been one of the more productive centers in his age group. Eklund Epse plays with a ton of confidence, not only in his playmaking, but his physical game, too. Look for him to be a handful in Edmonton.
Douglas Johnsson, RHD (Sweden)
Johnsson is one of the more skilled small European blueliners I’ve seen in quite some time. He’s an excellent skater who moves the puck as well as anyone his age. His numbers have been superb across all levels lately, and he was one of my favorite international D-men at any level in 2025-26. His game is all about controlling the puck and exploiting open space, while using his skill to win individual battles. I also think his defensive game is solid right now. At a tournament like this, I expect Johnsson to thrive; the NHL is a different animal, but that’s a topic for another day.
Milan Sundström, C (Sweden)
Milan is the son of former NHLer Niklas Sundström, and you can see the hockey sense clearly carried over. He’s a hard-working forward who easily dominated U-17 national team competition while also scoring at a goal per game. Sundström will beat you with his play reads, great passing ability and his tendency to find scoring lanes where others won’t. Sweden has always done a good job of developing quality two-way centers and Sundström is the next one up. Not every Swedish scout is sold on Sundström as a top prospect, but he’s definitely far ahead of most of the pack right now and should be relied on heavily here.
Jonah Neuenschwander, C (Switzerland)
Neuenschwander made the Swiss World Junior team two years ago as a 15-year-old, which was truly remarkable. We haven’t seen him produce much in the two WJC tournaments, but it’s easy to understand the appeal. He’s a strong 6-foot-3 forward who is equally good as a shooter and a passer. Opponents struggle to deal with his raw muscle, and he’s quick, too. I don’t think he has the high-end offensive upside to go in the top 10, but he already looks like one of the premier power forwards for 2027. Of note, Neuenschwander had the most productive campaign by a Draft-1 player in the Swiss-based National League in 60 years, and I can’t wait to see how far he can take his game.
Brooks DeMars, LW (USA)
DeMars was one of the most talked-about players at the recent USA Hockey 17 Festival in New York. He had 11 points in six games for the Northern Plains District., nearly matching his full season output with the Penticton Vees last year. That was an older team, and he didn’t have an opportunity to really shine, but I expect that to change this year. He’s a big 6-foot-2 forward who powers through opponents with ease and has an outstanding shot release. More importantly, though, he’s a high-output facilitator who continuously finds open lanes, and isn’t afraid of taking the hard way to get to the net.
Gunnar Conboy, C (USA)
Conboy is going to have himself one heck of a career. The 6-foot-4 center dominates most of his battles thanks to his massive frame, but he’s also exceptionally smart, too. He plays with so much power, but he’s also a solid skater, too. Conboy’s off-puck game is already quite mature, and he continues to get better defensively. Conboy’s shot can terrify goalies, too. I don’t think he’ll lead USA in offense, but you’ll notice him every single game.
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