Kraken select Chase Reid No. 7 overall in 2026 NHL Draft
The consensus top defenseman available in the 2026 NHL Draft heard his name called early in the first round on Friday night, as the Seattle Kraken selected Chase Reid with the No. 7 overall pick.
Reid, a native of Chesterfield, Michigan, is a six-foot-two right-handed blueliner with excellent skating ability, commitment to a two-way game, goal-scoring upside, and what many experts project to be a high floor.
While Keaton Verhoeff entered the year as the perceived top defenseman in the class, perception shifted throughout the year as Reid’s stock soared. In Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis’ final rankings of the class, Reid took the No. 3 spot, up from No. 4 in late January, when he still ranked just behind Verhoeff.
As the most important player on the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds, Reid put together his best offensive campaign yet in 2025-26, tallying 18 goals and 30 assists for 48 points in 45 games.
Reid also turned heads while playing for Team USA at the IIHF U20 World Junior Championships, where he notched two goals and two assists for four points in five appearances.
At the NHL Draft Combine, when asked to compare his game to a current NHL player, Reid landed on a fellow American from the state of Michigan, Columbus Blue Jackets star and current Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski.
“He’s very good on the blueline, very good defensively, good stick,” Reid said of Werenski. “He can move very well on the offensive blueline and just shuts plays down and transitions fast.”
Reid currently holds a commitment to play for the NCAA’s Michigan State University Spartans.
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