Keaton Verhoeff Heads 2026 NHL Draft Defensemen Race
Keaton Verhoeff enters the 2026 NHL Draft as the undisputed top defenseman and an expected top-five pick. For teams holding lottery hopes until Tuesday, May 5, the question is less about whether he belongs near the top and more about which roster can actually give him the path that matches his value.
Devils and Rangers
The New Jersey Devils have the kind of blue-line depth that can slow a young defender’s path to the ice. If they drafted Verhoeff, he would face Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, Simon Nemec, and Seamus Casey, with almost no playing time available right away. Luke Hughes, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Anton Silayev add to a group that looks deep on paper and crowded in practice.
The New York Rangers bring a different problem. Adam Fox sits ahead of Verhoeff, and Braden Schneider is another name he would be unlikely to pass in his first NHL season if New York kept him. Scott Morrow and E.J. Emery also sit on the right side, and the team’s track record with defense prospects makes the fit harder to sell than the talent level alone might suggest.
Flames and Blue Jackets
The Calgary Flames are rebuilding, but the right side is already starting to fill. Zayne Parekh looks like the likely No. 1 defenseman of the future, and Hunter Brzustewicz and Henry Mews could cut into Verhoeff’s minutes. A prospect that good still has to fight for real ice, which is the kind of friction that changes draft-night excitement into a development question.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have almost no shot at landing him, even with Dante Fabbro and Damon Severson still in the early stages of their deals. Denton Mateychuk is their top long-term right-shot defenseman, and Verhoeff would not be paired with Zach Werenski until the team moved through at least two defensemen. That leaves them as an unlikely match despite the name value of the fit.
Blackhawks and the lottery
The Chicago Blackhawks may be the cleanest read in the group, even with a right-side logjam. Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov both spent most of the 2025-26 season in the NHL, and Verhoeff could still project as the better offensive player of the three. Chicago may also chase a top-pairing defenseman for immediate help as it tries to climb out of its rebuild.
Fourteen teams still have a shot at selecting Verhoeff, and Tuesday’s lottery will narrow the field before the draft order is set. The strongest landing spot is the one that pairs top-five talent with a real route to minutes, not just a logo and a high ceiling.
