Every NHL Draft season has a beginning, and for many prospect followers, the Hlinka Gretzky Cup is it. Held each summer, the tournament brings together many of the world’s best under-18 players and provides one of our first opportunities to see the next draft class compete against one another in a best-on-best international environment.

The 2026 tournament, held August third through eighth in Edmonton, gave us our first extended look at the 2027 NHL Draft class. Canada dominated, going undefeated before dismantling the United States eight to zero in the gold-medal game. The Americans earned silver, while Finland defeated Slovakia for bronze. But this isn’t really an article about who won. It’s about who we should remember.

The 2027 NHL Draft is still more than 10 months away, and this class is nowhere close to fully defined. Rather than treating five August games as definitive, consider this the beginning of our 2027 watch list. These are the players who entered Edmonton with expectations, left with more attention, or simply did enough to make dynasty managers want to follow them this season.

Landon DuPont, D, Canada

DuPont entered the Hlinka as the early favorite to go first overall in the 2027 NHL Draft, and nothing in Edmonton changed that. Canada named him captain, and he looked completely comfortable carrying that responsibility, influencing play in all three zones before finishing the tournament with four assists in Canada’s gold-medal victory over the United States. DuPont was just the second defenseman in WHL history to receive exceptional-player status. He followed that distinction with 18 goals and 73 points in 63 games last season for league champion Everett Silvertips and now heads to Michigan as a 17-year-old expected to play meaningful NCAA minutes. For fantasy hockey, DuPont’s skating, vision, puck movement, and creativity give him legitimate NHL power-play quarterback upside. A forward may eventually challenge him for first overall, but for now the 2027 draft conversation starts with Landon DuPont.

Brock England, C/LW, Canada

England was one of Canada’s most noticeable forwards, using explosive skating to attack defenders and consistently create offense off the rush. He finished with four goals and five points in five games, including two goals in the gold-medal game, building on a season in which he recorded 21 goals and 51 points in 64 games for the Seattle Thunderbirds. England is also one of the youngest notable prospects in the class because of his late-August birthday, giving him additional developmental runway. He can occasionally try to create too much by himself, so his decision-making will be worth monitoring, but the combination of production, speed, and age makes him especially interesting for dynasty managers. If you’re putting together an early group of potential top-10 picks for 2027, England belongs in the conversation.

Gavin Burcar, C, United States

If we’re talking specifically about players who made a name for themselves at the Hlinka, Burcar may be the best example. He opened the tournament with a hat trick against Czechia and finished with five goals and nine points in five games, comfortably leading the United States in scoring. More importantly, the production wasn’t hollow. Burcar showed a dangerous shot and legitimate one-timer while also playing with pace, competitiveness, and defensive engagement. That’s particularly interesting after a first WHL season with the Spokane Chiefs that didn’t necessarily scream future high first-round pick. Nine points in five August games don’t suddenly make Burcar an elite NHL prospect, but they do make his 2026-27 season considerably more interesting. Few 2027 eligibles did more in Edmonton to increase the number of people who will be watching them this fall.

Alexis Joseph, C, Canada

Joseph finished with only a goal and three points in five games, but nothing about the tournament should move him far from the top of the 2027 conversation. At 6-5 and over 200 pounds, Joseph offers the coveted combination of size down the middle without sacrificing offensive skill. He produced 24 goals and 60 points in 54 games as a QMJHL rookie with the Saint John Sea Dogs in his draft minus one season. That résumé matters considerably more to me than a quiet week in August. The question now is whether Joseph can make the jump from impressive young QMJHL forward to dominant draft-year center. If he does, he has the physical and offensive tools to challenge near the very top of this class.

Jaakko Wycisk, RW, Canada

Ten points in five games will get people’s attention, and Wycisk certainly earned plenty of it in Edmonton. He tied for the tournament scoring lead with two goals and eight assists, but his performance was more than riding shotgun with Canada’s elite talent. Wycisk protected possession well, anticipated loose pucks, created through transition, and consistently made intelligent plays in traffic. He returns to the Guelph Storm of the OHL after recording 43 points in 60 games last season, giving us an obvious benchmark to watch. With the Storm also hosting the 2027 Memorial Cup, Wycisk could have another major showcase at the end of his draft season. I wouldn’t move him into the top tier based on one tournament, but he was one of the clearest names to add to the 2027 watch list.

Brock Cripps, D, Canada

DuPont wasn’t the only Canadian defenseman who impressed, as Brock Cripps recorded six points in five games despite not running Canada’s first power-play unit. Listed at 5-10 and 161 pounds, Cripps will face questions about his size throughout his draft year, but the puck skills are difficult to ignore. He skates exceptionally well, escapes pressure, advances the puck efficiently, and has the confidence to create offense himself while defending through positioning and an active stick. For fantasy managers, that’s an intriguing combination. Smaller offensive defensemen carry obvious projection risk, particularly when their fantasy value depends on retaining a puck-moving or power-play role at higher levels, but Cripps showed enough in Edmonton to establish himself as one of the most interesting defensemen to follow in the 2027 class.

Jonah Neuenschwander, C, Switzerland

Neuenschwander already has an unusual amount of international experience, having appeared previously at the Hlinka, twice at the U18 World Championship, and twice at the World Juniors before even reaching his draft season. That experience showed in Edmonton, where he recorded three goals and six points in four games while driving Switzerland’s offense from center. Neuenschwander combines size, puck protection, playmaking, and an ability to attack through traffic, and he’ll spend his draft year playing professional hockey in Switzerland’s National League. That gives scouts an opportunity to evaluate him against men rather than junior competition. If his offense translates consistently at the professional level, Neuenschwander could establish himself as one of the premier European prospects in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Milan Sundström, C, Sweden

Sweden would probably prefer to forget this tournament, but Sundström shouldn’t. Despite Sweden finishing seventh, Sundström showed flashes of why he entered Edmonton receiving top-five consideration, including a three-point performance and overtime winner against Slovakia. The pedigree was already there after producing 22 goals and 57 points in 31 combined games at Sweden’s J18 and J20 levels last season. At 6-2 and over 200 pounds, Sundström combines legitimate size at center with high-end skill and hockey sense. I wouldn’t dramatically alter his projection because Sweden had a disappointing week. He remains one of the most important European forwards in the class, and his performance against increasingly difficult competition this season will tell us considerably more than five games in August.

Maxmilian Mares, C, Czechia

At 6-6, Mares was impossible not to notice, but what made him particularly intriguing was that he showed he can actually play. Mares handled top-line, power-play, and penalty-killing responsibilities for Czechia, demonstrating offensive involvement and defensive awareness rather than simply overwhelming smaller opponents physically. Players this big often require patience as their skating and coordination develop, so one tournament doesn’t make Mares a first-round pick. Still, size gets an NHL scout’s attention, and size combined with legitimate hockey sense and skill keeps it. If we’re identifying players who made a name for themselves in Edmonton, Mares belongs on the list. There aren’t many 6-6 centers in any draft class, especially ones capable of handling significant offensive and defensive responsibilities.

Lukas Kachlir, D, Czechia

At the opposite end of the physical spectrum is 5-8 defenseman Kachlir, who finished with three goals and six points, tying for Czechia’s team lead in both categories. Kachlir showed outstanding mobility, lateral agility, quick processing, and an ability to manipulate defenders before finding passing lanes. His size creates an obvious question because undersized defensemen generally need to be exceptional with the puck to succeed at the NHL level, and there were moments when Kachlir tried to create plays that weren’t available. Still, for fantasy hockey, the offensive skill makes him worth following. We don’t need to decide today whether Kachlir projects as an NHL defenseman, only recognize that Edmonton established him as one of the more interesting high-risk, high-upside blueliners in the 2027 class.

Tomas Selic, RW, Slovakia

Selic finished with five goals and eight points, three more than any other Slovak player, although six of those points came in one game against Switzerland. That context matters, but Selic showed more than a single hot performance. His intelligence stood out throughout the tournament, as he consistently found open space, changed pace effectively, made quick decisions with the puck, and contributed defensively with an active stick. He didn’t need to dominate possession to influence play and consistently arrived in dangerous areas at the right time. The question this season will be whether Selic can generate offense consistently rather than in bursts. If he can, Slovakia may have another legitimate early-round 2027 prospect developing.

Jake Prunty, D, United States

Prunty emerged as one of Team USA’s most interesting defensemen, leading American blueliners with five assists while demonstrating excellent mobility, puck movement, and processing. He looked particularly comfortable advancing the puck under pressure, using his skating to create space before identifying his next play rather than simply moving the puck out of danger. Prunty will join the U.S. National Team Development Program this season after playing for Sioux Falls in the USHL, giving us plenty of opportunity to evaluate him against elite competition. He isn’t yet in the same conversation as DuPont or the leading defensemen in the class, but his offensive tools made him one of the American blueliners who most deserves our attention entering the season.

Ethan Sung, F, United States

Sung was another American who took advantage of the international stage, finishing with four goals and six points to trail only Burcar in Team USA scoring. Sung consistently put himself in dangerous areas and provided an important secondary scoring threat during the Americans’ run to the championship game. His four goals are particularly interesting for fantasy managers because finishing ability can rapidly elevate a prospect’s profile if it proves sustainable. The goal isn’t to declare Sung a future first-round selection based on five games, but to identify players who gave us something worth following. Sung accomplished exactly that and earned a place among the American forwards to track during the 2027 draft season.

Malik L’Italien, D, Canada

It’s difficult for any defenseman to attract attention while playing beside Landon DuPont, but L’Italien deserves recognition for his role on Canada’s top defensive pair. L’Italien used his reach and skating effectively and appeared increasingly comfortable as the tournament progressed. Playing alongside an aggressive offensive defenseman like DuPont requires intelligence and discipline, and L’Italien provided the stability necessary to allow his partner to attack. His fantasy ceiling isn’t as obvious as some of the offensive defensemen in this class, but his NHL pathway may be easier to envision. If he can expand his puck-moving and offensive game while maintaining that defensive foundation, L’Italien could climb draft boards this season.

And Then There Were the 2028s

Two of Canada’s most productive players aren’t even eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft. Maddox Schultz tied Wycisk for the tournament scoring lead with three goals and 10 points, while Liam Pue led the tournament with six goals. Both are 2028 draft eligibles, so we’ll save that discussion for another day, but producing at this level while playing a year above your draft class is difficult to ignore. Dynasty managers who enjoy getting absurdly early looks at future classes may want to write down two names now: Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue.

The 2027 Journey Starts Here

The biggest mistake we could make after the Hlinka would be treating this as a final ranking. It’s August. Players will grow, roles will change, some will make enormous developmental jumps, and players barely discussed today will force themselves into first-round consideration by January.

For now, DuPont remains the headliner, Joseph has the tools to make the top of the draft interesting, England looks like one of the class’s most dynamic forwards, and Neuenschwander and Sundström give us two major European names. Burcar may have been the tournament’s biggest 2027 breakout, while Wycisk, Cripps, Mares, Kachlir, Selic, Prunty, Sung, and L’Italien all gave us reasons to pay closer attention.

It’s also important to remember that the Hlinka isn’t the entire 2027 NHL Draft class. Russia isn’t participating internationally, leaving players such as Nazar Privalov outside this evaluation, while other significant prospects, including Dima Zhilkin, will make this class deeper than the Hlinka field alone can show. The tournament is our introduction to the class, not a definitive statement about it.

For dynasty managers, there is no reason to make dramatic conclusions in August, but there is every reason to start paying attention. We’ll follow these players through junior hockey, college hockey, European professional leagues, international tournaments, the U18 World Championship, and eventually draft night. Some will become household names, while others will be replaced on our watch lists by players we barely know today. Following that evolution is part of what makes prospect hockey so much fun.

The 2027 Journey has officially begun.

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