Myles Brosnan has 42 points in 22 games for Dexter this year. (Brian Kelly/NEHJ)
The NHL Draft has become very boom-or-bust in New England.
In 2023, Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.) and Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.) were picked inside the top 10. The next two locals taken weren’t until the sixth and seventh rounds. Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.) went in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, as he was the first of five locals taken. While there weren’t any local first-rounders in 2025, the same number of New Englanders were taken for the second straight year.
Needless to say, the last three draft classes haven’t been robust for the region.
Is 2026? Five months out, I don’t think there will be a first-round pick. I do, however, think this class will be more robust.
There are several raw prospects (particularly two big defensemen) who teams likely will want to take a flier on. I’d expect two forwards taken in the first three rounds. And there are a slew of locals in prep who have legitimate cases to be picked.
This story only includes players from New England.
Let’s dive in.
