COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Three draft-eligible freshmen in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) were among NHL Central Scouting’s top ‘Preliminary Players to Watch List’ for the 2026 NHL Draft, which was released on Monday.

North Dakota defenseman Keaton Verhoeff earned an ‘A’ rating on NHL Central Scouting’s list, while Arizona State defenseman Lincoln Kuehne and Miami forward Ilia Morozov both garnered ‘B’ ratings. An ‘A’ rating indicates an NHL Draft first-round candidate, while a ‘B’ rating indicates a second or third-round candidate in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Verhoeff is one of only 27 draft-eligible players worldwide to receive an ‘A’ rating, while Kuehne and Morozov are among 53 players to get a ‘B’ rating. NHL Central Scouting also includes a ‘C’ rating for fourth/fifth-round candidates and a ‘W’ rating for sixth and seventh-round candidates. Ten skaters committed to NCHC teams for the 2026-27 season also received a ‘B’ rating, while several others earned a ‘C’ or ‘W’ rating.

Verhoeff (Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta) is a projected top-five pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and has started his college career at North Dakota strong. The 17-year-old already has two goals and an assist on the year, with points in three of four games. Last season, Verhoeff played for Victoria in the Western Hockey League (WHL), totaling 45 points from the blue line in 63 games as a 16-year-old.

Kuehne (Fargo, N.D.) has played in all six games for the Sun Devils this season and is still looking for his first collegiate point. Last year, the 17-year-old defensive blueliner recorded 10 points in 61 games for the U.S. National Team Development Program. The 6-foot-2 defenseman also won a bronze medal with the U.S. U-18 National Team at the U-18 Men’s World Championship in May.

Morozov (Moscow, Russia) started his college career with a bang, earning NCHC Rookie of the Week honors in his second week with the RedHawks. The 17-year-old already has seven points in four games this year, including three goals and four assists. He has points in three of four Miami games so far, including a pair of three-point outings. Last year, Morozov recorded 22 points (11g/11a) in 59 games for the Tri-City Storm in the USHL as a 16-year-old.

Morozov is the youngest player in college hockey this season, while Verhoeff is the second-youngest. Kuehne is the fifth-youngest player in college hockey in 2025-26.

NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch list is a compilation of draft-eligible prospects from all the junior and developmental leagues throughout North America and Europe. The list is updated throughout the season as scouts evaluate players.