Directly following DuPont, a trio of dynamic Russian prospects dominate the top of the board. Leading the pack down the middle are Carter Meyer, Alexis Joseph, Sammy Nelson, Milan Sundstrom, and Brock England.
Related: High-End Russian Star Players
Carter Meyer (C) Quebec Ramparts (QMJHL)
Carter Meyer is the highest-ranked American-born prospect for the 2027 NHL Entry Draft, with early consensus rankings placing him consistently in the top 5 to top 10. After a stellar run with the U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP), the 17-year-old center made a major developmental leap by moving to the QMJHL to play for the Québec Remparts. He is committed to playing college hockey at Boston University down the road. Meyer is a premiere, pass-first playmaker with highly advanced offensive instincts. He slows the game down, dictates the tempo from the half-wall, and routinely executes highly accurate, complex passes through tight defensive lanes. Meyer is a player who “grabs the game by the scruff of its neck”. He brings a high-end competitive motor to every shift, hunting down pucks aggressively on the forecheck and playing a dependable, 200-foot defensive game. The son of former NHL defenseman Freddy Meyer, Carter plays with an old-school physical edge. Standing 6-foot-1 and 179 pounds, he is exceptionally strong over his skates, uses his body effectively to protect the puck in small areas, and relishes heavy wall-work and physical contact. He has a powerful, long skating stride that gives him high-end operational speed. Combined with incredibly soft hands, he can shield the puck from defenders at full velocity, making him a nightmare to dispossess on the rush. As he adjusts to life in the QMJHL, scouts want to see him consistently manage the structural flow of a team system across all three zones rather than attempting to over-engineer high-risk skill plays on every sequence. While he possesses an impressively quick, accurate wrist shot and great finishing instincts near the crease, his default mindset is heavily tilted toward playmaking. Scouts would love to see him weaponize his own shot more frequently to keep defenses guessing. Meyer projects cleanly as a franchise top-six, two-way NHL center capable of anchoring both a top power-play unit and a primary penalty kill. Stylistically, he models his complete, 200-foot game after San Jose Sharks star Macklin Celebrini, while channeling Nikita Kucherov for his spatial anticipation and elite playmaking poise.
Alexis Joseph (C) Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
Alexis Joseph is widely regarded as one of the premier North American center prospects for the 2027 NHL Entry Draft, tracking consistently as a projected top-10 pick. A former No. 1 overall pick in the QMJHL draft, the towering pivot anchors the Saint John Sea Dogs and serves as an alternate captain for Team Canada’s U18 squad. Despite his size, Joseph doesn’t play like a rigid, old-school grinder. He possesses exceptionally soft hands, high-end offensive processing, and a level of dual-threat coordination that allows him to execute subtle, deceptive playmaking maneuvers at high speeds. He plays an advanced, highly mature, two-way game. Coaches rely heavily on him in all scenarios, utilizing his long reach and high spatial intelligence to break up plays on the penalty kill and clean up defensive zone coverage. He burst onto the national radar by dominating the World U-17 Hockey Challenge with 13 points in 5 games. He followed that up with a strong 60-point rookie campaign in the QMJHL for a rebuilding Saint John roster. While his overall mobility and stride mechanics are balanced and fluid for a player of his size, early-season scout reports note that his pure, straight-line acceleration and top-end pace need refinement to adjust to professional transition speeds. Scouts noted that Joseph had a somewhat quiet, underwhelming performance at the summer Hlinka Gretzky Cup despite Canada winning gold. Talent evaluators want to see him consistently bring an intense, high-impact drive to every single shift rather than letting his impact wander. Joseph projects as a premium top-six, two-way NHL power center. Stylistically, his combination of massive frame, elite hockey IQ, and soft playmaking hands down the middle has drawn lofty comparisons to Evgeni Malkin and Leo Carlsson.
Sammy Nelson (C/W) Notre Dame (NCAA)
Sammy Nelson is projected as a consensus first-round talent for the 2027 NHL Entry Draft, tracking consistently in the top 10 to top 15. After a dominant run with the U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP), the 17-year-old forward accelerated his academic timeline to join the University of Notre Dame a season early, playing alongside his older brothers, Danny and Henry. Standing 6-foot-2 and 193 pounds, Nelson already possesses the physical dimensions of a modern NHL forward. He is exceptionally strong over his skates, allowing him to absorb contact along the boards, shield the puck under heavy pressure, and comfortably win interior ice battles against older NCAA competition. Scouts frequently laud Nelson as an incredibly intelligent, high-IQ offensive driver. He plays a highly active, high-tempo game, handling the puck seamlessly at full speed and generating dangerous transition looks off the rush. Nelson is highly versatile, combining a lethal, heavy shot (scoring 27 goals for the NTDP U18 squad) with pristine playmaking vision. He operates as an effective weapon on the power play and is remarkably dominant in the faceoff circle, logging a 56% win rate down the dot in junior play. USA Hockey coaches heavily praise Nelson for his advanced, detailed defensive habits. He takes distinct pride in playing both sides of the puck, backchecking hard, throwing heavy hits, and fearlessly blocking shots in his own zone. Because Nelson plays a highly demanding physical and high-tempo game, scouts note that his biggest developmental focus as a true freshman in college is maintaining that elite level of detail and intensity across every single shift. Nelson missed the 2026 NHL Draft eligibility window by just a few days (September 19 birthday). Because he is one of the oldest players in the 2027 class, some talent evaluators analyze his upside closely against younger peers with a slightly longer developmental runway. Nelson projects as a highly impactful middle-six or top-six NHL two-way forward. Nelson is off to an exceptional start in his draft year, scoring the game-winning goal in Notre Dame’s 2026–27 season opener, and is locked in as a premier piece for Team USA at the upcoming World Juniors.
Milan Sundstrom (C) MoDo Hockey (Sweden U20)
Milan Sundström has solidified his position as one of the premier European prospects for the 2027 NHL Entry Draft. Consistently ranked as a consensus top-10 talent (and climbing as high as a top-5 pick on some boards), the 17-year-old center plays a mature, professional-grade game for MoDo Hockey. He recently made waves by becoming one of only two players granted exceptional status to play underage in Sweden’s U20 league. Scouts universally label Sundström as an exceptionally smart, poised, and detailed player. He reads the ice multiple steps ahead, possessing an innate ability to slow the game down with the puck on his stick to let high-danger lanes develop. Standing 6-foot-2 (to 6-foot-3) and weighing nearly 200 pounds, Sundström already carries a pro-ready frame. He excels at pulling pucks off the wall, using his body to shield possession down low, and winning a staggering 60% of his puck battles and faceoffs. He features a high-end toolkit that blends seamless, cross-lane seam passing with a heavy, deceptive wrist shot. He proved his game-breaking capabilities at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, notably going viral for a spectacular coast-to-coast overtime winner against Slovakia where he blew past three defenders. Heavily trusted by his coaches, Sundström plays a complete 200-foot game. He is deeply committed to hard backchecking, taking intelligent defensive positioning routes, and actively disrupting opposing transition lanes with an active stick. While his edge work, top speed, and straight-line mechanics are incredibly fluid for his size, Sundström has explicitly noted that he is focusing on sharpening his explosive first-step acceleration. Naturally unselfish, he has a heavy pass-first bias. Talent evaluators want to see him weaponize his excellent release more frequently instead of over-passing out of prime scoring areas. The son of former NHL forward Niklas Sundström, who was selected 8th overall in 1993 and played 10 seasons across the Rangers, Sharks, and Canadiens. If Milan goes in the first round as projected, they will make history as the first-ever Swedish father-son duo to both be selected in the first round. Sundström projects confidently as a premium, top-line NHL two-way center. EliteProspects compared his playing style to a highly skilled, positionally flawless “cerebral tactician”.
Brock England (C) Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Brock England is widely considered one of the elite North American center prospects for the 2027 NHL Entry Draft, tracking consistently as a projected top-10 lock. The 17-year-old center plays for the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds and made headlines by scoring 21 goals as a rookie—the most by a 16-year-old Thunderbird since franchise legend Patrick Marleau in 1995–96. Because of his high-octane offensive capabilities, he was recently named to Team CHL for the 2026 CHL USA Prospects Challenge. The Best Skater in the Draft: Scouts universally praise England’s footwork. He possesses unmatched, elite straight-line acceleration and a textbook mechanical base. His edge work and agility allow him to seamlessly change vectors mid-stride, backing defenders up on the rush. England’s speed isn’t just an offensive weapon; it drives his 200-foot game. He is always engaged in the play, using his footwork to chase down opponents, disrupt passing lanes, force high-turnover rates, and execute clean defensive-zone exits. With the puck on his stick, he is an intelligent facilitator. He slows the tempo just enough to slice open structural defenses and is notoriously dangerous at navigating small-area traffic on the power play. He has an established history of elevating his game when the lights are brightest. He captured gold at the 2025 World U17 Hockey Challenge and followed it up by scoring two goals in Canada’s dominant 8–1 gold-medal win over the U.S. at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Standing 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, England has a highly athletic frame but will need to continue packing on muscle to win heavy physical containment battles against NHL-sized matching pivots. Because he operates at such an extreme velocity, he can occasionally rush a look from a lower-danger area rather than letting the structure fully open up. If England’s offensive game doesn’t explode at the next level, his highly competitive “B-game” and defensive tenacity alone make him a safe bet to be an impactful pro. He projects confidently as a top-line or high-end top-six two-way NHL center.
