Landon DuPont is locked in as the 1st overall pick in 2027, being that he is a generational type defensive prospect and has distanced himself from the rest of the draft eligible prospects. With that said, the 2nd overall pick is still very much up for grabs and there are a few players in competition for that spot including Dima Zhilkin, Nazar Privalov, Sergei Skvortsov, and Jonah Neuenschwander.
1 Dima Zhilkin (RW) Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Zhilkin has entirely changed the narrative at the top of the 2027 draft class. Corey Pronman of The Athletic has him tightly bunched with DuPont at the very top of the board, and Jason Bukala of Sportsnet explicitly ranked him 2nd overall. He is dominating the CHL scoring race with an explosive, high-tempo start to the season. What sets him apart for scouts isn’t just his skill, but a relentless, pro-grade motor. Despite an average frame, he plays an aggressive, heavy brand of hockey and goes into high-traffic areas fearlessly.
2 Nazar Privalov (LW/C) CSKA Moscow (KHL)
For teams building through size and strength, Privalov remains a premier option, holding the No. 2 spot on Bleacher Report’s mock draft and Craig Button’s early rankings. You cannot teach his 6-foot-4, 227-pound frame combined with an elite shooting touch. He projects as an unstoppable top-line modern power forward. The only catch is his contract status, keeping him in the KHL through 2030, which may force an NHL general manager to weigh immediate help against long-term elite upside.
3 Sergei Skvortsov (LW) Torpedo Nizhny Novgood (KHL)
Ranked 2nd overall by Tankathon’s big board, Skvortsov is the ultimate prize for teams looking for dynamic elite speed and creative puck-handling. He is an offensive spark plug who processes the game multiple plays ahead of his opponents. Already playing against men in the KHL, his elite transition game and playmaking make him a threat every time he steps onto the ice.
4 Carter Meyer (C) Quebec Ramparts
As the top American-born skater in the class, Meyer’s competitive ceiling makes him an enticing candidate for a franchise centerpiece. He has high-end operation speed, high-IQ pass navigation, and a fierce, physical motor. Because the 2027 draft drop-off happens relatively quickly after the top tier, a center who plays with his level of nastiness and elite playmaking poise could separate himself if he dominates the QMJHL scoring race this winter.
5 Milan Sundstrom (C) MoDo Hockey (Sweden U20)
The Swedish center has the family pedigree and the complete 200-foot profile that NHL general managers fall in love with on draft day. At 6-foot-3 and nearly 208 pounds, Sundström plays an error-free, positionally flawless style that draws comparisons to elite NHL shutdown pivots. Because he has already been granted rare exceptional status to dominate the Swedish U20 circuit, any multi-point breakout stretch while logging minutes against men in Sweden could skyrocket his draft premium.
6 Brock Cripps D Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
If a team decides they strictly want a franchise defenseman but miss out on Landon DuPont, Cripps is the ultimate fallback option. The 2027 draft class is notoriously thin on high-end blue-liners, with early-season boards featuring as few as six defensemen in the entire first round. Cripps is an elite right-shot defenseman who has exploded in the WHL, logging 19 points in his first 16 games. In a draft starved for high-end defense, positional scarcity alone could push an elite point-producing blue-liner like Cripps right to the top of the board.
