Meet Minnesota’s 2026 NHL draft prospects

A handful of Minnesotans will hope to walk across the KeyBank Center stage in Buffalo, N.Y., and slip an NHL jersey over their suits June 26-27.

For some, the dream of being drafted is becoming closer to a reality after NHL Central Scouting announced its final ranking of the top North American skaters on April 16.

Of the 224 players listed, 18 are from Minnesota with five of them recently completing the high school season. Players in the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP) like Moorhead’s Wyatt Cullen, Rogers’ Jayden Kurtz and Andover’s Kent (KJ) Sauer jumped up in the standings compared to the mid-season rankings list.

Others — including Caleb Pittsley (Hometown: Edina), Phoenix Cahill (Cottage Grove), Nick Nelson (Monticello), Nate Celski (White Bear Lake) and Luke Puchner (New Germany) — are no longer in the prospect pool.

Here are the Minnesotans who hope to hear their names announced:

Wyatt Cullen

Rank: 13

Hometown: Moorhead

Current team: USNTDP

Wyatt is following in the footsteps of his father, Matt Cullen, who was drafted 35th overall in the 1996 NHL draft. The 17-year-old forward and Gopher commit jumped from 23rd in the NHL Central Scouting’s midseason rankings to 13th and is expected to be selected in the first round of the draft in June.

Cullen logged 12 goals and 22 assists in 34 games on the 2025-26 U.S. National Team Development Program’s under-18 roster.

Victor Plante

Rank: 42

Hometown: Hermantown

Team: USNTDP

Cullen isn’t the only USNTDP player expected to have their name called in the draft. Plante, scoring 19 goals and 40 points for the under-18 team this season, is 42nd in line, a slight drop from his midseason rank of 36th. He will join brothers Zam and Max (the Hobey Baker winner) at Minnesota Duluth next season.

Jayden Kurtz

Rank: 61

Hometown: Rogers

Current team: Rogers HS, Chicago Steel (USHL)

At 6-3 with an eye for both offensive and defensive plays, Rogers defenseman Jayden Kurtz was a standout during the 2025-26 high school hockey season. He recorded 13 goals and 28 points for Rogers as alternate captain and scored three points in the USHL playing for the Chicago Steel. The University of Wisconsin commit is ranked 61st, up from a 77th place in the midseason rankings.

Kyle Heger

Rank: 66

Hometown: Eagan

Current team: Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)

A defenseman, Heger played his high school hockey career at Shattuck-St. Mary’s before joining the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, followed by the Lethbridge Hurricanes during the 2025-26 season. The Western Michigan University commit scored six goals and 20 points in 29 games for the Hurricanes.

Mikey Berchild

Rank: 77

Hometown: Minnetonka

Current team: USNTDP

Berchild played on Minnetonka’s Bantam AA team before joining Shattuck-St. Mary’s and being selected as a USNTDP. The forward and University of Denver commit scored 19 goals and 46 points during the 2025-26 season.

Parker Trottier

Rank: 79

Hometown: Edina

Current team: USNTDP

After playing for Edina’s Bantam AA team, Trottier attended Shattuck-St. Mary’s and joined the USNTDP. The Notre Dame commit scored 11 goals and 24 points for the under-18 team during the 2025-26 season.

Dylan Dean

Rank: 88

Hometown: Maple Grove

Current team: Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)

Dean grew up playing for Osseo-Maple Grove’s youth teams before heading to Rhode Island and Long Island to play hockey. The 17-year-old forward and University of Maine commit spent the past season in the WHL on the Edmonton Oil Kings roster, racking up 15 goals and 29 points.

Kent (KJ) Sauer

Rank: 92

Hometown: Andover

Current team: Andover HS, Lincoln Stars (USHL)

Of all Minnesotans, Sauer made the biggest leap in the rankings. When the 6-foot-4 forward made the midseason rankings, his name was listed at the bottom without a rank and marked as “limited viewing.” Sauer logged 25 points for Andover during the 2025-26 high school hockey season before heading to the Lincoln Stars, where he has scored five points in just as many games.

Joe Erickson

Rank: 100

Hometown: Mound

Current team: Blake HS, Chicago Steel (USHL)

An All-Minnesota standout, Erickson had a senior high school hockey season to remember: racking up 64 points. The Blake captain joined the Chicago Steel postseason, where he recorded a single assist.

Bode Laylin

Rank: 131

Hometown: St. Michael

Current team: Tri-City Storm (USHL)

Laylin spent most of his high school hockey career on the Northstar Christian Academy roster in Alexandria before joining the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. The 18-year-old defenseman and University of St. Thomas commit put up 38 points for the Storm this past season.

AJ Francisco

Rank: 132

Hometown: Hermantown

Current team: USNTDP

There are few players who can say they are both a defenseman and a forward. AJ Francisco is one of them. The USNTDP player got his start at Hermantown before joining the national program. This season, the Notre Dame commit scored 34 points.

Teddy Lechner

Rank: 136

Hometown: Bloomington

Current team: Holy Angels HS

Teddy Lechner was one of the many high schoolers who had a brief pre-season stint in junior hockey before returning to their hometown hockey teams. The defenseman and Augustana University commit competed for the USNTDP and the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks before returning to the Academy of Holy Angels roster and racking up 38 points.

Jack Kultgen

Rank: 191

Hometown: Chanhassen

Current team: Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)

Kultgen played three seasons for Shakopee, tallying up 49 total points, before heading to the USHL for the 2025-26 season. The defenseman scored eight points in 52 games, including one goal and seven assists.

Bobby Cowan

Rank: 197

Hometown: Edina

Current team: Western Michigan University

Cowan led Edina in goals during his 2023-24 senior hockey season. The 19-year-old forward then went to play in the USHL for a year, scoring 51 points in 57 games. He racked up 24 points as a freshman at Western Michigan University.

Jimmy Rieber

Rank: 208

Hometown: Woodbury

Current team: Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)

Rieber spent most of his hockey career playing for the Chicago Reapers, but he hails from Woodbury. The right-handed defenseman and Miami University (Ohio) commit joined the Waterloo Black Hawks for the 2025-26 season where he logged 11 points.

Ethan Sturgis

Rank: 209

Hometown: Minnetonka

Current team: Minnetonka HS, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)

Sturgis had a memorable year as a forward for Minnetonka. His 32 points in 30 games helped carry the Skippers to the state tournament final game. The Dartmouth commit joined the Gamblers in the USHL post-season.

Goalie rankings

Carter Casey

Rank: 26

Hometown: Grand Rapids

Current team: Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

A Gophers commit, Casey joined the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL after putting up a .920 save percentage for Grand Rapids during the 2024-25 season. After 28 games in the WHL, the Gophers commit’s stats sit at 3.02 goals against average and a .882 save percentage.

Luke Carrithers

Rank: 28

Hometown: Maple Grove

Current team: USNTDP

Carrithers played bantam for Osseo-Maple Grove before heading to the Sioux Falls Power and then the USNTDP. The Western Michigan University commit recorded 3.53 goals against average and a .884 save percentage for the under-18 team during the 2025-26 season.