The landscape for the 2026 NHL Draft lottery has shifted pretty dramatically over this past few days.
An outburst of activity on the trade block in this past 48 hours or so involving first-round draft picks has greatly reshaped the draft order a few days before teams will start making picks in the lottery this upcoming weekend. That has forced most mock drafts for the 2026 draft to be re-visited going into this upcoming weekend.
The 2026 NHL Draft features a deep group of blue-line prospects, headlined by Chase Reid and Carson Carels
With all of the changes in the draft order this week, the Los Angeles Kings and general manager Ken Holland are still picking 17th overall in the first round of the 2026 draft.
We've already ranked the top 10 centers and wingers in the 2026 draft class. Now we turn our attention to the blue line on defense and the top goalie prospects in this draft class.
Here's a look at the ranking of the top 10 best defensemen in the 2026 draft class.
10. Nikita Shcherbakov (Neftekamsk, MHL)
The big 6-foot-5 Russian defender Nikita Shcherbakov turned heads this past season with his combination of size, physicality, and skating ability. Shcherbakov uses his size and length well to disrupt plays and shut down opposing offensive threats in the zone defensively.
This past year, Shcherbakov started out playing in the KHL, but he played a tier down for the second half of the 2025-26 season. His fluidity and skating ability in transition will help him adjust his game to the next level, which is integral given his size at 6-foot-5. He'll need to improve his puck-moving decisions and consistency while playing away from the puck to really maximize his skill set at the next level.
9. Xavier Villeneuve (Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)
Few defensemen in this 2026 draft class have the offensive upside that Xavier Villeneuve brings to the table. Because of his size at 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, Villeneuve probably won't be picked in the draft lottery in the first round this weekend. But that doesn't mean that he's a bad prospect or won't be successful at the next level.
Villeneuve brings great playmaking ability and skill on the offensive end of the ice. Any shortcomings he has in terms of his frame and length he makes up for with his dynamic skill and stickhandling on the offensive side of the ice.
Injury history is a potential point of concern for scouts going into the draft this weekend for Villeneuve.
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