NHL Draft Week continues here at Sound Of Hockey with, arguably, my most anticipated post every year. Today, we have the Sound Of Hockey Big Board. As part of our draft process, we also published a midseason version of the Big Board, which you can check out here.

What is the Big Board? First, it’s a compilation of reputable draft analyst and public scouting service lists. This year, we gathered ranking data from 18 sources. From that list, we then build a “Big Board rank” using a calculation that weights the depth and accuracy of each source. More on that process below.

The Sound Of Hockey Big Board also provides information on each player’s measurements, statistics, and playing experience for the 2025-26 season, mostly drawn from Elite Prospects, NHL Central Scouting, and the NHL Draft Combine.

All told, the Sound Of Hockey Big Board covers more than 13,000 draft-eligible prospects. The version published here covers the top 500. The full version will be shared on the Sound Of Hockey Patreon.

Based on what we have seen, we continue to believe the Sound Of Hockey Big Board is the most comprehensive public source anywhere for draft-prospect information compiled in one place. It is also a pretty strong indicator of what teams across the NHL will do on draft day, particularly early on.

So, study the Big Board, bookmark it, share it, and return to it often throughout this week and as the picks start coming off the board at the 2026 NHL Draft begins Friday, June 26, at 4 p.m. PT.

Also, check out our video hub, which we believe is the most comprehensive source of prospect gameplay video available anywhere.

The Sound Of Hockey Big Board

Here is a summary of the top 500, including each player’s key information and 2025-26 scoring data from the highest league in which they appeared in at least 10 games.

And here is a full breakdown of the list-by-list rankings for the top 500.

Draft analyst and public scouting lists consulted

We used the following 18 sources to build the final 2026 Big Board:

• NHL Central Scouting
• Elite Prospects ($)
• McKeen’s ($)
• TSN (scouts poll)
• Dobber Prospects
• Smaht Scouting
• HockeyProspect.com
• Cam Robinson (scouts poll) ($)
• Tony Ferrari, The Hockey News
• Steven Ellis, DailyFaceoff
• Sam Tirpak, Pro Hockey Group
• Sam Cosentino, Sportsnet
• Craig Button, TSN
• Chris Peters, FloHockey
• Jason Bukala, Sportnet/Pro Hockey Group
• Scott Wheeler, The Athletic ($)
• Corey Pronman, The Athletic ($)
• Data Score, Sound Of Hockey

Big Board Rank Methodology

We consolidated the various rankings into a single composite ranking using a weighted geometric mean calculation. Why do we use a geometric mean? If you’re curious, you can find an applicable explanation from a different context here. Weights were assigned based on our assessment of the depth of experience, sourced reporting, and scouting insight reflected in the component lists themselves.

For example, TSN‘s list, which is built on conversations with scouts, receives more weight than a single journalist’s list. Likewise, the voluminous work done by independent scouts at Elite Prospects receives more weight, and so forth.

Sound Of Hockey‘s Data Score is utilized at the lowest weight, with the design of giving order to the full version of the list for players unranked by any of the other 17 sources consulted.

Caveats on using the Big Board 

At this point, a few more words on the Sound Of Hockey Big Board and its uses are likely in order.

1. As you scroll through the rankings on the Big Board, you will see that sometimes only the top five ranked prospects are identified. This is because those rankings are behind a paywall. To access Corey Pronman’s full ranking of prospects, for example, a subscription to The Athletic is required. While we utilized all of the individual rankings listed above to develop our composite list, we will not be sharing subscriber-only individual rankings.
   
   
2. As you get to the players’ 2025-26 data, you will note that the Big Board displays only the data from the highest league reached by each player. This is simply for ease of presentation.
   
   
3. The Big Board does not reflect our views on these prospects. We at Sound Of Hockey have read reports, watched some videos, and crunched a few numbers. I’ll be sharing more thoughts of my own before the draft, but that is not what the Big Board exercise is about. The Sound Of Hockey Big Board is a weighted tabulation of public draft rankings, scouting lists and analysis from across the hockey world. A player’s ranking has nothing to do with whether any of us here at Sound Of Hockey “like” the player or not.
   
   If you’re looking for more on our preferences, stay tuned this week. We also published a “data-only” watchlist earlier this spring. And we made a top-10 mock draft after the NHL Draft Lottery.
   
   
4. Finally, it bears emphasis that a composite ranking is not the be-all and end-all. In many ways, finding the “best” public list and trusting it is preferable. A consensus board cannot explain why one prospect is ranked higher than another, and it certainly cannot displace the work of scouts, draft reporters, or even number crunchers.
   
   But a composite ranking can provide some added information. Think of it as the cherry on top of the sundae, not the sundae itself.
   
   In the first year of this Big Board, I used the case of Brad Lambert as an example (coincidentally, the nephew of new Kraken head coach Lane Lambert). This year, Xavier Villeneuve or Ryan Roobroeck could be similarly instructive cases. These players are talented but viewed as risky for various reasons, leading to widely varying rankings on individual public boards. We synthesize that information with a composite approach that can exploit the wisdom of the crowd. Villeneuve’s final ranking, for example, may blend the upside and risk, placing him in a “fair” position.

Final thoughts

It is possible we see more surprises and chaos near the top of the first round than is typical. The top two players in this draft play the sport’s least valuable and easiest-to-obtain position (winger). After that, the draft offers a number of defensemen and two centers, all with clearly contrasting skill sets that could appeal to one team but not another. It will be fascinating to see how it plays out.

The 2026 NHL Draft kicks off with Round 1 on Friday, June 26, at 4:00 p.m. PT. Rounds 2 through 7 begin on Saturday at 9:00 a.m. PT. We will have plenty of coverage here leading up to, during, and after the draft.

What do you think? Any misses or other surprises in the rankings? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on X (@deepseahockey or @sound_hockey) or Bluesky (@deepseahockey or @soundofhockey.com).

Header photo of Daxon Rudolph by Evan Morud courtesy of the Everett Silvertips