Big Keaton Verhoeff is name you need to know for the 2026 NHL Draft

We may still be in 2024, but if you know our Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis, he’s not only focused on the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft, but he’s already got his eyes on players set to be drafted in 2026.

One of those players is Keaton Verhoeff, a 6’4″, right-shot defenseman who currently plays for the Victoria Royals in the Western Hockey League. He not only brings size and defensive prowess to his game, but also some offensive flair with 5 goals and 11 points in 14 games.

Ellis talked more about Verhoeff’s game during the Next Wave segment on Daily Faceoff Live.

Steven Ellis: It’s been really fun watching Keaton Verhoeff this year. I got to talk to him at the under 17s and I said, “Hey, I noticed you were playing goalie a few years ago.” He said around the time he was 12, 13 years old, he switched from primarily playing goalie during the season to being a defenseman, and part of that was he said he wanted to impact the game a bit more with the puck.

Now, I’d say goalies are probably the most impactful position because they’re the ones who can lose a game or win a game, but when it comes to Verhoeff, the fact he’s been able to transition into such a great defenseman at a young age is a really good sign. He’s on pace of 50 points as a draft minus one player. That’s pretty hard to do. We are seeing a lot more offensive defense in the WHL, but that’s really not his game.

He has five goals, but he’s still that shutdown defense, he’s still been blocking shots, hitting players, and being a physical presence that really makes him intriguing. So we’re gonna hear him drafted quite high in 2026.

You can watch the full episode here…