DuPont opens the season at No. 1 on Craig’s List

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button firmly believes that University of Michigan defenceman Landon DuPont has earned the No. 1 spot on his September list for the 2027 NHL Draft.

DuPont had a dominant 2025-26 campaign with the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips, scoring 18 goals with 73 points in 63 regular-season games. He then helped the Silvertips win the WHL title and reach the Memorial Cup Final before losing to the Kitchener Rangers.

The 17-year-old is fresh off captaining Canada to gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August, where he had eight points in five games.

DuPont was also ranked No. 1 in TSN’s pre-season draft ranking, receiving all nine first-place votes.

“Landon does so many things in the games that, I don’t want to say they’re unorthodox, but it just speaks to his ability to see the game and through his own lens and then impact the game,” said Button.

“When he goes out on the ice, everything is a blank canvas. He’s going to think, look and then he’s going to dictate.”

DuPont was the ninth player to get exceptional status to enter the Canadian Hockey League a year early and has the chance to be the fifth to also go first overall in the NHL Draft after John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard.

At No. 2 on Button’s list is forward Nazar Privalov, who is skating in the KHL with CSKA Moscow this season.

In 2025-26, he scored 30 goals with 49 points in 51 games with Krasnaya Armiya Moskva in the MHL, winning best rookie.

“To me, it’s Matt Boldy,” said Button of Privalov’s game. “There’s nothing he can’t do in the game. He makes things really difficult for opponents because they always say, ‘Oh, he takes what you give him.’ Well, that’s great, he’ll take what you give him, but he wants more.”

The No. 3-ranked player is another Russian forward in Sergei Skvortsov. The 17-year-old has a goal and an assist in six games with the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod to start the season.

“We’re talking silky, smooth, confident, skilled,” said Button of Skvortsov. “Honestly, the first time I saw him play it was like he has so many of the similarities to David Pastrnak.

“Oh, is he good. The smallest of openings, he makes them big. He turns them into something so much larger than what’s there because he’s quick with his head. His hands are great, and then he’s got the ability with his skating, agility and quickness to attack quickly.”

Quebec Remparts centre Carter Meyer is ranked No. 4, and Button has the top four on his list in their own tier.

Meyer asked for his release from the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) over the summer to join the QMJHL. He has four points in his first two games with the Remparts.

“Carter is highly skilled, he’s edgy,” said Button. “He’s a player that grabs the game by the scruff of its neck. You need a physical play? He’ll be physical. You need a skill play? He’ll be skilled. You need an edgy play? He’ll do it.

“That’s how [Mark] Messier played the game. Messier grabbed the game by the scruff of its neck and he wasn’t deterred. I think Carter Meyer has those qualities.”

Rounding out the top five is Saginaw Spirit forward Dima Zhilkin, who scored 36 goals with 75 points in 59 regular-season games in 2025-26 and was named team captain.

Last season, he helped Canada win bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and was named a top-three player for Canada at the U18s after scoring five goals with seven points in five games.

Zhilkin said in an interview with TSN’s Mark Masters on Sept. 10 that he enjoys being an agitator after racking up 100 penalty minutes last season.

“It just shows my competitiveness,” Zhilkin said. “I’m not afraid to go into battle against those big guys and show that side of my game. It’s part of the game. It’s fun and I love doing it. I love getting under people’s skin, and if that helps me in my game and maybe sets them back it’s almost like an advantage.”

“He’s Brad Marchand all day long,” said Button. “He is a really good player. In a league now where that element is less common, he has it in abundance.

“He’s not interested in going out and participating. He’s in there to make a difference.”

A player that Button plans to keep close tabs on this season is Saint John Sea Dogs centre Alexis Joseph, who comes in at No. 10.

Joseph had a good rookie year in 2025-26, scoring 24 goals with 60 points in 54 games and had a dominant U17 tournament where he had 13 points in five games.

But Joseph struggled at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August, notching just three points in five games and was dropped down to the fourth line for the gold-medal game. Button has one area for Joseph to focus on in his development this season.

“Alexis Joseph has talent. I thought he was a guy that certainly could be in the mix for first overall and right he’s going through some of those growing pains, so to speak,” said Button.

“If I’m going to be specific on it, [he] can’t slow down the game anymore. He’s got the brain. He’s got the hands. His pace of play has to be way higher.”

The USNTDP had just one player go in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft with Wyatt Cullen off to the Nashville Predators at No. 10.

This year’s cohort looks stronger, with centre Nolan Fitzhenry (No. 16), defenceman Ben Geiger (No. 23) and winger Finn Sears (No. 30) all ranked in Button’s top 32.

Button compares Fitzhenry to 2025 second-overall pick Michael Misa of the San Jose Sharks.

“Fitzhenry is a good player,” said Button. “He gives me Michael Misa vibes. He’s that smart, he’s that gifted. Every time he’s on the ice, something positive happens. He’s got that type of skills.

“Let’s put it this way: When Nikita Kucherov talks about low IQ, he ain’t talking about Nolan Fitzhenry.”

Craig’s List - September 23