As the 2026 NHL Draft field continues to take shape, three CHL standouts are pushing their way into early first-round conversations. Prince Albert’s Daxon Rudolph is pairing a pro-ready frame with rapidly growing offensive impact, building on a strong rookie year and emerging as one of the WHL’s most reliable young defensemen. In Spokane, Mathis Preston continues to shine when stakes rise—his production may be modest, but his track record at major events keeps him firmly among the top forward prospects. And in Rouyn-Noranda, Lars Steiner is backing up last season’s breakout with efficient, near point-per-game play after returning from injury.
Together, the trio showcases the range of high-end talent developing across the CHL—and why each remains a key name to monitor as the 2026 draft class starts to take shape.
Daxon Rudolph | RD | Prince Albert Raiders
Prince Albert Raiders defenseman Daxon Rudolph is the ninth-ranked skater on the Draft Prospects Hockey 2026 Prospect Rankings. The Lacombe, AB native caught scouts’ eyes in his WHL rookie campaign in 2024-25. He produced 41 points (seven goals, 34 assists) in 64 regular season games and followed it up with 12 points (a goal, 11 assists) in 12 games.
The 6-foot-2, 203 pound rearguard already has a pro build, and his continued growth offensively in his second major junior season should keep him in the top half of the first half of the 2026 NHL Draft. Rudolph added six points (three goals, three assists) in four games this past week to bring his total up to 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 27 games this season.
He was instrumental in helping Prince Albert claim a victory over Edmonton to finish the week. With the score tied at two with just over five minutes left to go in the second period, Rudolph saw an opportunity and jumped up quickly on a breakout. He took a pass in stride at center ice and sped in alone on goal, firing a wrist shot up and over the goalie’s blocker-side shoulder and breaking the tie. In overtime with his team on a 4-on-3 power play, he parked himself beside the net and redirected a pass into an almost empty net.
Mathis Preston | C | Spokane Chiefs
Spokane Chiefs center Mathis Preston played a big-time role for Team Canada White at the 2024 U-17 World Challenge. He scored a tournament-leading six goals, but none bigger than his game-winning one-timer against Canada Red in the final.
Preston hasn’t had the kind of production in his draft year that jumps off the page: 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 27 games, but he has continued to impress on some of the biggest stages. He was Team CHL’s top scorer at the second-ever CHL vs. Team USA Prospects showcase, with a goal and two assists, and tied for the team lead in points as Canada won a bronze medal at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky tournament.
Preston, the eighth-ranked skater on Draft Prospects Hockey’s 2026 Prospect Rankings, helped his team to three wins in four games this past week, with four points. He averaged five shots per game, with a high of eight against the Swift Current Broncos . The 5-foot-11 middle man used his signature one-timer on the power play to give his team a 5-4 lead late in the third period.
Lars Steiner | RW | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)
Rouyn-Noranda winger Lars Steiner is a name to watch from the Quebec Maritimes junior circuit for the 2026 NHL Draft. The Switzerland native was on the CHL’s All-Rookie team last season after posting 60 points (23 goals, 37 assists) in 57 games. Despite missing 12 games with an upper body injury earlier this season, he has come back and is producing at almost a point-per-game pace.
Steiner fired four shots on goal while picking up a goal and an assist in his team’s first game of the week against Charlottetown. He was held off the scoresheet against Moncton in his second game of the week despite taking nine shots.
The 20th ranked skater on Draft Prospects Hockey’s 2026 Prospect Rankings polished off the week with an insurance marker to help his team defeat Halifax 4-2. The 5-foot-10 winger found some open space in the defense and one-timed a pass into the net to help give his team the two-goal cushion midway through the third period.