The hockey landscape changes almost daily. Whether it is the youth level, junior hockey, college hockey or the professional ranks, things are in a constant state of evolution. There’s good and bad with that.
One thing we can count on: There will be a 2027 NHL Draft. Two years from now, the late ’08s and most of the ’09s will be eligible to be drafted by NHL teams.
We’re far away from it, but early signs point to a rather strong showing from New Englanders. It’s not an exaggeration to say there could be two or more first-round picks. The last time that happened was in 2023 when Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.) and Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.) went inside the top 10.
Obviously, things have to go right. The players in this story face two long years with higher levels of play. One of the high-end players in this story likely will be playing his draft year in college.
But who are some of the players we should have our eyes on for the 2027 NHL Draft? To be eligible to be picked in 2027, players have to have been born between Jan. 1, 2007, and Sept. 15, 2009. Only first-year eligible players from New England are mentioned in this story.
Let’s dive in.
Potential high picks
Carter Meyer
U.S. NTDP U-17, 4/10/2009, F, left shot, 6-0/161
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
A Rivers product, Meyer was the best player at U.S. National Team Development Program Evaluation Camp earlier this year. If he continues on that track of being the best (or one of the best) among the ’09s with the NTDP, he should be a first-round pick. His shot is elite, his skill is elite and his hockey IQ is elite. Add in an ability to slow the game down as a play-driving center, and he should hear his name called early on Day 1 in the 2027 draft.
READ MORE:Â Our first 2026 NHL Draft rankings
Finn Sears
U.S. NTDP U-17, 5/4/2009, F, left shot, 6-0/165
Hometown: Medford, Mass.
Sears was one of the top players at NTDP Evaluation Camp earlier this season. He has high-end skating and an ability to take smart routes to get to scoring areas around the slot. He tallied 34 points in 30 games as an eighth-grader at Rivers last season and improved to 53 points in 28 games this past season as a freshman. If he continues to develop at this rate, he should be somewhere in the first two or three rounds.
Jamie Glance
U.S. NTDP U-18, 9/23/2008, F, right shot, 5-10/170
Hometown: Stratham, N.H.
NCAA: Boston University
Glance will likely play his draft year at Boston University, where he committed earlier this year. In his NTDP U-17 season, he posted 14 goals and 29 points in 51 games. Those are solid numbers playing against older, stronger players. A lot hinges on the next two years, but if Glance is a breakout player with the NTDP’s U18 team then continues to be effective at BU, he should be a pick in the first three rounds.
Jake Boguniecki
U.S. NTDP U-17, 4/22/2009, D, right shot, 6-2/161
Hometown: Orange, Conn.
Boguniecki made the NTDP because he’s a stable, reliable two-way defenseman. He defends his own zone with good gaps, a great stick and physicality. As he continues to gain more muscle and get bigger, that aspect of his game will improve. He also has an offensive touch, as was evident when he notched 13 goals and 71 points in 61 games for Mid Fairfield’s 15O team this season. His size and two-way abilities should make him sought after somewhere in the first three rounds two years from now.
Sam Pandolfo
U.S. NTDP U-17, 7/2/2009, F, left shot, 6-4/180
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Here’s the most interesting one. At 6-foot-4, what does Pandolfo, another Rivers standout, turn into in the next two seasons? Scouts are eager to see how much of his potential he can hit. His IQ, vision and 200-foot game are outstanding. The next big thing will be gaining more offensive confidence and creating scoring chances on his own. If that comes in at the NTDP, he could go as high as Round 1.
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Others to watch
Noah Survilas
Dexter Southfield, 12/27/2008, F, right shot, 5-11/170
Hometown: Winthrop, Mass.
Survilas has been a high producer at Dexter Southfield for the past two seasons, most recently notching 18 goals and 40 points in 28 games. Survilas can drive play from the wing with his speed and elite skill. He often can dictate the pace of the game when the puck is on his stick. In the 2024 USHL Phase 1 Draft, the Muskegon Lumberjacks snagged him in the third round.
Brody Berard
Mount St. Charles, 9/2/2009, D, right shot, 6-0/181
Hometown: Cumberland, R.I.
Berard was a surprising omission from NTDP Evaluation Camp this season, but that doesn’t mean he won’t fulfill his pro potential — far from it. Berard has the frame to be an intriguing shutdown defenseman at higher levels. He is physical, and his game should translate well to junior hockey and beyond.
Cam Minella
Brunswick, 8/29/2009, D, left shot, 5-11/155
Hometown: Darien, Conn.
Minella was at NTDP Evaluation Camp and showed really well as a puck-moving defenseman but didn’t make the team. He had an impressive 37 points in 34 games with Brunswick this winter and posted 68 points in 56 games for Mid Fairfield’s 15O team. He’s an expert at breaking the puck out and running a power play. He will need to spend the next two seasons getting stronger and rounding out his defensive game to fulfill his NHL Draft potential.
Ryan Kaczynski
Mid Fairfield, 7/8/2009, F, left shot, 6-0/170
Hometown: Norwalk, Conn.
So far, Kaczynski has been a high-end offensive force for Mid Fairfield. At the 15O level, he had an incredible 62 goals and 126 points in 64 games this season. He has outstanding skill, which is the driver of most of his offense. The biggest thing for him to work on will be his ability to get to inside ice. He was a first-round pick (19th overall) in the OHL Draft by the Soo Greyhounds.
Matthew Krayer
Saint John Sea Dogs, 10/22/2008, F, left shot, 5-10/170
Hometown: Concord, Mass.
Krayer opted to challenge himself this past season, going from Mount St. Charles’ 16-U team with 59 points in 35 games to the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs. He scored only two goals in 30 games. But if the Concord, Mass., native spends the next two seasons improving his output in junior hockey, he should be someone NHL teams consider come 2027.
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Caiden Pellegrino
St. Mark’s, 2/10/2009, F, left shot, 5-8/146
Hometown: Uxbridge, Mass.
What Pellegrino lacks in size, he more than makes up for in playmaking, vision and skill. In his first year of prep hockey, he registered 30 assists and 41 points in 30 games for St. Mark’s. For him to be a draft pick in two seasons, he will need to continue to get stronger and round out his two-way game.
