Russia’s 2026 NHL Draft Class Is Loaded - And Scouts Know It

Russia always makes this part of draft season feel a little less tidy and a lot more interesting. The top end of this class brings the kind of skill that gets scouts leaning forward in their seats, but the real debate starts once you move past the obvious names and into the players who might take a little longer to cross the Atlantic. NHL teams love the upside, hate the uncertainty, and usually spend the spring arguing about which Russian prospect is worth the wait.