What Happened
A Sportsnet scouting analysis places defenceman Landon DuPont at No. 1 among pre-season prospects for the 2027 NHL Draft. DuPont, a 6-foot, 190-pound right shot, moved to the NCAA for his draft season after two years with the Everett Silvertips in the WHL. Through four games at the University of Michigan, he has five assists and a plus-7 rating while running the top power-play unit.
Key Details
- DuPont posted 35 goals and 98 assists in 127 WHL regular-season games with Everett.
- He added 10 goals and 28 assists in 28 WHL playoff games over two seasons.
- At Michigan he has averaged nearly 19 minutes and 19 shifts per game.
- He quarterbacks the Wolverines' top power-play unit and has a secondary penalty-kill role.
- The scout expects DuPont to keep the top pre-season ranking through next June.
What It Means
DuPont is being evaluated against older NCAA competition after dominating the WHL, and the early results have not changed his standing. The scout's value system emphasizes playing fast, off-puck understanding and competitiveness, and rates DuPont's marks in those areas as the most elite in the class. That combination of offensive production and defensive engagement is why he remains the top name to track before the 2027 draft.
What's Next
Draft rankings are expected to shift between now and next June, but the scout does not anticipate DuPont losing the top pre-season spot. His NCAA season at Michigan continues, with his play there serving as the primary evaluation ahead of the 2027 NHL Draft.