2026 NHL Draft’s Ryan Lin might be small, but his impact isn’t

Oct 17, 2025, 13:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 16, 2025, 16:17 EDT

2026 NHL Draft’s Ryan Lin might be small, but his impact isn’t

Credit: Steven Ellis

There wasn’t a single defenseman under six-foot taken in the 2025 NHL Draft.

So that doesn’t bode all too well for 5-foot-11 Ryan Lin. But like the nickname for the team he plays for – the WHL’s Vancouver Giants – Lin’s impact on the ice is as big as it gets.

A projected first-round pick in 2026, Lin is one of a handful of exciting young defenders looking to go high next June. Slotted fourth in Daily Faceoff’s preseason rankings, Lin has received rave reviews for his play early on this season. He started hot out of the gate with five points in his first three games, and had a season-best four-point outing against Moose Jaw in a 5-3 win in early October.

Vancouver isn’t expected to be a serious championship contender this year, but Lin – on pace for 90 points – looks like an absolute beast. It isn’t too surprising, either. Lin had 53 points in 60 games with the club last season, good for third among all U-18 WHL defenders (and even ahead of projected No. 2 pick, Keaton Verhoeff).

“From the get-go, you saw the natural skill and the way he processed plays,” said one scout. “Just so smart. The way he moves and plays the puck, it’s what you’re looking for in a modern-day defenseman.”

Lin’s hot play didn’t go unnoticed by Hockey Canada. He played in the U-17 World Challenge in November and went on to win gold with the U-18 squad in Texas as one of the youngest players on the team. Lin said the experience last spring helped his confidence heading into the new campaign.

“I saw the level they were playing at, those guys who were fighting for their draft and looking good out there,” Lin said earlier this summer. “So I just took what they were doing, and I think it was good right before summer because I was able to take that into the summer, play at that level, get that pace, and bring it (into 2025-26).”

Lin rejoined Canada for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August. It didn’t go as expected for Canada, as the team finished with bronze. But Lin was one of the team’s brightest stars, registering five points in five games while displaying a reliable, effective two-way game.

Since then, Lin has continued to prove why scouts like him despite his slight frame. His decision-making is near the top in this draft class already, and he has the skating to burn guys. You put those together and it’s easy to understand why he has the puck so often. That possession game makes him lethal, allowing him to skate all over and beat just about anyone in 1-on-1 situations.

“There isn’t a more skilled defender in the first round this year,” said another scout.

Lin is great with the puck, but he does it all without sacrificing his defensive coverage. He does an excellent job of limiting mistakes in his own zone, typically keeping his game controlled and not totally free-wheeling like you’ll see from other smaller, skilled defenders. Scouts like his positioning, and some have noticed he’s a bit more physical this year. That’s still not Lin’s game, but he’s not a pushover like many perceived him to be in the past.

When it comes to smaller defenders, the one make-or-break-it trait tends to be skating. Lane Hutson and Jared Spurgeon entered the league on the smaller side but could outskate just about anyone. Their shiftiness and explosiveness have allowed them to break past size stereotypes and become instant impact players, especially in Hutson’s case.

But they’re the exception, and not the rule. Just ask Zac Jones – once a college star, the 24-year-old has struggled to stick around in the NHL ever since while standing at 5-foot-11.

Teams generally like bigger blueliners, given they’re in charge of keeping shooters at bay. Whether Lin can handle that in the NHL is unclear, but he has plenty of other traits you love to see in someone his size. Lin’s natural hockey sense should help set him apart from others in this class, and his numbers are icing on the cake.

Lin’s petite frame will be a limiting factor for some. Others might look to Hutson and brush off the concerns. The season is still so young, and there’s so much more to go, but Lin’s game screams top-10 pick right now. But there are plenty of other notable, bigger defenders to look out for – Daxon Rudolph, Carson Carels and Chase Reid come to mind.

Betting on Lin is betting on upside – and that’s never a bad thing.

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2026 NHL Draft’s Ryan Lin might be small, but his impact isn’t

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