2027 NHL Draft: Top five early re-entry prospects
The 2027 NHL Draft season is well underway – and for a handful of players seeking second chances, it’s been fruitful.
We typically see around 25-30 players selected in their second or third years of eligibility, with most being late-round picks. Josh Doan is one of the most notable picks in recent years, putting up outstanding numbers in 2020-21 before going 37th overall to Arizona. Last year, Ethan MacKenzie (Toronto) and Timofei Runtso (Montreal) were among those who made great impressions after previously getting passed over.
Today, we’re taking an early look at five re-entry (or overage) prospects worth keeping an eye on this year. Whether a glaring flaw left them unselected, or scouts just didn’t know much about them beforehand, these five deserve your attention:
William Lacelle, G (Nebraska-Omaha, NCAA)
Lacelle hasn’t let hearing limitations slow him down. He was a star in the QMJHL last year, leading the league with seven shutouts before making it to the second all-star team. Many public outlets saw Lacelle as a potential top-100 pick, and NHL Central Scouting even had him as the fifth-ranked goalie in North America. Heck, Hockey Canada likes him – they brought him to the World Junior Summer Showcase, and he has a real chance at snagging one of the roster spots this December.
But despite that, Lacelle went undrafted. The jump to the NCAA has been fruitful, though, with Lacelle boasting a .928 save percentage through three games. It’s not a huge sample size, but he has had to stand on his head to keep Nebraska-Omaha in games (he’s facing an average of 37 shots a night). Lacelle isn’t particularly big at 6-foot-1, but he makes up for it by being an absolute speed demon in the crease. He reads plays well, has an excellent glove hand and never gives up on a play. Continued success in the NCAA should make him an easy second-year draft candidate – and some scouts think he could go as high as the second round.
Pavel Martinů, C (Sioux Falls Stampede, USHL)
Martinů put up a quiet 17 points in 53 games with Sioux City last year (ice time was difficult to come by). Now with Sioux Falls, he’s already up to eight points in 14 games. Still, nothing crazy on the offensive front, but that’s not his game. Instead, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound forward is there to use his physicality while being defensively responsible. By all accounts, he projects as a perfect future fourth-line NHLer – someone who’ll give it his all every shift and make your life miserable if you give him time and space.
Scouts are intrigued by the way Martinů is always moving, even though he’s not a high-end skater. His work ethic alone should allow him to get drafted; he wants to make sure you know he’s there all the time. Martinů’s kills penalties, but he can also get the puck where it needs to be on the rush quite well, too. He’s a raw prospect who might only be a depth piece in the long run, but one who does all the things you want in a fourth-liner quite well already. The University of New Hampshire is getting a good one here.
Andrew Mohesky, LW (Chicoutimi Saguenéens, QMJHL)
Mohesky didn’t get much love last year while primarily playing prep hockey. He also skated in some games with the USNTDP, but mostly as a fourth-liner. He’s starting to figure things out in Chicoutimi, where he’s tracking for a 15-goal campaign. Nothing special by any means, but like Martinů, it’s not difficult to see the appeal. For starters, he’s a 6-foot-5 power forward who nobody seems to know how to clear out of the crease. Between his size and brute-force nature, Mohesky loves giving defenders headaches around the net.
There are few tougher forwards in this draft class than Mohesky. He comes at you like a tank and makes you beg for an opportunity to crawl back to the bench. Mohesky isn’t a high-end skater, but he works his tail off to make sure he can continue boosting his ice time. And, honestly, it’s working out well with the Saguenéens – you notice him just about every time he hits the ice.
Noa Nsonsa-Kitala, LW (Waterloo Black Hawks, USHL)
The Belgian-born French forward earned some love for his play with the French national team in recent years. He was clearly France’s top player in Division IA World Juniors action last winter and will remain a key contributor on the team’s top line this year. Nsonsa-Kitala is equally skilled as a shooter and a playmaker, and he’s a reliable two-way threat. His game is still raw, mostly because he can be a bit invisible at times. But when he’s at his best, nobody will grind harder through the middle of the ice to win battles and retrieve pucks.
It’s never easy for a European player to move across the world to chase their hockey dreams. But Nsonsa-Kitala has pro experience in the top league in France and has started to look comfortable in recent outings for the Black Hawks. It feels like he’s playing with more pace and confidence, especially through the middle of the ice. I could see a team taking a mid-round flier on him.
Braidy Wassilyn, LW (Saginaw Spirit, OHL)
Nearly a year ago to the day, we asked whether Wassilyn – an undeniably talented winger – could force himself into the first-round conversation for the 2026 NHL Draft. He was a highly rated minor hockey player whom many considered to be one of the top 2008-born players in the world. In the end, Wassilyn was left unclaimed after failing to find much traction in London and was eventually traded to Saginaw during the offseason.
Wassilyn has been absolutely electric in his third OHL campaign, starting the year with 12 goals and 24 points while playing with top 2027 prospect Dima Zhilkin. That’s a full-season pace of more than 60 goals and 120 points, which, honestly, feels like a legitimate possibility. Nobody has ever doubted Wassilyn’s skill; instead, scouts were disappointed by his skating and play under pressure. But, man, he’s an incredible playmaker who is fully capable of getting the puck where it needs to be, and he has an excellent shot too. Wassilyn won’t become an all-around threat, but it feels unlikely that a team will pass on his high-end skill this time around. For what it’s worth, reviews about him at Montreal’s development camp were positive.
DAILY FACEOFF NEWSLETTER
Recently by Steven Ellis
- Red Wings’ Michael Brandsegg-Nygård has emerged as a serious Calder Trophy threat
- Top 2028, 2029 Prospects to Watch at U-17 World Challenge
- The Jacob Fowler era has arrived in Montreal
- NHL Prospect Roundup: Five players dominating the AHL early in 2026-27
- 2027 NHL Draft Rankings: Early season top 40