The Official 2026 Off-Season Thread: Revenge of the Nerds
- Thread starter MindzEye
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Pwner
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MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
axlsalinger
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Elite Prospects writeup on Ethan MacKenzie:
The ultra-competitive defender came into the season with a more refined approach across the rink. He became the No. 1 defenceman on a stacked Edmonton blueline, playing the first half of both special teams. He finished top 10 in defenceman scoring, and even became a rare undrafted defenceman on Canada’s World Juniors team.
MacKenzie never stops working and battling. He plays an ultra-aggressive defensive game, closing on opponents as they receive the puck, throwing crushing hits, beating down net-front attackers, and constantly scanning and moving. His powerful, active skating enables this high-octane style. Plus, he’s always willing to sell out and take a hit to make a play.
The most consequential development for MacKenzie’s rise has been his puck game. He’s always had the desire to make plays, but it’s supported by improved skill. His shot is now a real weapon, especially from the top of the circles. He’s consistently manipulating opponents, faking one way before moving the puck in the opposite direction, making him a high-end WHL puck-mover and power-play orchestrator.
The second big development in MacKenzie’s game was improving the messiness, though it remains a weakness. He’s chaotic wth the puck, sacrificing precision for pace, and his defensive game still features overextending and chasing. There’s still cleaning up to do before he’s ready to push for an NHL role, not to mention strength to add to withstand the rigours of the pro game.
It’s easy to look at MacKenzie’s draft-plus-two status and disregard him entirely, but if an NHL team had picked him in either of the last two drafts, he’d be talked about as a massive steal. While the skill set might be more of a No. 5 projection, we wouldn’t put it past MacKenzie to develop into a second-pair, puck-moving and play-killing defender."
"Prospect profile
When we ranked Ethan MacKenzie No. 137 in the last draft guide, it was a bet on his motor and tools to launch his development in 2025-26. But even we didn’t see this coming.The ultra-competitive defender came into the season with a more refined approach across the rink. He became the No. 1 defenceman on a stacked Edmonton blueline, playing the first half of both special teams. He finished top 10 in defenceman scoring, and even became a rare undrafted defenceman on Canada’s World Juniors team.
MacKenzie never stops working and battling. He plays an ultra-aggressive defensive game, closing on opponents as they receive the puck, throwing crushing hits, beating down net-front attackers, and constantly scanning and moving. His powerful, active skating enables this high-octane style. Plus, he’s always willing to sell out and take a hit to make a play.
The most consequential development for MacKenzie’s rise has been his puck game. He’s always had the desire to make plays, but it’s supported by improved skill. His shot is now a real weapon, especially from the top of the circles. He’s consistently manipulating opponents, faking one way before moving the puck in the opposite direction, making him a high-end WHL puck-mover and power-play orchestrator.
The second big development in MacKenzie’s game was improving the messiness, though it remains a weakness. He’s chaotic wth the puck, sacrificing precision for pace, and his defensive game still features overextending and chasing. There’s still cleaning up to do before he’s ready to push for an NHL role, not to mention strength to add to withstand the rigours of the pro game.
It’s easy to look at MacKenzie’s draft-plus-two status and disregard him entirely, but if an NHL team had picked him in either of the last two drafts, he’d be talked about as a massive steal. While the skill set might be more of a No. 5 projection, we wouldn’t put it past MacKenzie to develop into a second-pair, puck-moving and play-killing defender."
Volcanologist
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RW Zach Olsen
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
AHL this season I'd bet.
axlsalinger
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Pwner
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leafman101
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leafman101
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LeafOfFaith
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Mackenzie was on the wjc team with McKenna?
Preston
MBow30 alt account
LeafOfFaith
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I kinda like all these picks so far.
leafman101
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Volcanologist
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D Mans Gudmundsson
great name at least
great name at least
