With their last two picks in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, Sunny Mehta and the New Jersey Devils' scouting department chose Canadian Hockey League (CHL) forwards Luke Wilfley and Quinn McKenzie. The respective 172nd and 222nd overall picks, both centers, were the prototypical late-round selections, with one or two projectable skills and a raw rest of their game.
In the first few games of the CHL season, though, both players have played surprisingly well.
Let's start with Wilfley, who has just begun his third season with the WHL's Portland Winterhawks. The 6'1, 179-pound forward was picked largely in part to his incessant motor, which he uses to constantly annoy the opposition in all three zones. Defensively, he is a driven backchecker, intent on forcing turnovers even at the cost of taking penalties. Offensively, he is outright one of the best forecheckers in the WHL, causing chaos along the boards and oftentimes coming away with the puck.
Scouts seem to think that he has some untapped offensive upside, too, being held back by his fourth-line deployment. In two games with an increased role, Wilfley is already showing that. His shot has been on display, scoring a power-play goal, while also adding an assist. Two points in two games for an 18-year-old WHLer isn't anything that jumps off the page, but comparing it to his 15 points in 66 2025-26 games is certainly encouraging. He showed flashes of excellent playmaking last season, and could be more present with those traits in an expanded role.
McKenzie has much more offensive upside despite being a diminutive 5'9 and 176 pounds. 2025-26 was his first season in the OHL, where he put up 51 points -- 21 goals and 30 assists -- in 65 games while playing in a top-six role for the Soo Greyhounds. His energy on the ice is contagious, always playing at Mach-10 and facilitating a ton of touch-plays every time he steps out onto the ice.
So far, McKenzie is pacing for an 85-point season, which would far surpass expectations. His playmaking has been the key ingredient thus far, with four of his five points being assists, but he has looked dangerous every time he touches the puck.
It’s early, and it’s the CHL, but the Devils’ two-latest draftees from 2026 are impressing so far.
Add us as a preferred source on Google