NHL Central Scouting released its preliminary players to watch list for the 2027 NHL Draft on October 26, and University of Michigan freshman defenseman Landon DuPont headlines it with an "A" rating — the designation the bureau reserves for potential first-round candidates. The rating is more than ceremonial. According to The Athletic's report on the list, 20 of the 27 prospects who received an "A" on last October's preliminary list were ultimately selected in the first round in June, and all but two went in the top 50.

Understanding the NHL Central Scouting Rating System

Central Scouting's preliminary list functions as a baseline starting point for NHL clubs, not a final verdict. The bureau sorts draft-eligible prospects into lettered tiers that correspond to projected draft ranges, and it will update its assessments twice more before the 2027 draft: a midseason ranking and a final ranking at the end of the season, as New England Hockey Journal notes in its coverage of the local players who made the cut.

The tiers are straightforward. An "A" rating marks a player considered a potential first-round pick. A "B" rating corresponds to a possible second- or third-round choice, a "C" rating to a fourth- or fifth-round candidate, and a "W" rating to a possible sixth- or seventh-round selection. Central Scouting also applies an "LV" designation for limited viewing. Within each letter rating, players are organized alphabetically.

The historical value of the "A" rating is what makes DuPont's placement notable. Of the 27 prospects given an "A" on last year's October players-to-watch list, 20 were taken in the first round of the subsequent draft, and all but two of the 27 were drafted inside the top 50 — the exceptions being Luke Schairer at 75th and Alessandro Di Iorio at 94th. That is roughly a three-in-four first-round conversion rate, a strong indicator though not a guarantee, since past performance does not ensure future results.

This year's preliminary list again assigned "A" ratings to 27 prospects, per The Athletic. Among Canadian Hockey League-developed players, 176 made the list overall, including 19 with "A" ratings, according to Sportsnet's report. The full 27-name "A" tier extends beyond the CHL contingent, and the list is preliminary by design: ratings will change as the season progresses and the midseason and final rankings supersede October's snapshot.

NHL Central Scouting Rating System and Draft Probability

The table below consolidates the tier definitions with the historical outcome data for the "A" rating, so any player's letter designation on the preliminary list can be read against its projected draft range and, for the top tier, its measured first-round conversion rate from the prior cycle.

NHL Central Scouting preliminary list ratings, projected draft rounds, and prior-cycle "A" rating outcomes
RatingProjected Draft RoundHistorical First-Round Outcome (2026 Draft Cycle)
AFirst-round candidate20 of 27 "A"-rated prospects from the October 2025 preliminary list were selected in the first round; all but two went in the top 50 (Luke Schairer 75th, Alessandro Di Iorio 94th)
BSecond- or third-round candidateNot measured in the supplied data
CFourth- or fifth-round candidateNot measured in the supplied data
WSixth- or seventh-round candidateNot measured in the supplied data
LVLimited viewingNot measured in the supplied data

The comparison works in one direction only: the 20-of-27 figure quantifies the "A" tier's first-round hit rate from the previous cycle. The lower tiers carry projected draft ranges but no equivalent historical conversion data in the reporting reviewed here, so their rows show the projection without a measured outcome. The "A" row is the one that can be read as a probability statement — roughly 74 percent of last cycle's "A"-rated players became first-round picks.

Why DuPont is an Elite Prospect: Expert Insights

DuPont's case is unusual for a player who will not turn 18 until May 28. At 5-foot-11 and 192 pounds, he is the youngest player in NCAA men's hockey this season, and he has immediately produced: six points, all assists, on 14 shots on goal, with a plus-6 rating and an average of 18:13 of ice time across six games for Michigan.

Central Scouting director Karl Stewart did not temper his evaluation. "He's on another level," Stewart said. "You watch guys in past drafts like Quinn Hughes, and say to yourself, 'How is this guy not going to do that in the NHL?' It's the same thing with DuPont. There's no projection there because you just know he's going to step in and do exactly what he's doing now in the NHL."

The Hughes comparison is pointed: Hughes, like DuPont, is a Michigan-trained defenseman, and Stewart's framing removes the usual uncertainty language scouts attach to teenage prospects. DuPont's season has not been without interruption — he missed one game, October 16 at Denver, with an undisclosed injury. "I obviously tried to do everything I could (to play) but the doctors and coaches said it was best if I sat that one out," DuPont told NHL.com, adding he was "good to go the following night," a 4-3 win at Denver.

He arrived at Michigan after two years with the Western Hockey League's Everett Silvertips, and his six assists in six games are early-season numbers that will be re-evaluated as the sample grows. The "A" rating itself is an early assessment from the preliminary list, subject to revision in the midseason and final rankings.

He is not alone in the top tier. Sportsnet's report identifies Dima Zhilkin, Alexis Joseph and Brock England among the other prospects who received "A" ratings, and New England Hockey Journal highlights two "A"-rated candidates from its region: Jamie Glance of Stratham, New Hampshire, and Carter Meyer of Winchester, Massachusetts. Those names mark the upper edge of a 2027 class that Central Scouting will continue to sort through the winter.

What Landon DuPont's 'A' Rating Means for His Draft Journey

Landon DuPont's "A" rating firmly establishes him as a top-tier prospect with a high probability of being a first-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft, a designation whose prior-cycle track record — 20 of 27 "A"-rated prospects taken in the first round — gives the label measurable weight rather than mere hype. It is a preliminary assessment, and his six-assist start is an early-season sample, but the combination of Stewart's evaluation and the tier's historical conversion rate puts DuPont in rare territory for a draft-eligible defenseman.

The next checkpoints are fixed: monitor NHL Central Scouting's midseason rankings in January and its final rankings in April for updates on DuPont's and the other "A"-rated prospects' status, which will show whether his preliminary standing holds, rises or slips as the 2027 draft approaches.

Sources