2026 draft prospect Wyatt Cullen (#13 North American skater) has been nothing short of dominant at this year’s U18 World Junior Championship in Slovakia, which continues with tomorrow’s quarterfinal matchups. Cullen is tied with Sweden’s Elton Hermansson with a tournament-leading 8 points on 3 goals & 5 assists through 4 games. Cullen has consistently shown a skill set of the highlight reel variety.
On NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch List in October, Cullen was listed as a C-rated prospect (indicating a 4th-5th round pick). In January’s Mid-term rankings, Cullen moved up to the 23rd-ranked prospect on Central Scouting’s list, and rose once again to #13 in the Final rankings (published earlier this month). With his performance at this tournament, Cullen not only justifies this meteoric rise, he has further transcended it. Once thought of as a fringe first-rounder, draft prognosticators all agree that he is an “unstoppable” early first-rounder due to his electric puck skills and play-driving ability.
As much as Cullen has helped the Americans fill the net with pucks, Team Canada goaltender Gavin Betts (#24 among North American goalies) has been equally impressive in stopping them. In his 3 tournament appearances, Betts has stopped 49 out of 50 shots, including a 19-save shutout of previously unbeaten Finland. Betts has a tournament-leading .980 save percentage to go with a miniscule 0.36 goals against average. His fairly low draft ranking is indicative of his sub-6′ frame, but he should experience a major boost provided his performance in the medal round matches his production in preliminary action.