Jack Hextall 2026 NHL Draft Profile

Hextall spent his draft year with the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL, producing 58 points in 59 games while playing top-six minutes and representing the United States internationally at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He is committed to Michigan State in the NCAA for next season, where many scouts believe his game could take another significant step forward.

Hextall’s on-ice production

Hextall’s production doesn’t immediately jump off the page compared to some of the flashier forwards in the class, but the underlying profile is extremely strong. He produced nearly a point per game in one of North America’s top junior leagues while handling difficult matchups and playing a responsible two-way role.

What makes the production encouraging is how it is generated. Rather than relying on one elite offensive tool, Hextall creates offence through anticipation, puck retrievals, passing, and intelligent route selection

Hextall’s strengths

Playmaking and puck distribution

Hextall’s playmaking is rooted in anticipation and processing speed rather than flashy puck skills. He consistently scans the ice before receiving the puck, allowing him to identify pressure, locate support options, and make decisions before defenders can close space. As a result, he often appears one step ahead of the play, moving pucks efficiently and keeping offensive sequences alive without needing to overhandle.

What makes Hextall an effective distributor is his ability to connect plays through multiple layers of coverage. He regularly spots teammates arriving in open ice and can thread passes through traffic to create scoring opportunities. Rather than forcing difficult plays into crowded areas, he understands when to move the puck quickly and when to hold possession for an extra second to allow a passing lane to develop. This patience helps him generate chances without taking unnecessary risks.

Shot and scoring instinct

While Hextall is often recognized first for his playmaking and hockey sense, his shot is an underrated part of his offensive toolkit. He is not a volume shooter who looks to fire the puck from everywhere, but he consistently finds ways to generate quality attempts from dangerous areas. His ability to identify openings in coverage and arrive in scoring positions allows his shot to play up beyond what raw shooting mechanics alone might suggest.

Hextall’s release is quick and efficient, particularly off passes. He does a good job getting pucks off his blade without needing extra stickhandling or a lengthy windup, which makes him difficult to defend in tight spaces. Around the slot, he can receive and shoot in one motion, limiting the time defenders and goaltenders have to react. This is especially effective when he arrives late into scoring areas after initially acting as a distributor.

One of the more impressive aspects of his scoring game is his shot selection. Rather than settling for low-danger perimeter attempts, Hextall consistently looks to attack areas where he has a realistic chance of beating the goaltender. He recognizes when defenders are out of position and quickly takes advantage of those openings

Hextall’s areas of improvement

Physical maturity and strength

Although Hextall competes hard and rarely shies away from traffic, his physical maturity remains one of the biggest areas of development in his projection. He plays an intelligent and determined game, but he is not yet physically imposing and can be overmatched at times when battles become purely strength-based. As he moves from the USHL to college hockey and eventually the professional ranks, adding muscle and functional strength will be important to ensure his style remains effective against bigger, stronger opponents.

This is particularly noticeable in puck battles along the boards. Hextall often wins possession through anticipation, positioning, and effort, but there are situations where he arrives first and still loses control because opponents are simply stronger. Against older players, he can get pinned along the wall or separated from the puck before he has time to make a play. Improving his upper-body and core strength would help him absorb contact more effectively and maintain possession in these situations

Hextall’s comparables

Sean Couturier is a strong best-case outcome because he represents what Hextall could become if his offensive game expands without losing his defensive identity. Both players are defined by elite hockey sense, strong positioning, and the ability to impact every zone without needing elite speed or flash. Like Hextall, Couturier’s value in his prime started with reading the game early, shutting down opponents through anticipation, and consistently making the right structural play.

Anton Lundell is one of the cleanest modern projections for Hextall because both players are built around reliability, structure, and low-mistake hockey. Each is a center who contributes more through consistency and detail than through highlight offence. Hextall’s strengths, such as puck support, defensive awareness, faceoff competence, and intelligent puck movement, map closely onto how Lundell impacts NHL games.

Fit with the Flames

If the Calgary Flames keep Vegas’ first, Hextall could be a player they take a chance on. Hextall has a lot of attributes the Flames love in players, such as size and compete, and adding more centre prospects never hurts. Not to mention he’s also a right shot.

However, the competition among forwards in the Flames’ prospect pool is fierce. While being a centre differentiates Hextall a bit more, he still would have to make a name for himself among the other Flames’ forward prospects. Hextall’s main competition would be players such as Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter.

It’s why I have Hextall as a possible fit for the Flames. He could be a player that Calgary’s scouting staff takes a look at, and wouldn’t be a terrible addition to their prospect pool at all

Summary

Hextall may not be the flashiest forward in the 2026 draft, but he is one of the most complete. His hockey sense, playmaking, defensive habits, and competitive detail give him a strong foundation for NHL success. The primary question is whether his skating and offensive upside will develop enough for him to become more than a reliable middle-six center, but his floor is among the safer projections in the class.