Verhoeff opened the season as the top defenseman in the class, a name floated next to Gavin McKenna for first overall, then watched four blueliners come off the board before San Jose grabbed him ninth. The Sharks now own both their first-rounders, Ivar Stenberg and Verhoeff, alongside Sam Dickinson, and a clear blue line of the future. The appeal is the archetype Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff tied to Aaron Ekblad: a 6-4 right shot who turned 18 a week before the draft, eats more than 20 minutes a night, and quarterbacked North Dakota’s power play as one of the youngest players in the NCAA, posting 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 36 games on a Frozen Four team. He defends with reach and physicality, activates with real offensive instincts, and owns a cannon from the point. The skating is good rather than great and the puck management is still raw, which is why he slid and why some evaluators see a shutdown role limiting his fantasy value.

Verhoeff fell to the Sharks at ninth in the draft and they swooped in to grab him. He easily becomes the teams top defenseman prospect, though he may not have the highest of high upsides in fantasy. Which is just to say that he may be stuck in more of a shut down role because of how good he can be.

Verhoeff, the top projected defenseman for next year, becomes the first big-name player out of the 2026 class to move to the NCAA, committing to North Dakota for 2025-26.

He returns to North Dakota as a sophomore, so this is a multi-year project whose fantasy case rests on whether the power-play quarterbacking carries to the NHL.

Preliminary Rankings- Verhoeff has spent a lot of time in McKenna’s shadow. While McKenna was setting the league on fire, Verhoeff was also setting franchise records and scoring at a historical pace. While his WHL compatriot was making all the headlines jumping to the NCAA, Verhoeff made the leap too and looks just as poised for a run at a top selection in June.

Verhoeff has, essentially, the most coveted profile in the sport. He’s a 6-4, RHD who skates very well and is born late in the draft cohort. Verhoeff is also a player who can be relied upon heavily on either side of the puck. Defensively, Verhoeff has strong stick details, closes gaps efficiently, and plays proactively and physically, whether that be in the corners, in front of his net, or standing up at both bluelines. He’s also poised under pressure and makes plenty of slick retrievals and outlet plays in the DZ.

Offensively, Verhoeff can lead the rush with his feet or use his playmaking ability to advance the puck. He walks the line confidently, handles the puck well (occasionally flashing high-end skill) and, of course, has a bullet of a shot from the point.

In many other years, Verhoeff would rightfully be seen as the gem of the class. Instead, he’ll just have another chance to prove his worth.