Nashville’s first-round pick is set to begin his collegiate career at Michigan State after attending Predators development camp earlier this summer. The next stage of his development will focus on adding strength while continuing to refine the offensive game that made him one of the draft’s top defensemen.

Bleyl set a Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) record for a rookie defenseman, and it earned Nashville’s attention. The club traded up, sending picks 42 and 57 to Carolina, to take him 31st overall after he posted 13 goals and 68 assists for the Moncton Wildcats, a plus-58 rating and 81 points that surpassed a rookie-blueliner mark standing since 1978. He swept the league’s defenseman and rookie of the year awards, only the second player to do both in one season. Bleyl is one of the best skaters in the class, a defenseman who leads the rush, treats zone entries as a personal cheat code, and hits his marks as a crisp passer with a projectable shot. His mobility lets him close gaps and challenge carriers. The work remaining is physical: at roughly 170 pounds he loses net-front battles that will only get harder.

2027 NHL Draft Rankings: DuPont, Neuenschwander, and Privalov Lead Round 1

Drawing comparisons to recent early-round draftees in Tommy Bleyl and Xavier Villeneuve, Cripps is making a compelling case to join the growing list of undersized defensemen who hear their names called in the opening rounds in June.

Sweden Scores Five Unanswered in Comeback Victory Over Team USA

It was another strong day for Brzustewicz in this one. He hasn’t found his offensive game quite like we’d expect, but his defensive work has more than made up for it. With Chase Reid and Tommy Bleyl likely driving the offensive opportunities for the American blueline, Brzustewicz playing a steady, reliable defensive game could be the exact reason he makes the final roster in December.

Sanderson the Star in 6-1 WJSS Win Over Sweden

Tommy Bleyl

A tremendous skater who continues to show his talents on the big stage. Going coast to coast and jamming in a goal that ended up being called back for goaltender interference, Bleyl will be a must-watch player come December.

2026 NHL Draft Prospect Report – Tommy Bleyl (RD)

Tommy Bleyl:Projection: Top 4 DefencemanStrengths: Elite skating, Playmaking, ShootingWeaknesses: Physicality, Defensive IQ Analysis:Tommy Bleyl might be the most under-the-radar defenceman in thisdraft. The main attribute in his game is his elite skating. He haselite mobility and shiftiness, which is attributed to his excellentedge control and very good top speed. He moves around the ice soeffortlessly that it allows him to jump up in the rush or maintain hisgap control against very fast attackers. His playmaking and vision arealso extremely good. His passes are crisp and always placed on thetape of his teammates. He sees the ice very well to find open ice andlanes through sticks. His decision-making with the puck is excellent,too, consistently making the right play. He also has a very deceptiverelease, making his shot a dangerous tool for him as well. Where he needs to improve is in his physicality. He needs to put on alittle bit of muscle to help improve his net front and along the boardsbattling. He isn’t the best at using his body to separate opponentsfrom pucks or box them out in front due to his size. I have found inthe games I watched him, he sometimes has a lapse defensively, wherehe leaves his assignment open for a little longer than I like, or hedefends them well with his stick, but then doesn’t take the body outof the play as well.

Weekly 2026 NHL Draft Eligible Three Stars

Tommy Bleyl | RHD | Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)

Slick-skating defenseman Tommy Bleyl has taken the QMJHL by storm in his first season north of the border. The Schenectady, New York native led all league defensemen in regular-season scoring with 81 points (13 goals, 68 assists) in 63 games and has carried that production into the postseason, where his 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 17 games lead the league.

Bleyl delivered several key moments in the deciding game of Moncton’s semifinal series against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, helping propel the Wildcats to their second consecutive trip to the QMJHL Final. Just under five minutes after the Armada tied the game at two, the 6-foot, 170-pound blueliner jumped into open space in the offensive zone and wired a wrist shot past the goaltender to restore Moncton’s lead. He added an empty-net goal late in the third period to seal a 6-2 victory.

Game Report – Moncton Wildcats 6 vs Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 2 – April 27th, 2026

#16 D, Tommy BleylTeam: Moncton Wildcats, QMJHLHeight/Weight: 6”, 165 lbsShoots: RightDOB: December 1st, 2007

Weekly 2026 Draft Eligible Three Stars

Daxon Rudolph’s calling card in his draft season has been his goal-scoring ability. The WHL sophomore led Canadian major junior defensemen eligible for the draft with 28 goals—eight more than Carson Carels of the Prince George Cougars. The 6-foot-2, 203-pound blueliner also added 50 assists, finishing second in CHL scoring among draft-eligible players behind Tommy Bleyl of the Moncton Wildcats.

Weekly 2026 Draft Eligible Three Stars

Tommy Bleyl | RHD | Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)

American defenseman Tommy Bleyl has been a point-producing machine in his rookie season in the QMJHL. He leads the league in points (76) and assists (64) by a defenseman in 58 games played. His assist total is higher than Nashville Predators prospect Alex Huang’s 61 points, which is second in the league. Montreal Canadiens prospect Bryce Pickford and overaged defender Jonas Woo are the only rearguards with more points in Canadian junior hockey this season.

Bleyl is one of the best skaters in the entire 2026 draft class. As a defenseman, he can lead the rush in transition and is a zone-entry cheat code at the QMJHL level. He is a crisp passer who consistently hits his marks. The shot is also projectable to the NHL level. Defensively, Bleyl’s mobility shines as it allows him to close gaps quickly and challenge the puck carrier. However, he still needs to put on some muscle as he loses his fair share of net-front battles. Bleyl has a high NHL upside, which could see him become a top-four/power-play QB defender, and there is still room to make the NHL if the offense does not translate, as his skating is good enough to project him as a competent bottom-pairing defender.-

“Bleyl’s postseason showcased just how impactful a modern puck-moving defenseman can be in playoff environments,” per Victor Nuno’s on May 23. “His production was driven by excellent offensive instincts, clean puck movement, and an ability to activate at the right moments without sacrificing structure. Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Bleyl’s game was how composed he remained under pressure.”

Bleyl’s ability to generate offense from the blue line gives him legitimate top-four upside, and continued growth in his all-around game could make him one of the steals of the 2026 draft class.

After initially planning to return to Moncton, Bleyl reversed course and is headed to college at Michigan State this fall, a national-contender blue line where measured minutes suit a freshman still adding strength. His fantasy value is the power-play-quarterback kind, and the read now is how the offense and the body handle the college jump.