Timofei Runtso

June 2026 — Runtso turned a pass-over year into one of the bigger risers in the class. He left the NAHL (27 points with St. Cloud) for the WHL and inherited top-pairing minutes in Victoria once Keaton Verhoeff and other veterans moved on, then handled the workload across all situations. He finished with 44 points (11 goals, 33 assists) in 68 games, leading WHL rookie defensemen in scoring, and climbed five spots up Central Scouting’s final ranking from 53rd among North American skaters at midterm. The right-handed shot is the hook for an NHL team. He defends the rush with active gaps, moves pucks cleanly out of his end, and gets shots through traffic, the foundation of a power-play role rather than a pure shutdown one. His 28 penalty minutes point to the discipline that lets a coach trust him on the kill as well. For fantasy, the assists and power-play looks are where any value lives, and that value depends on him climbing a depth chart that will take time to reach. He’s headed to Miami (Ohio) in the NCHC, the deepest conference in college hockey, which is the right proving ground and also a multi-year runway before any NHL conversation. If the offense carries into that level and he settles as a top-four power-play contributor, a 40-point NHL season is the realistic ceiling, which is where the 5.5 upside sits. The development arrow is the most encouraging part of his profile. Andrew Epps

June 2026 – Runtso was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2nd round (57th overall) of the 2026 NHL Draft. Chris Babos