The Win Column’s annual draft rankings and profiles are underway! The first American on the TWC consolidated 2026 NHL Draft Rankings is Chase Reid at 4. The defenceman from the OHL has turned lots of heads with his play, increasing his draft stock ahead of the draft on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, New York.
Who is Chase Reid?
| Player | Position | Shoots | Height | Weight | Born | Nationality | 2026 Draft Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Reid | Defence | Right | 6’2″ / 188 cm | 187 lbs / 85 kg | December 30, 2007 | USA | TWC rank #4 | CS rank #4 NA / Intl |
Hailing from Chesterfield, Michigan, Reid is a right-shot defenceman who has made a name for himself this season as he shot himself up draft rankings. Known for his size and skating, Reid has a good foundation and can lead breakouts out of his own zone. This was his first full season in the OHL after having spent some time in the USHL as well as the NAHL. Furthermore, Reid has committed to Michigan State University for the 2026–27 season.
Reid’s on-ice production
| Year | Draft Rel. | League | Team | GP | G | A | P | P/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | D-2 | T1EHL 15U | Victory Honda 15U AAA | 12 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0.58 |
| 15U AAA | Victory Honda 15U AAA | 63 | 13 | 21 | 34 | 0.53 | ||
| 2023-24 | D-1 | T1EHL 16U | Victory Honda 16U AAA | 12 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.33 |
| 16U AAA | Victory Honda 16U AAA | 68 | 14 | 48 | 62 | 0.91 | ||
| USHL | Waterloo Blackhawks | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| 2024-25 | D+0 | NAHL | Bismarck Bobcats | 18 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 0.66 |
| OHL | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 39 | 7 | 33 | 40 | 1.02 | ||
| 2025-26 | Draft yr | OHL | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 45 | 18 | 30 | 48 | 1.06 |
| Tournament | Year | Team | GP | G | A | P | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Junior Championship | 2026 | USA | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5th Place |
The most important parts of Reid’s production are from his time in the OHL. In the 2024–25 season, after playing Junior A with the Bismarck Bobcats, he made the jump to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Joining as the season was already underway, he quickly made a name for himself and cemented himself as the Greyhound’s number one defenceman. Over a point-per-game, Reid helped the Greyhounds make the playoffs, although they would be eliminated rather quickly.
When looking at his numbers as a whole, you see consistent development. Two seasons over a point-per-game, and they’re the two most recent seasons. It shows that he is only getting better and will continue developing into a number one defenceman in the NHL.
Reid’s strengths
Play driving
A standout aspect of his game is the way he skates and dictates play, particularly his ease. Reid is excellent at beginning breakouts and carrying the puck in transition, all while staying smooth on his feet. Playing 28 minutes a night, Reid has shown his ability in transition on multiple occasions. Using his acceleration and carrying the puck before headmanning it up. This allows him to start an odd-man rush and create a prime scoring chance for his team.
Additionally, in the offensive zone, he creates space with the puck on his stick. He drives the wing and opens up passing lanes in the slot or cross-crease, which he then looks for. Afterwards, Reid normally pivots back towards the blueline, then becomes an option there for a point-shot, or he creeps up further for a potential one-timer.
Hockey IQ
Another part of Reid’s game is his Hockey IQ and the way in which he sees the game. When watching him play, you notice that he anticipates plays and what will happen next. He sees the game ahead of everyone else around him, and because of that, we see him make those plays into the slot or cross-crease. He reads that the passing lane will be there, and he creates the space to make that happen.
It also allows him to quarterback the Greyhounds power play. With the way he sees the game, he is able to attack openings on the power play and make his opponents pay for a breakdown. Whether that be through a quick shot from the point or a pass towards the half wall, he is a step ahead of his peers and capitalizes on it.
Reid’s areas of improvement
Physicality
At 6’2″, 187lbs, Reid is a large presence on the blue line; however, he doesn’t use that to his advantage as much as he could. He doesn’t play the body as much, especially on defence, when it comes to 50–50 battles in the corners. He has the ability to box others out and be more effective on defence if he can utilize that advantage.
When he has the puck on his stick, he does use his frame to keep control and drive the wing, showing that there are aspects in which he uses his size. If he can translate that physicality on defence as well, many complaints regarding his overall defence will be gone. He will then be more of a presence in the defensive zone and be able to create takeaways, especially in those aforementioned 50–50 battles.
Reid’s comparables
| Scenario | NHL Comparable | Position | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best case | Zach Werenski | Defenceman | Two-way, mobile defenceman with a heavy shot and a large frame |
| Likely outcome | Adam Fox | Defenceman | High-end defenceman, mobile with vision to create plays, elite power play quarterback |
In the case of Zach Werenski, Reid reminds me of him in the way that he moves on the ice, along with their shot. Reid, similar to Werenski, garners speed quickly, exiting the zone and creating a rush. The two also have the ability to unleash a heavy shot from the point that proves useful, especially with traffic in front of the net. Physicality-wise, they have similar frames, sitting at the same height of 6’2″. Though Werenski is definitely the more physical of the two. Werenski is currently a Norris candidate, meaning that this comparison may have many excited, though it is more likely that Reid is an elite defenceman like Adam Fox.
In terms of Reid compared to Fox, both are high-end, point-producing defencemen. Fox, a former Norris winner, has been the number one defenceman on the Rangers for practically his entire career. Similar to Reid, he is extremely mobile and uses that skating edge to his advantage. That vision and Hockey IQ of Reid’s that sets him apart is also seen in Fox. When watching Fox play, we see him create plays for his forwards and set them up in scoring positions. He creates the passing lanes when he attacks the wing by drawing defenders over, opening up passing lanes. This coincides with Reid as he consistently will attack the wing in an attempt to open up lanes by catching defencemen puck chasing.
Fit with the Flames
| Organizational need addressed | None |
| Realistic pick range | 4-7 |
| NHL timeline | 1-2 seasons |
| Flames fit verdict | Unlikely fit |
This year, the Flames are poised to have a high draft pick, potentially even first overall, meaning they may be picking in and around where Reid is projected. However, I don’t see a fit with him in Calgary. Reid is a right-shot defenceman, something that Calgary has an extreme surplus of. Zayne Parekh is poised to be the number one in Calgary, with Hunter Brzustewicz behind him in the top 4. While he would most certainly be the best of them, the pick would be better suited for a forward. Not to mention that in the NCAA, Henry Mews is also a Flames prospect playing for Michigan, who impressed before suffering a season-ending injury. Reid would be a star in Calgary, though that would still leave a sizable hole up front that needs to be filled.
This is why I have Reid as an unlikely fit; there isn’t a need in that spot of the organization, because, as mentioned, Zayne Parekh has the talent to be the number one defenceman. If Calgary fall from where they currently are, Reid may be the pick if they decide to go with the best player available, which may make one of the prospects mentioned above expendable in the eyes of management.
NHL Timeline
When it comes to his NHL timeline, it will be a couple of years before we see Reid in the NHL. He is committed to Michigan State University in the NCAA next year and will most likely spend another year after, depending on how he progresses. The earliest I see him making the jump to the pros is the 2027–28 season. That would mean one season of development in college and then moving to whatever team selects him. There is a chance he goes back for a second season to further improve his craft.
Summary
All in all, Reid is a quick-thinking, mobile right-shot defenceman with a large frame who beats his opponents by seeing the game before them. A ceiling of being a franchise defenceman will rely upon whether he can tune up his physical game and use his size to his advantage. Offensively, he is a star, attacking the wing, drawing defencemen towards him and creating a pass that wasn’t previously there. Reid will be a number one defenceman for whichever team selects him in June and can be a franchise changer.
Check out all of The Win Column’s individual player profiles of selected 2026 NHL Draft prospects:
