The Win Column’s annual draft rankings and profiles are underway! Earlier on, we released the TWC consolidated 2026 NHL Draft rankings. The 2026 NHL Draft will take place on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo. Up next in our rankings is left-handed defenceman Carson Carels of the Prince George Cougars.
Who is Carson Carels?
| Player | Position | Shoots | Height | Weight | Nationality | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carson Carels | Defence | Left | 6’2″ / 188cm | 194lbs / 88kg | Canada | TWC Rank #7 / CS NA Rank #3 |
Carels is the highest-ranked skater out of the plethora of talent coming from the WHL in this draft. Growing up in Cypress River, Manitoba, Carels developed his skills with the Pilot Mound Academy prep team through his youth. His performances with the prep team allowed him to get drafted 16th overall in the 2023 WHL draft by the Prince George Cougars.
Carels’ on-ice production
| Year | Draft Rel. | League | Team | GP | G | A | P | P/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | D-4 | CSSHL U15 | Pilot Mound Academy U15 Prep | 26 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 0.73 |
| 2022-23 | D-3 | CSSHL U15 | Pilot Mound Academy U15 Prep | 20 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 1.6 |
| CSSHL U17 | Pilot Mound Academy U17 Prep | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | ||
| 2023–24 | D-2 | CSSHL U17 | Pilot Mound Academy U17 Prep | 27 | 18 | 32 | 50 | 1.85 |
| WHL | Prince George Cougars | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.43 | ||
| 2024-25 | D-1 | WHL | Prince George Cougars | 60 | 6 | 29 | 35 | 0.58 |
| 2025-26 | D+0 | WHL | Prince George Cougars | 58 | 20 | 53 | 73 | 1.26 |
| WJC-20 | Canada U20 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.20 |
Carels got his first taste of WHL action back in 2023–24. With stints throughout the season, he was treated to a total of seven games, producing three points. Since playing his first set of games two years ago, Carels has continued to improve each year.
In his rookie year, Carels stepped into a solid role on a strong Cougars team. Contributing six goals and 35 points in 60 games, he was the 7th-highest producer on the team that finished 7th in the WHL. Despite his good results, Carels would not receive a nomination for rookie of the year.
This season was the true explosion for Carels, with production jumping to 20 goals and 73 points in 58 games, over double what he had put up in his rookie year. Carels finished 2nd on the Cougars in points, 25th league-wide in points, and was the 4th highest scoring defenceman. Carels also got a taste of international action at the World Juniors. Suiting up for Canada, Carels helped them claim a bronze medal.
Carels’ strengths
Skating
A major aspect of Carels’ game is just how mobile he is. Great agility and edgework, paired with solid speed, allow Carels to move around swiftly with some deception. When Carels has the puck on his stick, his stance changes, he gets lighter on his feet, and starts relying on his edges. This allows him to activate in the offensive zone as he moves away from the blueline and starts attacking the outside. Carels loves to use his edges to walk along the boards, keeping the puck protected while having a full view of the zone to decide which pass to make. As well, Carels will showcase his agility paired with puck-control, to be deceptive with the puck, creating space for himself to move into better lanes.
In the transition, Carels is incredibly effective. His speed and edgework allow him to be a fantastic puck carrier into the offensive end, or he joins the rush and becomes an option for the puck carrier. When the puck heads the other way, Carels uses his skating to stay in position and keep up with opposing forwards. He has some smooth backwards skating in the transition, and displays agility to stay on his man in the defensive zone.
Vision
Another area of Carels’ skillset I quite like is his vision and playmaking ability. As I mentioned before, Carels loves to get a vantage point in the offensive zone. When he does, he can send beautiful passes to his teammates in high-danger areas. Often, Carels will position himself along the boards, move around for a few seconds, and then spot a teammate creeping for a chance. He’ll send over a hard and accurate pass that usually finds the stick of that teammate, allowing for a high-quality chance to score. Carels is dangerous when it comes to locating slot chances. Found many times he would send a pass into traffic, and it would perfectly end up on his teammate’s stick right in the slot.
Flashing the vision to be a quarterback is also up Carels’ alley, making great passes and spotting space from the blueline as well. Carels is also effective in the breakout. He’ll retrieve the puck behind the net with some speed and scan up the ice while doing so. Then, he’ll see a teammate starting to move and hit them with a crisp and fast pass to send them flying into the transition.
Two-way play
What may be some people’s favourite facet of Carels is his two-way ability. I covered lots of Carels’ offensive capabilities in the other two strengths. Incredible movement in the offensive zone, spots open space with ease, makes hard and accurate passes, deceptive with the puck, etc.
However, Carels is also awesome on the defensive side of the puck. He has great talent when it comes to eliminating space for his opponents and tends to stay in position. One of my favourite aspects of Carels’ defensive game is his one-on-one ability in the transition. He skates backward fluidly, keeping his stick ready to pounce at the puck on the carrier’s stick. If he decides a poke-check isn’t the right call, he uses his smoothness to keep in the space of the opponent and limits their options to move themself or the puck. When the puck enters the defensive-end, Carels either applies pressure to those near the puck, or he stays where he needs to be. He’s aware of the plays developing, trying to get into lanes to break up passes with his stick or block shots.
Carels’ areas of improvement
Decision-making
Like many WHL defencemen of the same age, I think some improvements can be made in Carels’ decision-making. Although he usually performs well at both ends of the ice, sometimes the choices he makes can be a little shaky. In the offensive end, Carels can play himself into situations where his options are limited. Instead of trying to use his skills to create space, he’ll send shots into blocked lanes or rush passes, causing turnovers.
On the other end of the puck, Carels can be prone to wanting to do too much. He wants to be engaged, keep his feet moving, and attack where the puck is. However, this can throw him out of position, and the time it takes to recover is about the same as the time it takes for the opponent to get the puck into that area. I also find that sometimes he would make the wrong call on when to glide and when to skate hard, allowing his opponents to get into open space around him.
I’m not entirely concerned about his decision-making. As I said, it comes with many defencemen of the same profile, and it’s not a super prominent issue. However, cleaning it up could add another level to his game.
Carels’ comparables
One comparable I really like for Carels is Ottawa Senators defenceman, Jake Sanderson. Similar to Carels, Sanderson has amazing edgework and an impact at both ends of the ice. He stays composed through the transition, either defending well by eliminating space or allowing himself to be an offensive option. Sanderson also has great vision and passing skills, often supplying his teammates with quality chances.
Another comparison would be to Florida Panthers defenceman Gustav Forsling. Forsling, like Carels, also has great skating, which is highlighted by the agility in his feet. He defends at a high level, typically with some strong stick-checking, and is a huge piece of why the Panthers allow so little. I think Carels will project to be a better passer than Forsling, but Forsling has the tendency to get pucks on net in a similar way to Carels.
Fit with the Flames
| Organizational need addressed | Top-4 LHD |
| Realistic pick range | 3-8 |
| NHL timeline | 2-3 seasons |
| Flames fit verdict | Great fit |
If the draft lottery doesn’t go the Flames’ way, I could very easily see Carels being at the top of their list. Carels would automatically become the best left-handed defender of the future with ease. I think Carels will likely go inside the top 10, probably top 8, and I can see as early as 3rd. I know Keaton Verhoeff and Chase Reid are prime prospects, but teams could easily fall in love with Carels’ style.
To me, Carels is a great fit for the Flames. Yes, he’s not the high-end forward that they desperately need, but they need to start bolstering the left side of the defence. Carels would also be a perfect match for Zayne Parekh once they’re both developed.
CHL defencemen tend to take a little longer to crack the NHL. Carels will go back to the Cougars next season, and then, with the new 19-year-old rule to be set in place, should make the jump to the AHL in 2027–28. He may get some looks throughout that year, but 2028–29 is likely the year you’ll be looking at full-time action for Carels in the NHL.
Summary
Carson Carels is a mobile, two-way defender who plays a smart offensive style while staying composed when the puck is headed to his end. Carels flashes his talent through amazing edgework, high-end vision, deceptive puck-movement, and strong defensive capabilities. I see Carels having ease with becoming a two-way, top-four defenceman at the NHL level, and has a strong chance to hit his ceiling of top pair. Whatever team drafts him is getting an incredible defenceman that will be a foundational piece to their core for years to come.
Risk: 1.5/5
Reward: 4.5/5
NHL Comparable: Jake Sanderson / Gustav Forsling
Projection: Two-way, top-pair defenceman
