It’s that time of the year for The Win Column’s NHL Draft Rankings and Draft Profiles! 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 on our list is defenceman Daxon Rudolph. Rudolph has been one of the best defencemen in the WHL this season, holding down his position inside the top half of this draft.
Who is Daxon Rudolph?
| Player | Position | Shoots | Height | Weight | Nationality | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daxon Rudolph | Defence | Right | 6’2″ / 188cm | 203lbs / 92kg | Canada | TWC Rank #12 / CS NA Rank #6 |
Rudolph is the second top-end defensive prospect coming out of the WHL in our rankings so far. The Alberta native developed through the ranks of the province’s youth hockey. His play with the Northern Alberta Xtreme Prep team earned him the honour of being the first overall pick in the 2023 WHL draft, joining the Prince Albert Raiders.
Rudolph’s on-ice production
| Year | Draft Rel. | League | Team | GP | G | A | P | P/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | D-4 | AEHL U15 | Red Deer Rebels U15 AAA | 24 | 2 | 22 | 24 | 1.0 |
| 2022-23 | D-3 | CSSHL U15 | Northern Alberta Xtreme Prep U15 | 30 | 17 | 33 | 50 | 1.67 |
| 2023-24 | D-2 | CSSHL U18 | Northern Alberta Xtreme Prep U1 8 | 28 | 22 | 37 | 59 | 2.11 |
| 2024-25 | D-1 | WHL | Prince Albert Raiders | 64 | 7 | 34 | 41 | 0.64 |
| 2025–26 | D+0 | WHL | Prince Albert Raiders | 68 | 28 | 50 | 78 | 1.15 |
Rudolph entered the WHL last season and found instant success in his role with the Raiders. The first half of the year seemed to have him focusing on his defensive game and ensuring he was comfortable as a rookie. When the new year rolled around, his production exploded, sending him down the path to the seven goals and 41 points he tallied across 64 games. His performance landed him a nomination for rookie of the year, but he lost out to the 2027 top prospect, Landon DuPont.
Heading into the 2025–26 season, Rudolph was poised to receive a prominent role on the Raiders, who lost their top producer on the backend. As the team’s new number one defenceman, Rudolph would deliver. Similar to the prior season, Rudolph had a slow start in terms of production, but around New Year’s, he would explode again and regain his draft stock. Across 68 games, he accumulated 28 goals and 78 points. He led the Raiders in scoring and ranked third among defencemen in league scoring. The tally of 28 goals was one goal shy of the team lead and also tied a franchise record set by Josh Morrissey.
In the playoffs, the Raiders are currently in the second round, up 3–0 against the Saskatoon Blades. Rudolph has not slowed down, with 11 points in eight games, placing him first in both team and defencemen production so far in the playoffs.
Rudolph’s strengths
Dual-threat capabilities
If there’s one area of Rudolph’s game that I’m a huge fan of, it’s his ability to consistently be a dual-threat in the offensive zone. When the Raiders have control of the puck, it’s about as equal a chance that Rudolph is going to make a great pass or snipe past the goalie. Beginning with his goal-scoring capabilities, he displays a very accurate and quick wrist shot that consistently beats goalies or generates high-quality rebounds. When he has the puck at the blue line, he moves in ever so slightly, finds an open shooting lane and wires the puck into the back of the net. He also loves to jump into the offensive play and position himself to receive passes, then use his effective skating to find a little bit more space before sending a laser to the net.
On the playmaking side of things, I adore Rudolph’s seam passes. He constantly scans the ice, spotting a dashing teammate, and then finds openings in the opponent’s defence to send a crisp tape-to-tape pass onto his teammate’s stick, leading to a great scoring opportunity. Up in the offensive end, Rudolph is effective in dishing out across-zone passes to help cycle the puck or set up quick-release opportunities. In a similar manner to his goal-scoring patterns, Rudolph will also jump into the developing play to position himself to make high-quality passes. Often, I see him making dangerous passes from the boards into the slot or around the net, creating fantastic scoring opportunities for his teammates.
I believe Rudolph has an underrated ability to manipulate the puck, which adds to this aspect of his game. He can make smooth moves with the puck on his stick, leaving defenders out of position and creating an opening for him to move into.
Positioning
Another important aspect of Rudolph’s game is his stable positioning. At both ends of the ice, Rudolph elevates his team’s chance by knowing where to be and when to be there. Offensively, Rudolph knows when to and when not to activate off the blue line. If he sees an opportunity to join the offensive attack, Rudolph sees cracks in the defence and sneakily moves into them to continue the cycle. Often, Rudolph will attack these openings to get into a strong shooting position. Rudolph can anticipate when the play may be headed the other way, holding his urge to jump into the offensive play and retreat to a more defensive position.
On the defensive side, Rudolph’s positioning is his greatest asset for making an impact. When the opposing rush is coming his direction, Rudolph keeps pace and aims to eliminate space from his opponent. Whether he’s on the puck-carrier or the supporting player, Rudolph typically holds his ground by not overcommitting. He guards the centre of the ice by using his body to guide the attacker to the outside, limiting the other team’s offensive opportunities. Even if he’s not close enough to take away space with the body, Rudolph keeps his stick in an effective position, threatening to get into lanes and force turnovers. In the zone, Rudolph holds his assignment steadily, not usually being out of position. Similar to his rush defence, he pushes players to the outside, eliminates passing lanes, and threatens to stick-check with impact.
Skating
Rudolph doesn’t have an explosive stride or deceptive agility; however, he has incredibly solid and reliable skating mechanics. When it comes to covering ground quickly, Rudolph does so thanks to a fluid stride. He can break out from behind the net, picking up pace with each stride, and use smooth steps to get around obstacles. Rudolph’s stride has a kind of glide to it, allowing him to be light on his feet. He also uses his skating to move along the blue line effectively. Rudolph can skate with power from side to side, keeping the option to shoot or pass open at any given moment. Activating off the blue line, Rudolph uses slight speed and pivots to create space with his hands and feet. When pressured, Rudolph can turn away from the attacking defender fluidly, finding open space to move into.
If the puck is headed the other way, Rudolph has a fluid backwards stride that helps him stay composed on the back check. His ability to skate backwards allows him to move into those defensive positions, eliminating space from the opponent. When the opponent is in transition, you’ll see Rudolph tracking with fluidity, keeping his stick ready to make a nice poke check.
Rudolph’s areas of improvement
Inconsistent effort
A gripe with Rudolph’s style is the inconsistency in his effort. Sometimes, Rudolph can kind of just stand around. He won’t apply pressure to the attacker and wait for the opposing offence to run into him. On the offensive side, he can be prone to hoping that an opening will appear instead of trying to make it himself. Rudolph isn’t very physical for someone of his stature, either. This can work out in his favour, limiting overcommitments or heading into physical altercations with smarter approaches. However, this typically bites him when the opponent is applying pressure.
He can be a little soft on the boards or in battles, either being pushed around more easily than he should be or not doing enough pushing around. If an opponent gets a step on him, Rudolph can fail to recover as he doesn’t add enough strength to his stick. When the play starts to get heated due to a rebound or such, Rudolph can draw away from the battle instead of engaging. It appears as if he’s hoping that if the puck comes loose, he’ll be a step ahead in position. However, more often than not, it just removes any impact he might have.
The good thing is, I find that Rudolph typically plays with a solid effort most nights. However, bringing more consistency and elevating his physicality would go a long way toward improving his overall game.
Decision making
Although Rudolph usually makes smart reads, he can be prone to some dicey decision-making. Sometimes, when Rudolph is trying to create space with control, rather than opting for a simple pass, he’ll play himself into situations with no positive escape. This usually happens when he’s attempting to break out with the puck. He’ll retrieve behind the net, attempt to move around the defenders, but have his space eliminated. This causes him to dump the puck or try to pass it back, restarting the breakout. He can also try to rush breakout passes, which can lead to turnovers and a reverse attack.
In a similar sense, Rudolph will aim to enter the zone along the outside with control. However, if an opponent catches him there, he’ll send the puck in with a chip instead of opting for a pass. Also, on entry attempts, Rudolph may try to do it all himself. He’ll try to wait for an opening, just kind of skating around with the puck. Then, when he attacks, the defence has time to structure, and the move he tries is shut down with ease.
Rudolph’s comparables
Drawing a comparison for Rudolph is a little difficult. I think the best would be Minnesota Wild defenceman, Brock Faber. Faber doesn’t have Quinn Hughes-esque edges or an explosive stride, but he moves around effectively with all-around good skating. He defends well with his positioning, applying pressure through stick-checking and taking away space with his body, rather than imposing physical play. Strong puck movement and passing skills are also in his arsenal. Faber can also be prone to not being physical enough in a similar sense to Rudolph.
Fit with the Flames
| Organizational need addressed | Top-4 RHD |
| Realistic pick range | 7-12 |
| NHL timeline | 2-3 seasons |
| Flames fit verdict | Unlikely fit |
I would say it is very unlikely that Rudolph ends up with the Flames. The Flames currently sit fourth last and are a few games away from clinching a bottom-four position, possibly bottom-three. This will place the Flames in the 1–6 range, ahead of Rudolph’s projection.
A right-handed defenceman is also near the bottom of the Flames’ priority list. The Flames already have Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz projected as important pieces on the right side. Rudolph would place above Brzustewicz as a prospect and would slot behind Parekh. However, the Flames shouldn’t be going right-handed defence unless it’s the best player available, and it’s not likely Rudolph will be when the Flames are on the board.
If in these final games, the Flames play themselves into a situation where they fall into Rudolph’s range, it’s not the worst pick. Rudolph would likely slot in as a great option on the second pair and the second power play unit, which is a great spot to project him. He also has experience playing on his offside, so maybe you could develop him to be Parekh’s partner. However, there will likely be better options and fits for the Flames, no matter where they pick.
Summary
Daxon Rudolph is a great option for any team looking to bolster their right side of their defence. His ability to consistently be a dual-threat in the offensive zone while staying smart with positioning at both ends of the ice makes him a projectable option at the next level. Adding a bit more consistency to his effort could raise his level of play. Regardless, I think you can look at the ceiling of a top-pair defenceman who plays on both special teams. In a more realistic projection, you are likely looking at a valuable top-four defenceman who plays in all situations.
Risk: 1.5/5
Reward: 4/5
NHL Comparable: Brock Faber
Projection: Top-four, two-way defenceman
