The 2027 NHL Draft may belong to Landon DuPont entering the season, but teams looking for help down the middle could have plenty of options.
On the latest episode of Called Up: The Prospects Podcast, FloHockey prospects analyst Chris Peters and Elite Prospects' Cam Robinson broke down the early 2027 NHL Draft scout polls and a class that already appears unusually deep at center.
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That led to a simple question during the show's "Beyond Belief" segment: Will at least five of the first 10 players selected in the 2027 NHL Draft be centers?
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Could Five Centers Go In The Top 10 Of The 2027 NHL Draft?
Robinson isn't ready to go that far just yet.
Presented with the possibility of five or more centers going in the top 10, Robinson called it "beyond belief" and predicted four or fewer.
Among the players he mentioned as candidates were Milan Sundstrom and Carter Meyer, while noting there are several others who could work their way into that conversation as the season progresses.
Peters was more willing to entertain five.
One reason is simple: NHL teams are always looking for centers.
"Teams desperately want centers," Peters said.
There also remains plenty of uncertainty about which prospects ultimately will be viewed as NHL centers. Some draft-eligible players can play both center and wing, and their positions could become clearer as the season develops.
That means the number could change significantly between September and draft night.
Carter Meyer Among Centers To Watch In 2027 NHL Draft
One name that continued to come up throughout the episode was Carter Meyer.
Meyer left the U.S. National Team Development Program for the Québec Remparts this season and entered the year as one of the top American prospects eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft.
He also was one of the first four players named to Team CHL for December's CHL USA Prospects Challenge, joining Dima Zhilkin, Alexis Joseph and Brock England.
At the end of the episode, Peters and Robinson put Meyer head-to-head with another highly regarded center, Jonah Neuenschwander, in the show's "You Have To Pick One" segment.
And they split.
Carter Meyer Or Jonah Neuenschwander?
Robinson picked Neuenschwander.
He pointed to the Swiss prospect's experience against higher levels of competition, size, hockey IQ and potential to become an impact top-six center.
Peters went with Meyer.
While acknowledging Neuenschwander may offer the higher probability of reaching his projected ceiling, Peters favored Meyer's more dynamic offensive skill set and believes Meyer still has an opportunity to prove he can remain down the middle.
The disagreement illustrates what could make the 2027 draft particularly interesting.
DuPont remains the headliner, but behind him is a group of forwards with an entire season to establish where they belong and, perhaps just as importantly, where they should play at the NHL level.
Five centers in the first 10 picks?
Robinson isn't buying it yet. Peters thinks it's possible.
With an entire season of scouting still ahead, that debate is only getting started.
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