New Jersey Devils Select Luke Wilfley at 172nd Overall in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft
· Yahoo Sports
The Devils go with a high compete, hard-working forechecker in Round 6.
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Devils Take Luke Wilfley
With their own sixth round selection, the Devils selected 6’1, 179 pound center Luke Wilfley from the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. In the high-scoring juniors league, Wilfrey managed 9 goals and 15 points in 66 games. So, what do we know about Wilfley?
Safe to say, Patrick Bacon is not a fan.
#NJDevils select Luke Wilfley 172nd overall. I ranked him 482nd overall. pic.twitter.com/Sq4hBnMQVx
— Patrick Bacon (@TopDownHockey) June 27, 2026
The Portland Winterhawks posted a much rosier picture of their own player with this video.
2026 NHL Draft Profile: Luke Wilfley 💪
— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) June 22, 2026
A power forward with a heavy shot and a high compete level. pic.twitter.com/ofofBdjcQE
From the video, it seems that much of Wilfley’s offense came later in the season, which could mean that the young center was starting to figure things out late. He fits the mold of other picks this year as a hard-checking, high compete forward. Time will tell what becomes of him. For now, welcome to the pool, Wilfley.
(From Chris:) Wilfley might not be an analytical darling, but he has a mixed profile on Mitchell Brown’s CHL tracking project, as seen below. He is adept at rush offense and physicality, but not too much else. What Wilfley has going for him is that he played this entire season as a 17-year old, and he only played fourth line minutes. Maybe another year with more ice time, at an age closer to most draft-eligible players would normally be, will show why this pick was made.
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