Preston overcomes injury to become 'gamebreaker type' ahead of 2026 Draft

The 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round will be June 26 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 on June 27 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at forward Mathis Preston from Vancouver in the Western Hockey League. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Mathis Preston got a crash course in the tough side of hockey this season.

A trade and a long-term injury in the most important season of young career set the 17-year-old back a bit, but Preston feels he's still on track to achieve his dream of playing in the NHL.

"Obviously I would have liked to produce more, but I think last year too, I had a really good year," Preston said. "I played really well in the (WHL) playoffs as a 16-year-old, went to the finals, so I think it's not only about this year, I think I had a good year last year as well. There's ups and downs this year, for sure, but I think people know what my game's about."

What he showed this season was a high-end offensive skill set that allowed him to total 44 points (18 goals, 26 assists) in 46 games. He's No. 32 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.

"He has a gamebreaker type of game," Central Scouting senior western scout John Williams said. "His dynamic speed, quickness, he can score, he can make plays. He plays at a really high speed, high pace.

"If you believe in the skill and talent, then that's a guy that you want to look at it in the first round."

Preston entered the season with a first-round projection. In 2024-25 he was tied for seventh among WHL rookies with 45 points (23 goals, 22 assists), then had 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in 20 playoff games to help Spokane reach the WHL finals, a five-game loss to Medicine Hat.

He received an A rating from Central Scouting in its preliminary players to watch list in October, and had 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in his first 36 games. He also scored a goal in Game 1 of the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in November.

Things took a drastic turn Jan. 5, when Preston was traded to Vancouver.

"I was pretty surprised," he said. "I definitely didn't think I was going to get traded, but it's part of the business, and you just got to take it on the chin. I was just focused on being the best Vancouver Giant I could."

He looked like he was on his way to doing just that, scoring a spectacular overtime goal in his Vancouver debut Jan. 9.

A day later against Wenatchee, he assisted on a first-period goal, but that would be the last good news Preston would get for about two months.

With 3:35 left in the first period, he skated the puck up the boards on the right side of the Wenatchee zone and cut to the middle when he collided knee-on-knee with Wenatchee defenseman Brandon Osborne.

"He just got all of my (right) knee," Preston said. "Originally I thought it was just a bad charley horse, but then kind of 30 minutes after that I went down, I couldn't stand on my leg."

The injury sidelined Preston for two months. In the biggest season of his life. Less than a week after he joined a new team and still was trying to learn all the names of his teammates and staff members in Vancouver.

"Unfortunately for us, for him, in his draft year," Vancouver assistant coach Wacey Rabbit said. "You could tell he was excited, a new opportunity, new team, and then that happened. It was really unfortunate. You feel for Mathis."

Easing Preston's road to recovery a bit was going through rehab with defenseman Ryan Lin, who broke his wrist Jan. 11.

"We grew so close together, especially off the ice, just going out to eat," Preston said. "We spent basically every second together for eight weeks straight, so it was awesome to have him there. ... You're not going through it alone, and I think he definitely helped me through it, and I think vice versa as well."

Lin was in a similar spot as Preston, with the injury coming in the middle of his draft season. He's No. 16 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.

He knew Preston from playing against him, and occasionally with him, at Hockey Canada events, but their time rehabbing together grew their relationship.

"We ate together, we worked out together, we rehabbed together, everything," Lin said. "We drove together. It was kind of insane, actually. He's one of my best friends now, and such a great guy to just hang out with."

Preston returned to the lineup March 6 and finished with nine points (three goals, six assists) in eight games.

He then hit his stride playing for sixth-place Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. He tied for second on the team with six points (two goals, four assists) in five games and led with 21 shots on goal.

The production helped open the eyes of NHL scouts. More importantly, it let Preston finish his season in a positive place mentally.

"It was huge," he said. "You're definitely kind of frustrated with not getting to play ... people haven't seen you a lot, people start to say stuff about your game. Then I go there, and I think I played really well."

He further impressed with a solid showing during fitness testing at the NHL Scouting Combine presented by Fanatics, finishing in the top 10 in seven events. He tied for second on the Wingate cycle ergometer test, a 30-second full-out sprint with resistance, generating 17.2 watts per kilogram of body weight. He also tied for third in the 10-meter sprint at 2.04 seconds.

"I think that's definitely something that I take pride in, is just being in the best shape I can be," he said.

Preston is no stranger to working hard off the ice. Before choosing hockey full-time he competed in junior triathlons.

"I was pretty young (age 11-12), so the run would probably be like five kilometers, bike is like 10 and then the swim is probably 1 1/2-2, so not crazy distances," he said. "My dad did the Ironman, so that's where I kind of got it from."

He might wait until retirement from hockey to try triathlons again, but instead he'll spend his offseason focused on making his skating more explosive and getting stronger. 

If things continue on this positive track, Williams believes next season could be even better for Preston.

"I think he may be one of those guys ... the expectations for him were to be near the top of the first round coming into the season, and for various reasons, he had an injury, just things just haven't worked out," he said. "I would not be surprised at all to see him next year just have a dynamite type of season."