Cullen could be special player, Central Scouting tells 'NHL Draft Class'

The 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round is June 26 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) with 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. Full draft coverage can be found here.

Pat Cullen knew before most that Wyatt Cullen could be a special hockey player.

The scout for NHL Central Scouting is a first cousin of Wyatt's father, Matt Cullen, and watched Wyatt develop through to becoming a top forward with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team, and potentially a top-15 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

"I've known for a long time that Matt's three boys are all very talented players in their own right, but you don't want to be the first to the table," Pat Cullen said on the latest edition of the "NHL Draft Class" podcast. "What was great about Wyatt this year was he had a tough start to the season because of the injury, but he just earned everything he got. It was fun to sit back with my colleagues and listen to them talking about him and praising him. It wasn't very long before everyone saw the unique skill set that he has."​

Wyatt Cullen was one of several prospects from the NTDP, NCAA and high school that Pat Cullen discussed, among them Miami University center Ilia Morozov, NTDP forward Victor Plante and University of North Dakota defenseman Keaton Verhoeff.

"Physically he checks all the boxes," Cullen said of Verhoeff. "The size is there, the skating is there, the offensive skill is there, but he just became more well-rounded. If you're going to be a No. 1, No. 2 defenseman, you have to be reliable defensively as well, and I think college really helped him round out his game."

The show wraps up with a game of Fact or Fiction, with co-hosts Adam Kimelman and Mike G. Morreale sharing their feelings on several items of interest ahead of the draft, including what could happen with the San Jose Sharks and the No. 2 pick. 

The "NHL Draft Class" podcast is free, and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms, including iTunes and Spotify. It also is available here and the NHL app.