The penultimate name on our 2026 BSH draft board, the talented Niagara Ice Dogs winger Ryan Roobroeck finally finds his way onto the rankings, after a season that ended in injury and left scouts wanting more.
Throughout his early career in the Ontario Hockey League, Roobroeck was tipped to be a potential top-15, or even top-10 pick whenever he was draft eligible. But as he aged, he failed to really fulfill the sky-high potential that was expected of him, remaining largely the same player throughout his three pre-draft seasons, and never really taking the next step that was expected of him as one of the older players in this draft.
Still, with a big frame and powerful shot in tow, Roobroeck has a toolbox filled to the brim with potentially gamebreaking skills that could be lethal if re-discovered at the pro level. He has been highly touted since he was 15, and there may still be a high-ceiling NHLer in there somewhere.
Pre-draft rankings
Ranked #50 by Elite Prospects
Ranked #89 by The Athletic (Corey Pronman)
Ranked #38 by Sportsnet (Jason Bukala)
Ranked #30 by The Athletic (Scott Wheeler)
Statistics
What’s there to like?
At his best, Roobroeck provides some of the most tantalizing skills available in the entire draft. His goal scoring has looked unbelievable in spurts, and before a disappointing season this year, he was widely regarded as one of the more talented power forwards in the draft. At just over 6’3 and 210 pounds, Roobroeck brings an NHL ready frame to the table immediately, which is even more impressive when you start to watch how he uses it. More than just a big body, Roobroeck relishes in being a play finisher all over the ice. He possesses a heavy shot which he uses to beat goaltenders with ease off the rush, in the slot, and off of one timers. He has one of the better pure shots out of anyone in the draft, and he’s not afraid to use it as frequently as possible.
Roobroeck suffered a lower-body injury in February that ended his season, but prior to that scored 11 points in his last eight games with the Ice Dogs, and looked more like the player that scouts were expecting to see heading into this season. He was an over a point-per-game scorer on a pretty average Ice Dogs team, and on some nights looked like their most impactful player.
Roobroeck has the complete package in order to be an offensively capable power forward at the pro level, and if he can put everything together, some team will be getting some really good value out of a late-first round pick.
What’s not to like?
The major issue with Roobroeck is that he should definitely be much better than he currently is. All the raw talent and potential is there, but he struggled with pace at times in a weakened OHL, and on a game-by-game basis, you never really knew what you were going to get from him. Compare him to someone like Ethan Belchetz, who has emerged as the premier power forward in this draft year, and there’s just not the same amount of consistent physical engagement from Roobroeck, whether it be in the corners, or driving to the front of the net.
In addition, Roobroeck seems a step behind his peers in some moments. His skating stride isn’t very strong, and the speed advantage he had at a younger age against worse competition has pretty much evaporated at this point. Compare what someone like Roobroeck did in the OHL, (was 18 for this entire season, will be 19 at the start of next year), to someone like Ilia Morozov, who impressed as a 17-year old in a much harder league in the NCAA, and the shine starts to come off of drafting Roobroeck, especially with a premium selection.
He’s been involved in the Canadian U-17 and U-18 setup for years, and even put together a really solid tournament last year with nine points in seven games at the U-18 World Championships. But the difference between him and fellow teammates at that tournament like Ben Kindel, Cole Reschny, and Brady Martin, is that all of those aforementioned players took a jump during their draft year, and looked dominant at the CHL level. Roobroeck was good, but he fell flat during the early part of the year, before his injury cut his season short. Scouts were expecting dominance in at least one area of the game, but they just received more of the same.
How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?
As a winger, he doesn’t fit the Flyers’ positional needs whatsoever, but Roobroeck would bring some much needed size to the Flyers forward corps, one that is looking pretty undersized with Denver Barkey, Matvei Michkov, and Trevor Zegras all penciled in to start next season. On the other hand however, the slow stride that he possesses currently doesn’t help the problem of the Flyers lacking a bit of speed up front outside of Owen Tippett. You can look at it in a couple different ways, but I think that the Flyers would be reasonably interested in his skillset given their penchant for picking some bigger forwards in the first round under the Briere/Jones braintrust. He could serve a purpose as a big burly bottom-sixer if he can’t reach another level, and a potentially skilled middle-six power play contributor if he does.
Could the Flyers actually get him?
Roobroeck is going to be available at 21, barring that something very unexpected happens, and the Flyers may even have a chance to grab him in the second round, if the Elite Prospects ranking of 50th overall ends up being closer to reality. But at 21, it just doesn’t seem prudent to take a swing on a guy who has struggled with pace, especially for a Rick Tocchet team.
What scouts are saying
“For a guy his size, he often lacks the intensity required to be a true difference-maker. Few players with Roobroeck’s level of talent fall asleep as frequently on plays, and it’s a shame. At the very least, Roobroeck should be able to excel on the power play, and he’s good as a net-front presence.”
– Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff
“Roobroeck is a very toolsy winger. He skates and handles the puck quite well, especially for a tall forward. On his best shifts, he looks like a potential top offensive threat in the NHL with his touch, feet and shot. Despite his frame, he doesn’t play hard, and the consistency in his effort level is a question. He has all the tools to be a scoring winger in the NHL, but he will need to show up a lot more often.”
– Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
And last but not least, time to add another potential number 32 to the pool. From the MHL and KHL, the mobile defender Nikita Shcherbakov.
“He’s strong, but he moves well – which is important for a guy his size. Shcherbakov has definitely grown on me a bit over the past few months, especially after watching him play well against his own age group. His game lacks high-end thinking, and he’ll likely slot in as a third-pairing defender.”
– Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff
