Defenseman Landon DuPont is 17 years old, and he put up 73 points in 63 games last season with the Everett Silvertips of the WHL: 18 goals, 55 assists, and a plus-59 rating. In 18 playoff games he scored five goals and added 18 assists, with a plus-20 rating, as Everett won the WHL championship.
Now he makes the jump from the WHL to the NCAA with the Michigan Wolverines for the 2026-27 season. He arrives in Ann Arbor as the top-ranked freshman in college hockey and the projected first overall pick of the 2027 NHL Draft.
Scott Wheeler Ranks Landon DuPont the Top Freshman in College Hockey
Scott Wheeler of The Athletic ranked his top 40 freshmen ahead of the 2026-27 college hockey season on Thursday, and it was no surprise that DuPont sat at the top of the list. Wheeler wrote:
“DuPont — the WHL’s first exceptional-status defenseman and an early front-runner for No. 1 in the 2027 NHL Draft — joins the Big Ten superpower Wolverines fresh off a season in which he broke 100 points across all competitions with the Everett Silvertips and won a WHL title. Expect DuPont to fit in well on a Michigan team that encourages a high activity level from its D. His strength, feet and smarts should allow him to defend against older college competition, too.”
The No. 1 Projection Is Not One Outlet’s Opinion
Craig Button, TSN’s director of scouting, also opened the season with DuPont at No. 1 on his 2027 draft ranking on Sept. 23. Two seasons in Everett got him there, and college hockey is a bigger, older test, but the expectation is still an immediate impact for the Wolverines. Michigan fans will not be the only people watching him closely this winter.
Detroit Red Wings Fans Should Pay Close Attention to DuPont
If the Detroit Red Wings are not good this season, plenty of fans are going to want them to tank for DuPont. He would be a franchise-changing player for the Red Wings, and it would be no surprise to see Detroit’s scouts, and scouts from the rest of the league, at Wolverines games.
Detroit has missed the playoffs in each of the last 10 seasons, the longest active drought in the NHL. If the Red Wings start slow and settle in near the bottom of the standings, they could sell at the deadline and reset again. The consolation prize for an 11th straight season out of the playoffs could be DuPont and the first pick of the 2027 NHL Draft.
