The third defender taken in a row by the Montreal Canadiens was the first first-year eligible player they took on the second day of the 2026 NHL Draft. Brayden Klimpke doesn’t have one skill that makes you take notice, rather it is the combination of everything he does, his compete level, and his consistency that makes him an intriguing prospect.
Birthplace: Calgary, AB, Canada
Date of birth: October 8, 2007
Shoots: Left
Position: Defence
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 174 lbs.
Team: Saskatoon Blades (WHL)
Klimpke just finished his third WHL season and he is planning to go back for his fourth as his commitment to the University of North Dakota is only for an enrolment for the 2027-28 season.
The thing that comes up again and again with Klimpke is that he’s remarkable by the fact he is not remarkable. He doesn’t have elite skill and he doesn’t have elite size, but what he does have is the ability to give his all consistently. It’s that consistency that allows him to stick out and make an impact in games that he plays.
It’s rare for undersized defenders to make it all the way to the NHL without elite offensive skill, which is why many doubt his potential impact at the top level. Despite that, Klimpke is able to bring his best defensively which allows scouts to see a path to an NHL future.
Despite his size, he does not shy away from being physical and his positioning and skating gives him an opportunity to stop top-end opposition. He took a big role on Saskatoon that grew as the season went on. He plays 25-30 minutes a night for them, sometimes more, and always steps up to the challenge. By the end of the season, he was at the top of the Blades lineup. He has the ability to take on the role that his team needs at the time. If the team needs a player to lead the team up ice, he can do it. If the team needs to close out a close game, he can do that as well.
Scouting reports from Elite Prospects, who had him ranked 119th, say that in games against other top prospects, he often had the upper hand. He uses his skating and body positioning to kill plays in their tracks in a way that almost belies his stature.
Like many players the Canadiens tend to draft, he has great ability to transition the puck up ice from defence to offence. He doesn’t have high-end speed, but has the ability to skate at a high level. That, combined with his smarts, allow him to complete plays and not get himself into trouble both with and without the puck.
One clip in this highlight video stands out more than any other. There is a sequence where there is a flurry in front of his net, the goalie is out of position, but Klimpke stands his ground and blocks not one, but two shots headed clearly into the open net. It’s that kind of compete and will to win that can carry him higher than his individual skillset can take him on its own.
You can also see some of the offensive instincts that he can bring to the table, but also that his decision-making and execution is a question among those who watch him, and have concerns about whether he can do enough with the puck to improve his future outlook.
There isn’t much you can say about Klimpke that is overly negative. He adds value when he is on the ice no matter what the situation is or needs. Whether he can scale up that as the competition and level increases is why he was picked in the fourth round of the draft.
The real question when it comes to his future is not whether anything in his game will be a liability and hurt him, it’s whether he has enough in his toolbox to consistently make an impact like he has been developing at the WHL level.
The good news for him, and perhaps one of the reasons the Canadiens took a chance on him, is that it wouldn’t be completely impossible to see a player develop offensive tools and skills as they progress. He almost doubled his assist totals from one year to the next, and it will be very interesting to see how he does as a relatively young player going into his draft+1 year.
