2025-26 Team: Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
Date of Birth: December 30, 2007
Place of Birth: Needham, Massachusetts
Height: 6-foot-1, Weight: 190 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: RW
NHL Draft Eligibility: First Year Eligible
Rankings
Rian Chudzinski is the type of player that NHL teams covet when the playoffs roll around. He has decent size, skates well, and will hit anything that moves. Chudzinski has enough skill for the NHL, a strong shot that he gets off well in many different contexts, and he’s more than happy to cause mayhem around the net.
After beating up on the US High School Prep circuit last season (27 goals and 52 points in just 28 games), Chudzinski jumped into the QMJHL this past year with the Moncton Wildcats. After an okay regular season, he really showed what he was capable of once the QMJHL playoffs began. Chudzinski scored 17 points in Moncton’s run to the league’s final, earning himself a lot of attention.
There are some questions about his hockey sense and, as a result, his ability to play at pace in the NHL, but I think his physical game and skating should be enough for him to become a regular in the NHL someday.
Rian Chudzinski – NHL Draft Projection
Chudzinski is likely going to hear his name called relatively early on Day two of the 2026 Draft. I doubt he’ll last past the third round, but he could also go early in the second round if there’s a team that believes he can become a good third line winger someday.
Quotables
“He drives the inside and doesn’t hesitate to use his powerful release. He’s also very engaged and useful defensively. “ – Eloi Biondo, Dobber Prospects
“While he wasn’t a penalty killer for the Wildcats this year, he’s also a worker who competes, gets after it, finishes his checks and involves himself in the action on and off the puck.” – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic (2026 NHL Draft ranking: Gavin McKenna leads Scott Wheeler’s final top 100 list, June 3, 2026).
Strengths
- Excellent physicality
- Good skating
- High volume shooter
- Committed two-way player
Under Construction- Improvements to Make
- Hockey sense limitations
- Not a strong playmaker
NHL Potential
I can easily imagine Chudzinski succeeding as a bottom-six winger in the NHL, one who brings physicality and some minor depth scoring to the table. There’s a small possibility that he could play up the lineup as far as a second line on a good team, but he would likely need the help of a strong playmaker or two as well as some growth in his hockey sense.
Risk- Reward Analysis
Risk- 2/5, Reward 2.5/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense- 4/10, Defense – 6/10
