- May 21, 2026
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A rising star in the collegiate ranks has had his name called by an NHL team.
On Saturday, the Utah Mammoth selected forward Adam Valentini, 18, with the No. 96 overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.
Valentini is a player who is coming into his own south of the border. Daily Faceoff analyst Steven Ellis had him 39th in his final rankings, while NHL Central Scouting had him listed as the No. 86 North American skater.
Valentini is coming off a promising freshman season at the University of Michigan. On an extremely talented team under head coach Brandon Naurato, the Toronto native scored 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in 40 games, finishing tied for sixth on the team in scoring. He played a secondary role on a Wolverines team that won the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2023. The team also made it to the Frozen Four, ultimately losing to the eventual national champions, the Denver Pioneers, in the semifinals.
Valentini followed up his college season by representing Canada at the 2026 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship. He scored three goals and five points in five games, though the Canadians were shockingly eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Last season, the former Toronto Marlboro played for the prestigious Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League, scoring 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points in 58 games.
Valentini does have some international hardware on his mantle. He helped Canada White win gold at the 2024 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge and bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Ellis says, while Valentini possesses a ton of talent, he has some filling out to do before turning pro.
“From a pure skill perspective, Valentini is tremendous,” Ellis wrote. “Valentini is so energetic that he can chase the whole game without losing much pace. He can be a bit of a pain in the ass around the net because you can almost never keep up with his footwork. I like how his game has progressed in college, but he needs to add more muscle. With the puck, though, Valentini brings so much to the table. I’m not worried about his ability to create damage with the puck on his stick. But is he versatile enough? Is he too small? Always bet high on skill.”
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On Saturday, the Utah Mammoth selected forward Adam Valentini, 18, with the No. 96 overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.
Valentini is a player who is coming into his own south of the border. Daily Faceoff analyst Steven Ellis had him 39th in his final rankings, while NHL Central Scouting had him listed as the No. 86 North American skater.
Valentini is coming off a promising freshman season at the University of Michigan. On an extremely talented team under head coach Brandon Naurato, the Toronto native scored 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in 40 games, finishing tied for sixth on the team in scoring. He played a secondary role on a Wolverines team that won the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2023. The team also made it to the Frozen Four, ultimately losing to the eventual national champions, the Denver Pioneers, in the semifinals.
Valentini followed up his college season by representing Canada at the 2026 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship. He scored three goals and five points in five games, though the Canadians were shockingly eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Last season, the former Toronto Marlboro played for the prestigious Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League, scoring 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points in 58 games.
Valentini does have some international hardware on his mantle. He helped Canada White win gold at the 2024 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge and bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Ellis says, while Valentini possesses a ton of talent, he has some filling out to do before turning pro.
“From a pure skill perspective, Valentini is tremendous,” Ellis wrote. “Valentini is so energetic that he can chase the whole game without losing much pace. He can be a bit of a pain in the ass around the net because you can almost never keep up with his footwork. I like how his game has progressed in college, but he needs to add more muscle. With the puck, though, Valentini brings so much to the table. I’m not worried about his ability to create damage with the puck on his stick. But is he versatile enough? Is he too small? Always bet high on skill.”
Continue reading...