It’s that time of the year for The Win Column’s NHL Draft Rankings and Draft Profiles! Earlier on, we released the TWC consolidated 2026 NHL Draft rankings. The 2026 NHL Draft will take place on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo. Coming up next for us is defenceman Ryan Lin.
Who is Ryan Lin?
| Player | Position | Shoots | Height | Weight | Nationality | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Lin | Defence | Right | 5’11” / 180cm | 176lbs / 80kg | Canada | TWC Rank #15 / CS NA Rank #16 |
Lin continues the trend of WHL defencemen in the first half of this draft. The Richmond product developed in his youth with the Delta Hockey Academy Prep team. In the 2023 WHL draft, Lin was selected 6th overall by the team closest to home, the Vancouver Giants.
On-ice production
| Year | Draft Rel. | League | Team | GP | G | A | P | P/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | D-4 | CSSHL U15 | Delta Hockey Academy U15 Prep | 29 | 3 | 28 | 31 | 1.07 |
| 2022-23 | D-3 | CSSHL U15 | Delta Hockey Academy U15 Prep | 27 | 17 | 24 | 41 | 1.52 |
| 2023–24 | D-2 | CSSHL U18 | Delta Hockey Academy U18 Prep | 28 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 1.14 |
| WHL | Vancouver Giants | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | ||
| 2024–25 | D-1 | WHL | Vancouver Giants | 60 | 5 | 48 | 53 | 0.88 |
| 2025-26 | D+0 | WHL | Vancouver Giants | 53 | 14 | 43 | 57 | 1.08 |
Lin was able to test the WHL waters for one game back in 2023–24, before going full-time in 2024–25. With the Giants in his rookie season, Lin would amass five goals and 53 points in 60 games, displaying high-end offensive ability on a mediocre Giants team. They would make the playoffs before losing in five to a dominant Spokane Chiefs team.
Following up his rookie campaign, Lin took on a bigger role this season. Now, as the full-time #1D and power play quarterback, Lin’s production improved to 57 points in 53 games. The Giants were definitely not good this year, finishing in the bottom three. The team also underwent a complete identity change, trading most of their best players, but also acquiring promising pieces. However, Lin remained, and due to that, claimed the spot as the team’s leading producer by an astonishing 17 points.
Heading into next year, Lin’s time in the WHL is over. About two weeks ago, Lin announced that he has committed to the University of Denver for the 2026–27 season.
Lin’s strengths
Skating
Lin brings some really solid four-way mobility and moves with speed. Multiple times a game, you’ll see Lin enter the neutral zone with speed and transition to the offensive side of the puck while keeping pace with forwards. He’ll sneak into space and suddenly be a fourth option that the opponents weren’t accounting for. Lin can be a one-man breakout if he has hold of the puck, attacking openings in the defence with that same speed and using his agility to move laterally around defenders.
Smooth side steps and quick pivots allow Lin to create space with the puck. He can cycle along the blueline and have patience waiting for a gap. Lin’s agility also allows him to skate backwards effectively. This keeps him in position when the opposing team begins their attack and lets him scan to try to close a gap.
Smarts
Aside from his great skating ability, Lin is also a pretty intelligent player. In the offensive end, Lin plays with patience; he’ll use his agility and puck control to either wait for an opening or strategically create his own space. If those gaps arise, Lin attacks with a smart pass or a nicely placed shot. His game comes with a great sense of creativity that allows him to be a consistent offensive threat. Finding teammates in high-danger areas pretty easily, even if they don’t capitalize most of the time. Defensively, Lin’s intelligence doesn’t begin to waver. He keeps pace with the opposing player, using smart stick or body placement to eliminate space. Effective gap control and reads to block lanes allow Lin to typically make impacts at both ends of the ice.
Offensive game
Overall, Lin brings a good skill set to the offensive zone. As already mentioned, his skating allows him to attack with speed and deceptiveness. However, you add on his smooth and quick puck movement, and another layer of deceptiveness can come. He makes super crisp tape-to-tape passes in-zone and feeds teammates from across ice. He consistently finds teammates in open ice for good opportunities, and is typically the only threat for his own team. With an eye for picking spots past the goalie, Lin’s shot is also a bit of a factor in his skill set.
Lin’s areas of improvement
Adding some size
As a defenceman that is 5’11” and 176lbs, I don’t feel like this should come as much of a surprise. I honestly think Lin holds up pretty well for his stature, and his talent should always come first. However, I do think he could add another level to his game if he added some size. When engaging in net-front or board battles, Lin can be prone to getting outmuscled with a solid amount of ease. It causes open space to arrive, and leads to Lin being a non-factor on the defence.
Another thing I noticed is that the smaller stature makes Lin rush to avoid physicality from time to time. If he’s retrieving the puck behind the net and spots a forechecker heading towards him, he may rush the breakout pass and cause a turnover. He also has situations where he should settle the puck with ease, but struggles due to the worry of engaging in physical play.
Doing too much
This honestly might be the result of being on such a bad team. However, sometimes it feels as if Lin is doing a bit too much with the puck. He’ll try to make a nice move or continuously skate with the puck, hoping for the perfect opening to arrive, leading to a possible turnover when it doesn’t. I also found that he would try to create a shooting lane and end up shooting the puck into an opponent’s shins instead of passing. I think with a better team, this fault may disappear. Lin truly was Vancouver’s only offensive threat and often had few options to work with.
Lin’s comparables
In terms of NHL comparables, Lin’s game reminds me a bit of Washington Capitals defenceman Rasmus Sandin. Similar to Lin, Sandin makes an impact thanks to his ability to play with speed and use solid four-way mobility. He brings good playmaking skills and smarts to his game as well. Sandin also holds his own in the defensive end despite his smaller stature.
Another undersized defender I could see is the recent breakout, Sam Malinski. Malinski also has a good offensive skill set, complemented by solid skating ability. He is also able to make an impact defensively while sacrificing little offence.
Fit with the Flames
| Organizational need addressed | Top-4 RHD |
| Realistic pick range | 12-20 |
| NHL timeline | 2-3 |
| Flames fit verdict | No fit |
In regards to Lin possibly ending up as a Calgary Flame, I see little to no fit at all.
The Flames’ right side of the defence is one of the positions they’re strongest at for the future, currently. Zayne Parekh should be a star, Hunter Brzustewicz took some big steps this year, and Henry Mews has some promise. I’m not against the Flames grabbing a right-handed defenceman with more potential than the latter two, which Lin likely is. However, Lin wouldn’t add much versatility to the Flames’ blueline. He’d be another undersized, more offensive-inclined defenceman on the right side.
The pick range also just doesn’t fit. The furthest the Flames can drop is 6th, which is way too early for Lin. Maybe Lin falls to the Golden Knights’ pick in the 20s, but the Flames would still likely go a different direction.
Summary
Ryan Lin is a dynamic and intelligent defenceman for any team looking to improve their right side. He shines thanks to his great skating ability and overall offensive skillset. Although he’s not very big, Lin doesn’t flounder in defensive end and does a good job at eliminating space and getting into lanes. I think there could possibly be a #2 or #3 defenceman in his game. However, it seems much more likely Lin ends up as a #4, who can quarterback a power play and play on your penalty kill.