We enter the top 5 of 2026, which features our first-ever U16 player and an established national team forward.

Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team, (Ranking in 2025, change in rankings). NR – Not Ranked in 2025 

5 – Adrian Gromadzki (F), 22, Zagłębie Sosnowiec, (6, +1)

Gromadzki returned to Poland after spending 2025 in the Maxa Liga. A lower-line role in Czechia didn’t give him much of a chance to produce, but his production exploded in the THL. His 22 points came in third among all U23 skaters, making him only one of three U23 players to hit the 20-point mark. It’s tied for the 13th most points by a U23 Polish player since 2020. Gromadzki’s strong performance also earned him a national team call-up, where he played in 3 games. I hope to see him continue to build on a strong debut year in Poland and maybe find his way back to Czechia or at the top of the lineup in Sosnowiec. 

4 – Jakub Ślusarczyk (F), 23, JKH GKS Jastrzębie, (9, +5)

Ślusarczyk proved in 2026 that he will be part of the national team’s future. The young forward more than doubled his point total from last season and finished second among all U23 THL skaters in points. He was one of the most consistent producers for the national team all year in non-IIHF games. That made his use at the World Championships a bit confusing. Ślusarczyk was not used a lot, with the third-lowest average ice time at just 7 minutes and 23 seconds per game. He did have some nice offensive bursts in his limited time and finished with 5 shots.

Ślusarczyk is a bottom-six forward for the national team thanks to the speed and energy he brings to each shift. Size will be his biggest hurdle to overcome, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he finds his way into the top six.

3 – Gabriel Wsol (F), 15, EHC Basel, (NR)

We have our first player to gain exceptional status in the ten years I have made my list. Wsol does not turn 16 until next summer, but it would be impossible to leave him off the list. He became only the second ever 14-year-old to play at the Division 1 U18 level, and the youngest ever to score. He was matching the numbers that future NHL star Tim Stützle posted at the D1A level. Stützle was also a year older than Wsol when he debuted. The offensive confidence and release showed that Wsol is a legitimate top prospect not just for Poland but in hockey. This is a player to watch for the top rounds of the 2029 NHL draft.

All year, Wsol dominated in Switzerland, posting a combined 153 points across 53 games. It’s just insane production. He led the U16-Elit in points by 12 and led the U18-Top by 3. Wsol led two levels, and he was up to 2 or 4 years younger than players in the leagues. There are no production comparables for him in the U18-Top; the closest is Sven Bärtschi. Bärtschi went on to be drafted 13th overall by the Calgary Flames in 2011. 

I don’t like the idea of putting so much pressure on a young kid, but every challenge Wsol has faced has been smashed. Even this pre-season, he is tearing it up in Sweden with Södertälje SK U18. The offensive confidence is off the charts, the puck skills are great, and his release is dangerous. He also isn’t afraid to forecheck and has handled the size difference really well. Defensively, his game needs work, and sometimes he has to pass more, but these are all things he will get with experience and adjust to as the level of opponents increases. 

Poland has not had a representative drafted since Marcin Kolusz in 2003. I think Wsol is the one to break that streak.

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Thumbnail Photo via polskihokej.eu