Ryan Lin
Defenseman | Vancouver Giants (WHL)
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 177 pounds
Shoots: Right
Date of Birth: April 18, 2008
Hometown: Richmond, British Columbia
2025-26 Stats: 53 GP, 14 G, 43 A, 57 PTS
2024-25 Stats: 60 GP, 5 G, 48 A, 53 PTS
Sportsvival overview
Sportsvival sees Ryan Lin as one of the more polished young defensemen in the 2026 NHL Draft class. He is a right-shot blueliner who already has major WHL production, strong international experience, and the kind of skating and hockey sense that give him a chance to impact the game in all three zones. Lin followed a 53-point rookie season with a 57-point draft season, and Vancouver named him team MVP, top scorer, top defenseman, and a Players’ Choice winner in 2025-26.
Background
Lin was selected sixth overall by the Vancouver Giants in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft out of Richmond, B.C., and his rise has been quick. He was a WHL Rookie of the Year finalist after posting 53 points in 60 games in 2024-25, and that output ranked seventh among U-17 defensemen across the CHL since 1990. In 2025-26, he was also named captain of the Giants and finished his first two WHL seasons with 110 career points in 114 regular-season games.
Lin has also built a strong international résumé. Hockey Canada lists him among the players who won gold with Canada at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, and he was part of the Canadian group that won gold at the 2024 U17 World Challenge. He also made Canada’s 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup roster, where he scored the game-winner in Canada’s opening win over Finland.
Strengths
Lin’s game starts with his skating. Vancouver’s staff praised his mobility, agility, straight-line speed, and ability to use his feet both to escape pressure and to close defensively. That same feature also highlighted his hockey IQ, details, and habits as traits that separate him from other players his age.
The offensive production is very real. Lin led the Giants in scoring with 57 points in 53 games this season, becoming the first Giants defenseman ever to hit 50 or more points in both his 16-year-old rookie season and his 17-year-old draft season. Vancouver also noted that he ranked fourth among all WHL skaters in average ice time at 25:58 per game and graded highly in controlled exits, puck possession, and successful pass completions, which speaks to how much of the game runs through him.
Sportsvival also likes how mature Lin’s overall game looks for his age. He is not just a power-play producer. He can handle pucks under pressure, move play forward, support transition, and still play with enough awareness to earn major trust from his coaching staff. His captaincy, heavy minutes, and all-around impact back that up.
Weaknesses
The biggest question is how his frame will translate as he climbs levels. At 5-foot-11 and 177 pounds, Lin is not undersized to the point of being dismissed, but NHL teams will still want to see more strength, more leverage in board battles, and more consistency defending heavier forwards around the net.
There is also the normal projection question that comes with offensive junior defensemen: how much of the offense will carry over when space gets tighter and decision windows shrink. Lin’s skill and instincts are clear, but continuing to sharpen defensive detail, physical resistance, and risk management will be important as he moves toward pro hockey. That is less a red flag and more the next step in his development.
NHL comparison
Sportsvival’s NHL comparison for Lin is Jared Spurgeon in style, not ceiling. Lin is a right-shot defenseman whose game leans on mobility, intelligence, puck movement, and overall polish more than brute force. The size is in a similar range, and the appeal is the same: a defender who can think the game quickly, move it cleanly, and help drive play without needing to be the biggest body on the ice. This is a stylistic comparison based on Lin’s listed size and the repeated praise for his skating, IQ, and two-way maturity.
Final draft outlook
Lin looks like a legitimate first-round talent and one of the more attractive defensemen in this class. He was ranked 13th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings, and the production, leadership, and international résumé all support that kind of draft range. If he keeps getting stronger and continues to round out the defensive side of his game, Sportsvival sees a modern NHL defenseman with top-four upside and power-play value.
Photo Courtesy of Neutral Zone