NHL Draft Profile: Landon DuPont, D, Michigan
Player Profile
Name: Landon DuPont
Position: Defenseman
Team: University of Michigan, NCAA
Shoots: Right
Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 190 pounds
Born: May 28, 2009
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2027
Draft Status: Top prospect University of Michigan Athletics
Sportsvival Overview
Sportsvival’s NHL Draft coverage turns to a defenseman with the potential to become the centerpiece of an NHL blue line. Landon DuPont combines high-end mobility, offensive intelligence and the confidence to influence how a game is played.
After two productive seasons with the Everett Silvertips, DuPont is taking on a different challenge at Michigan. At just 17 years old, he is facing older college opponents while carrying the expectations that follow one of the most anticipated prospects in the 2027 class.
Sportsvival believes his appeal begins with the way his skills work together. His feet create options, his hands keep those options available and his vision helps him choose where the puck should go next. That combination gives him the potential to become a defenseman an organization builds around.
Background
DuPont developed at Edge School in Alberta, where he produced 19 goals and 43 assists for 62 points in 30 U18 Prep regular-season games in 2023-24. He added 16 points in five playoff games while helping Edge capture the championship.
In April 2024, he became the first defenseman and second player granted exceptional status to compete full time in the WHL at age 15. Connor Bedard was the first player to receive that designation in the league. April 08, 2024
Everett selected DuPont first overall in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft. He immediately justified the opportunity, recording 60 points as a rookie and earning both WHL and CHL Rookie of the Year honors.
His second season brought another step forward, with 73 regular-season points followed by 23 points in 18 WHL playoff games. The progression established a strong foundation before his move to college hockey.
Past Statistics and Current Production
Season Team / Competition Games Goals Assists Points
2023-24 Edge School U18 Prep, regular season 30 19 43 62
2024-25 Everett, WHL regular season 64 17 43 60
2025-26 Everett, WHL regular season 63 18 55 73
2025-26 Everett, WHL playoffs 18 5 18 23
2026-27 Michigan, NCAA 8 0 8 8
Current college statistics through November 1, 2026. April 08, 2024
DuPont has opened his Michigan career with a point per game, contributing eight assists, 17 shots and a plus-7 rating. He recorded two assists in his debut against Bowling Green and another two-assist performance against Alaska Anchorage.
His early production has come entirely through assists. Sportsvival will be watching how his scoring balance develops as he becomes more comfortable choosing when to distribute and when to attack the net himself.
The larger picture remains impressive. DuPont totaled 133 points in 127 WHL regular-season games before entering the NCAA, demonstrating sustained offensive production across two seasons.
Strengths
Skating and Mobility
DuPont’s skating gives him the foundation to drive play from defense. His agility helps him escape pressure, adjust passing angles and move the puck into useful space. Sportsvival believes that mobility is his most important tool because it supports both his offensive involvement and his ability to recover.
Hockey Sense and Playmaking
He processes the play quickly and can disguise his intentions with the puck. That makes him dangerous when opponents commit to closing one passing lane. He has the vision to find the opening their movement creates.
Power-Play Potential
DuPont offers the ingredients of a future first-unit power-play quarterback. His movement at the blue line and ability to distribute can force penalty killers to adjust, creating opportunities for teammates below him. PuckPedia
Offensive Production
His scoring history provides substance behind the skill discussion. Consecutive WHL seasons of 60 and 73 points are significant achievements for a young defenseman, and his early college production has kept that offensive trajectory moving.
Confidence Against Older Competition
DuPont has repeatedly taken on competition above his age group. Sportsvival views his willingness to handle those challenges as an encouraging part of his development, particularly as the demands on his decisions and positioning increase.
Areas to Improve
Strength Against Mature Opponents
At his listed 6-foot-0 and 190 pounds, DuPont has a solid starting frame. Sportsvival’s development checklist includes continuing to build the strength needed to protect possession, win contested pucks and defend the crease against professional forwards.
Managing Offensive Risk
For a defenseman with his creative ability, knowing when to simplify will remain important. Sportsvival will be watching his decisions when a rush opportunity carries the risk of leaving teammates exposed behind the play.
Consistency Without the Puck
His long-term ceiling will depend partly on how reliably he handles defensive details. Maintaining positioning, identifying threats away from the puck and ending possessions efficiently will matter as much as producing highlight plays.
Developing His College Scoring Threat
Zero goals through eight appearances is a small sample, particularly for a defenseman already creating assists. Still, adding a consistent scoring threat would give opponents another problem to account for and make his playmaking even harder to contain.
NHL Comparison
Sportsvival Comparison: Cale Makar
The comparison centers on style and the role DuPont could eventually fill. His right-handed shot, mobility and ability to create offense from the blue line bring elements of Makar’s approach to mind.
DuPont has considerable development ahead before any comparison in overall impact becomes appropriate. Sportsvival sees the resemblance in the way skating can unlock his game and allow him to become an active part of the offense.
His potential NHL role is a top-pair defenseman who moves the puck, directs a power play and helps establish his team’s pace.
Final Draft Outlook
Draft Status: Top prospect
Sportsvival believes DuPont has the tools to lead the 2027 NHL Draft class. A skilled right-shot defenseman with his production history offers a particularly valuable foundation for a team looking to strengthen its blue line.
His Michigan season will provide another important test. Continued offense, stronger defensive consistency and effective decisions against older opponents would reinforce his case as one of the class’s defining players.
The most compelling part of his profile is the possibility of impact across an entire game. DuPont can help move a team out of its zone, support the attack and create opportunities from the point. If those strengths continue to develop alongside his defensive game, he has the potential to become a franchise cornerstone.
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