The first defenseman to crack the countdown, Jan Golicic marks his third appearance in the top prospect list since being drafted.
| Name | Jan Golicic |
| Position | Defense – Left Shot |
| Age (as of October 1, 2026) | 20 |
| Height/Weight | 6’5″, 201 lbs. |
| Expected 2026-27 Team | Quinnipiac University |
| Draft – Year, Round | 2024 4th Round (118) |
| Previous Rankings | 24 (2024), 17 (2025) |
| JustinG. Ranking | 15 |
| Final Rank | 16 |
Stats:
Our Thoughts:
We have our second prospect in a row that chose a dorm room over an apartment in Syracuse or Orlando. After a productive season in the QMJHL, Jan Golicic is heading to Connecticut (does anyone else still say ‘Connect i cut’ in their head when spelling it out) for at least one season at the NCAA level. Like Marco Mignosa, Golicic will benefit from the ample time to practice and work out that colleges provide. For the Lightning, they get to hold onto his draft rights for a little longer as he rounds out his game.
It was another strong season for the 6’5″ defenseman as he started the season as the captain for Gatineau. He put up a goal and fourteen assists in 29 games before a mid-season trade sent him to Blainville-Boisbriand. Getting back into playoff contention complimented his game as he became a point-per-game player with the Armada. In 28 games he put up 29 points (4 goals, 25 assists). As they advanced through the playoffs, he added another 8 points (1 goal, 7 assists). The Slovenian donned his nation’s colors for the second year in a row as he closed out his competitive hockey season with two assists in seven games at the World Championships.
One thing that will be certain this season is that Golicic will play less hockey. Probably not on a nightly basis as he will likely remain around the twenty-minute mark for the Bobcats. However, he’ll be closer to the 35-40 game mark as opposed to the 65+ games he’s been playing over the last couple of seasons. That will give him more time to work on his skating skills and building strength.
Like many of the prospects at this portion of the countdown, his skating isn’t quite up to pro level. Still, it’s not bad for a 6’5″ defenseman. Still, it needs work as he starts to face faster forwards attacking him off of the rush and on the forecheck. Golicic does well to use his frame to protect the puck against said forecheck, but being able to retrieve the puck faster will help his breakouts and puck movement.
While he doesn’t shy away from contact, he’s not quite the physical bully that one would expect from someone his size. He will hit any player that comes into his area and already has enough size and strength that a hit from him will take someone out of the play, but he’s not an aggressive hitter. He does use his reach effectively to shield opponents off of the puck and break up passes in the zone.
Offensively, he has solid instincts and moves the puck fairly well from the blueline to set up his teammates. He isn’t going to dangle the puck or break any ankles with dekes, but he will get the puck from point a to point b fairly reliably. When not passing, his shot gets on net and he generates pretty good speed on it to create rebounds and deflections. As he moves up in the system it’s questionable if he’ll remain on the power play, but if his skills progress, it’s not an impossible idea to see him quarterback a second unit.
Even after three seasons in the QMJHL there is still a little bit of rawness to the 20-year-old’s game. Playing in the NCAA for one or two seasons should help with that and give everyone a better idea of what his ceiling may end up being. Right now, he’s probably a bubble AHL guy, but with a little refinement he could be a regular with the occasional NHL call-up. His ceiling is a bottom-pairing defenseman.
Your Thoughts:
Nothing directly about Golicic, but it feels like this note on the defense in general sums things up pretty well,
“The D [defense] that I decided on seem to be far behind the top end F [forward] talent, and while there’s some potential there I just don’t see a route to the NHL for them barring injuries or a complete desolation of the D prospect pool”
Highest ranking was seventh with most of the votes coming in the murky 14-20 spots.
Highlight Videos:
While his profile is “defensive defenseman” Golicic isn’t stapled to the blueline. He often drifts down into scoring positions and isn’t uncomfortable handling the puck down low. He read the play really nicely in this sequence and kept the play alive behind the net. He even presented himself as a shooting option from the right circle after he passed the puck to the point.
Jan Golicic – breakaway specialist! He’s not going to score a ton of goals leading the rush down the ice, but he did show some nice finishing skills on this play. Not sure how the defense completely missed the 6’5″ player in the middle of the ice, but he took full advantage of the coverage breakdown.
Being physical doesn’t always mean being the one to lay out the hits. Sometimes, it’s the willingness to take a hit to make a play. Here Golicic held onto the puck as the pressure came at him. In most sequences, he’s going to get a shoulder to the chest, and has to expect that here. He was willing to do that, because it gave his teammate even more space to make the play happen. The pressing forward eventually spins away before making contact with Golicic, but he couldn’t have known that was going to happen.
Again, he isn’t going to just hang back. He stepped up to help the attack and swept it into the net. It’s a nice wrist shot that has some pace on it/
