Despite a surprising slide past the top five, the elite defenseman heads to Seattle with a chip on his shoulder, ready to anchor Michigan State’s championship-caliber blue line.
The Upper Deck NHL Draft kicked off Friday evening in Buffalo.
The draft was filled with talented hockey prospects eagerly awaiting the moment they would hear their names called. One of those prospects was incoming Michigan State defenseman Chase Reid.
Reid entered the night viewed by many as a lock to be selected inside the top five. However, once the dominoes started to fall, it was Reid who found himself waiting longer than expected to hear his name.
The biggest surprise of the opening moments came from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto was able to keep its first-round pick after finishing among the league's five worst teams. Had the Maple Leafs finished sixth or better, the pick would have belonged to the Boston Bruins. Not only did Toronto retain the selection, but it also won the NHL Draft Lottery and secured the No. 1 overall pick.
Toronto used that selection on Penn State standout Gavin McKenna, with the pick announced by none other than Justin Bieber.
After the entertainment portion of the evening concluded, the draft quickly heated up.
The first three selections were all forwards, and with the fourth overall pick, the hometown Buffalo Sabres selected the first defenseman of the draft. Surprisingly, it wasn't Reid. Instead, Buffalo chose Daxon Rudolph.
As the selections continued to come in, Reid's name still hadn't been called.
Then, Calgary selected Carson Carels with the sixth overall pick, making him the second defenseman off the board. Reid, who had even been discussed by some as a challenger to McKenna for the No. 1 overall selection earlier in the draft process, continued to slide.
Fortunately, the wait didn't last much longer.
The Seattle Kraken selected Reid with the seventh overall pick, keeping him comfortably inside the top 10. While it wasn't the top-four selection many expected him to earn, being chosen seventh overall is still an incredible accomplishment and nothing to be disappointed about.
You can almost guarantee Reid will carry this chip on his shoulder throughout his career, and Michigan State fans should be excited to watch a highly motivated defenseman anchor the blue line next season.
The talented defenseman is committed to play for the Spartans this season and should immediately earn significant minutes. He is expected to become a key contributor on both special teams units thanks to his elite defensive instincts, puck-moving ability, and dangerous shot from the point.
Michigan State has become one of college hockey's premier pipelines to the NHL over the past three seasons. Under head coach Adam Nightingale, the Spartans have captured three consecutive Big Ten regular-season championships and will now pursue a fourth straight title with Reid leading the way.
His arrival feels similar to Porter Martone's impact last season. Martone spent just one year in East Lansing before making the jump to the NHL, where he immediately began turning heads. Spartans fans will hope Reid follows a similar path while making an unforgettable impact during his lone season in green and white.
Reid established himself as one of the top defensive prospects in hockey after back-to-back outstanding seasons in the OHL.
During the 2024-25 season, Reid appeared in 39 games, recording 40 points on seven goals and 33 assists. He also posted a +4 rating while accumulating 32 penalty minutes during the regular season. In five playoff games, he added three assists but was unable to find the back of the net.
Then came an even bigger breakout during the 2025-26 campaign, which solidified him as one of the premier prospects in this year's draft class.
Reid played 45 games and totaled 48 points, once again showcasing his elite vision with 30 assists. However, his biggest improvement came offensively. After scoring just seven goals the previous season, Reid exploded for 18 goals while continuing to quarterback the offense from the blue line.
He finished the season with a remarkable +27 rating, highlighting just how complete of a defenseman he has become. His ability to impact both ends of the ice is exactly why Seattle viewed him as one of the draft's most polished and well-rounded prospects.
In his final OHL postseason, Reid added another six points in 10 playoff games, scoring three goals while recording three assists.
If those performances are any indication, playoff hockey is something Reid will continue to thrive in for both the Seattle Kraken and the Michigan State Spartans.
