Noa Nsonsa Kitala and Sebastian Charvat were each eligible for at least one prior National Hockey League Draft, but scouts are taking a fresh look at the two pro prospects now that they are playing in North America for the Waterloo Black Hawks.

On Monday, NHL Central Scouting released its initial Players to Watch list in preparation for next summer's 2027 Draft.  Nsonsa Kitala was graded as a "C" prospect.  Charvat was awarded a "Watch" designation.  The "C" status indicates Nsonsa Kitala could be a candidate for the fourth or fifth round of the draft, while Charvat's early viewings suggest he could be on track as a sixth or seventh round choice.  Both players were included in previous Central Scouting international rankings: Nsonsa Kitala in 2025 and Charvat in 2026.
 
The most recent European players to be drafted following a season with Waterloo were Vladislav Firstov (Minnesota Wild, second round) and Matej Blumel (Edmonton Oilers (fourth round) in 2019, prior to the COVID pandemic.  

Nsonsa Kitala was born in Belgium and has played internationally for France.  So far as a Black Hawk, the lanky 6-foot, 2-inch forward has appeared in all 10 games.  The 19-year-old is tied for sixth in team scoring with five points (two goals, three assists).  He has skated with both the power play and penalty kill units on special teams.  

During Waterloo's season-opening game at the USHL Fall Classic, Nsonsa Kitala scored a memorable four-on-four goal against the Muskegon Lumberjacks, finding the net to cap an end-to-end rush.  He also had a three-game assist streak from October 16th through 23rd.

Charvat has been one of the USHL's best goalies during the first month of the season.  He is 4-1-0 with a 2.41 goals-against average and .921 save percentage through five appearances.  The latter two figures each stand sixth in the league, while Charvat's four victories tie for fifth.

The 6-foot, 4-inch Czech netminder turned in a season-high 35 saves during a 3-2 road win against the Fargo Force on September 26th.  He has made 30 or more saves on two other occasions during his limited time with the Hawks.

The last Black Hawks goalie to be drafted by an NHL club was Emmett Croteau (Montreal Canadiens) in 2022.

Central Scouting typically releases a mid-season ranking of draft-eligible players in January, followed by a final ranking in April.  The 2027 NHL Draft will be June 25 and 26.

Nsonsa Kitala and Charvat return to action at Young Arena this weekend.  The Black Hawks play at home Friday (6:35 p.m.) against the Sioux City Musketeers and Saturday (3:05 p.m.) versus the Dubuque Fighting Saints.  For each matchup, the team is offering a Scary Good Deal ticket package, including four seats, four chuck-a-pucks, two trick-or-treat pails, and two gruesome goalie masks for $64.  Order while supplies by clicking here.