My colleague Sam Cosentino recently shared his latest rankings for the 2025 NHL Draft. While this draft year is hard to predict, I believe Matthew Schaefer from Erie Otters is the best player. After Schaefer, there could be many surprises in June.
However, the 2026 draft class is likely to be more straightforward at the top. Gavin McKenna, a forward for the Medicine Hat Tigers, is widely expected to be the first overall pick. This exciting player is second in scoring in the WHL with 37 goals and 84 assists. He is only behind Andrew Cristall of the Spokane Chiefs, a prospect for the Washington Capitals, by five points as they approach the end of the regular season. McKenna has achieved his 121 points in just 54 games.
In the coming year, people will surely compare McKenna’s development as a prospect to Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, who were also top picks. One key difference is that McKenna plays as a winger, while Bedard and Celebrini are centers. NHL teams often prefer centers over wingers if they have similar potential. Centers who are offensively skilled can use the entire ice to influence the game.
But McKenna is a special type of winger. He controls the puck well and finds open ice in all areas of the rink. He is always involved in the play and is simply the most talented prospect in his draft group.
Here’s a closer look at Gavin McKenna, a top prospect for 2026:
McKenna is on a 38-game point streak, with 28 goals, 64 assists, and 92 points since November 6th. He is averaging 2.42 points per game during this streak and shows no signs of slowing down as the Tigers enter the playoffs as a leading team in the WHL.
In his last 10 games, McKenna has scored 9 goals and 19 assists, while playing an average of 22 minutes and 4 seconds per game in all situations. He has scored goals at even strength (four), on the power play (four), and shorthanded (one). He also has an impressive plus-16 rating in this period.
McKenna is very aggressive in shooting the puck. In these 10 games, he attempted 105 shots, with 67 hitting the net, 14 being blocked, and 24 missing the net entirely. His shot chart shows that he attacks the middle of the offensive zone. Most of his scoring chances come from the area between the face-off circles.
ELUSIVE
The best offensive players are elusive and creative. They draw pressure from opponents and can avoid checks and create space for their teammates.
In the following clip, even though it didn’t result in a goal for Medicine Hat, McKenna demonstrates this perfectly. He works from the half-wall, moves across the offensive zone, and passes the puck to a teammate. This sequence created several offensive chances because of McKenna’s ability to make space.
QUICK STICK
Players with McKenna’s offensive potential have incredible hand-eye coordination, puck control, and can anticipate plays before their opponents.
The next example shows all of these skills. Watch how McKenna catches a puck in the air, then quickly moves up the ice, avoids contact, and quickly passes to Tanner Molendyk, a Medicine Hat defenseman and Nashville Predators prospect, who finishes the play with a shot.
MOTION
Opponents try hard to stop McKenna from entering the offensive zone because he quickly creates dangerous scoring chances. This can be difficult and sometimes leads to confusion in the defensive zone. McKenna constantly looks for open space by moving his feet after passing the puck to teammates.
Here’s an example of this:
DEFENSIVE DETAIL
Like any young player, especially those with great offensive talent, McKenna needs to improve his defense. He is not a problem in his own zone, but sometimes he loses track of his defensive duties.
Here’s an example of a defensive situation where McKenna had to take a face-off because his center, Oasiz Weisblatt, was removed from the face-off circle. McKenna had to face Brayden Yager, a top prospect for the Winnipeg Jets, in the face-off.
COMPARISONS
By the time McKenna is drafted next year, he will be compared to Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini a lot. As McKenna’s regular season ends this weekend, his stats are very impressive and compare well to these other top picks.
Here are the stats for Bedard, Celebrini, and McKenna before they were drafted. Remember, McKenna has another season before he is eligible for the draft, so his current season is more comparable to Bedard in 2021-22 or Celebrini in 2022-23:
Gavin McKenna
Connor Bedard
Macklin Celebrini
TRAJECTORY
McKenna has played for Team Canada at the U17, U18, and U20 levels, adding to his already impressive WHL career with Medicine Hat. By the time he gets drafted, he should be ready to play in the NHL in 2026-27.
He has all the qualities of a top-line winger and has a good chance to impact the game like Patrick Kane did when he joined the Chicago Blackhawks. While they are different types of players, McKenna’s potential is definitely there.
WHAT OTHER SCOUTS SAY
I usually don’t ask other scouts about players, but since McKenna is still a year away from the draft, I wanted to get some opinions. Here are a couple of comments from scouts who watch players across North America and Europe:
“Elite prospect. A special player. Very few players I’ve seen at any level think about the game like he does. His vision is top-notch. Some players slow down the game, and others speed it up, but he’s rare because he does both. He’s a smooth skater with deceptive speed and agility. He understands the game at a level beyond his peers.” — NHL Amateur Scout, Western Conference.
“McKenna is a dynamic, play-driving winger who improves everyone around him. He quickly moves the puck up the ice and challenges opponents in transition. He’s slippery, hard to check, and agile in tight spaces. His agility makes him hard to contain. He creates chances on rushes and during sustained offensive play. He draws defenders to him, opening up space for his teammates. He has top-line potential at even strength and can be a key player on the power play.” — NHL Amateur Scout, Eastern Conference.
