Is Gavin McKenna’s Crown as 2026 NHL Draft No. 1 Pick Under Threat?
Some scouts would argue for Alberts Smits, Jukurit’s big Latvian defenseman, in this discussion as well. He has been attracting a ton of attention early on this season in Liiga.
McKenna’s path to No. 1
McKenna is a 5-foot-11 winger without elite speed who isn’t overly hard to play against. Unless the offense is off the charts good, which, to date this season, it hasn’t been, his profile won’t excite general managers with the first pick.
I wrote in the summer that I thought McKenna would be an average top pick because of those flaws. The difference between him and some other great juniors whose offense didn’t translate against better players like Alexis Lafrenière, for example, is due to the new landscape of amateur hockey; we are getting our first look at it with McKenna.
Post Comment