Hockey

2026 Draft: Gavin McKenna ranked fourth on Corey Pronman’s list
Félix Forget
2026 Draft: Gavin McKenna ranked fourth on Corey Pronman’s list
Credit: Getty Images

For several years, Gavin McKenna has been considered the jewel of the 2026 draft. He broke all the rules in Canadian junior, and that's why we couldn't wait to see him play in the NCAA this season.

He'd be up against a whole new caliber of player.

And so far, it's been a mixed bag. He has 18 points in 16 games, which is (very) solid… but he doesn't particularly impress when you watch the games.

And that's why it's interesting to see that Corey Pronman, in his ranking of the top prospects in the upcoming draft for The Athletic, puts McKenna at… fourth.

Tynan Lawrence, Keaton Verhoeff, and Ivar Stenberg are ahead of McKenna.

We know that in reality, there are plenty of high-quality prospects in the upcoming draft. Pronman puts his entire top-4 in the category of guys who are going to be top-line players, so it's not because he hates McKenna that he puts him fourth.

It's more that he likes the other three a little more, obviously.

But, of course, we can all agree that this is quite a reaction. For years, McKenna has been regarded as one of the finest prospects in recent history, but his star is slowly fading.

It's not uncommon to see this happen to the best prospect of a crop (he's been seen as such a big prospect for years that people come to over-analyze him and accentuate his shortcomings). But it's true that in McKenna's case, there are certain elements that are a little worrying.

Right now, he's still the favorite to be the first pick in the next draft. But the next few months will clearly be decisive.


Overtime

– What do you think?

– Logan Cooley to miss at least eight weeks.

– Still.

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