Gavin McKenna's Top Potential Landing Spots in 2026 after 2025 NHL Draft
One NHL team is now one year out from adding a potentially game-changing forward.
With the 2025 NHL draft in the rear view, scouts' eyes will now turn to a new class of prospects highlighted by Gavin McKenna, the 17-year-old WHL phenom projected as the No. 1 pick of the 2026 draft.
McKenna racked up 129 points (41 goals, 88 assists) in 56 games played for the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers during the 2024-25 season.
He was named the CHL Player of the Year in June as the youngest player since John Tavares and Sidney Crosby to receive the honor.
McKenna may not be a center like recent highly-anticipated top picks Connor Bedard or Macklin Celebrini, but his dominance in the CHL has sparked early excitement about what he could add to an NHL offense in need of a boost.
The winger is reportedly currently deciding whether to play next season at Penn State or Michigan State, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. A strong college campaign could cement McKenna's position as the next top pick.
Here's a look at a few of the franchises that could be looking to add McKenna next June.
Pittsburgh Penguins
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As Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman noted in a recent edition of 32 Thoughts, there is one team in the NHL that's not trying to get better ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is reportedly ready to take trade calls on players including Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson as the Penguins continue dismantling a roster that has now missed three consecutive postseasons.
The 2025-26 season is also the final year on Evgeni Malkin's contract, potentially making the 2026 draft the beginning of a new era for the Penguins.
A tank won't guarantee the Penguins anything next summer. The New York Islanders and Utah Mammoth proved this year that the draft lottery means league-bottom teams aren't necessary rewarded with a top pick.
But given that the Penguins are potentially ready to sell two of their top three scorers from last season, chances are Pittsburgh will be in a good spot to get McKenna by the time the 2026 draft rolls around.
That could potentially give McKenna the chance to both play alongside Sidney Crosby and come to Pittsburgh just as the team prepares to turn to a new franchise forward.
San Jose Sharks
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What better way is there to build a playoff contender than with consecutive years of top picks?
The Sharks could hope to continue building the core that will take them back to Western Conference contention by adding another top pick after drafting Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and Michael Misa over the past three years.
San Jose has recorded fewer than 22 wins in three straight seasons as the franchise's playoff drought stretched to six years last spring.
Celebrini said after his Calder Trophy-winning rookie season that he is hoping the Sharks will take the "next step" in 2025-26.
Even after acquiring Misa with the No. 2 pick of the 2025 draft, the Sharks organization has a long way to go after ranking last in goals scored per game (2.54) and first in goals allowed per game (3.78) last season.
In part depending on when Misa makes the jump to the NHL, the Sharks could still be within range of a lottery pick and another chance to add another high-caliber prospect next season.
If the Sharks get the chance to draft McKenna and add another talented winger to play alongside Celebrini or Misa, San Jose could be a few years removed from rolling one of the most dominant top sixes in the NHL.
New York Rangers
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The New York Rangers could have chosen to send either the No. 12 pick of the 2025 NHL draft or their 2026 first-round pick to the Penguins in order to complete the final condition of the J.T. Miller trade.
The Rangers chose the former.
Keeping the 2026 pick gives the Rangers trade leverage going into next season— but it also gives New York a shot at the draft lottery if the franchise is unable to get things back on track in 2025-26.
Not much went right for the Rangers last season as the team went from a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals to missing the playoffs entirely in the span of a year.
Star netminder Igor Shesterkin was unable to cover for the Rangers' defensive struggles, and general manager Chris Drury ultimately announced a fire sale that eventually led to the trades of players including Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider and Kaapo Kakko as well as the firing of Peter Laviolette.
Mike Sullivan, who was hired by the Rangers shortly after his dismissal by the Penguins, will be tasked with leading the Blueshirts back into playoff contention.
A strong campaign from Shesterkin and bounce-back seasons from players like Mika Zibanejad could potentially help the Rangers climb the Metro standings next season.
If the Rangers' struggles continue into next winter, however, the team's decision to stick with its first-round pick could pay off by getting New York into the lottery.
Neither of the Rangers' most recent pair of top-two picks (Kakko in 2019 and Alexis Lafreniere in 2020) have developed yet into the game-changing forward New York was hoping for. In case of another season outside the playoff bubble in 2026, the Rangers will hope to get a shot at McKenna next spring.
Chicago Blackhawks
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A broken jaw couldn't keep 2023 top pick Connor Bedard from a dominant rookie season, during which he put up 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games to win the 2024 Calder Trophy.
Bedard seemingly took a step back during his second NHL season, however, during which he recorded similar production totals in a full 82-game campaign.
Adding a talented winger like McKenna to the Hawks' top line could be the addition Bedard needs to live up to his potential.
The Hawks have plenty to look forward to in the future after adding players like Bedard, 2024 No. 2 pick Artyom Levshunov and 2025 No. 3 pick Anton Frondell.
The Blackhawks, which ranked second only to the San Jose Sharks with 3.78 goals allowed per game last season, also traded for former Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight last season.
If Knight is able to develop into a No. 1 goaltender in Chicago, the Hawks will have the top center, top defenseman and top goaltender needed to return to playoff contention.
Adding a top-line winger to that mix could help take the Hawks even further. If Chicago ends up back in the lottery next spring, all eyes will be on a potential pairing between Bedard and McKenna in 2026.
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