Breaking Down NHL Draft's Top Prospects in 2026 Class

The 2026 NHL Draft takes place on June 26 and 27, live from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, with a class that features several prospects with enormous potential but no sure-fire No. 1, franchise-changing player.

Who are some of the young men who could hear their names at the top of the event, their names forever linked to the team that took a chance on them in the first round, and what are their strengths and weaknesses to keep an eye on?

Find out with this preview of the potential top selections in this year's draft.

Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State

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"At this point last season, Gavin McKenna was the unanimous first choice for the 2026 NHL Draft," Dayton Reimer of The Hockey Writers began his draft profile for the Penn State Nittany Lions' left winger.

Since that forecast, though, the prolific scorer has been at the center of scrutiny, with some questioning his defensive game and his willingness to get physical when necessary.

There were times when he disappeared from the tape, failing to engage and merely waiting around for the opportunity to strike, rather than going and seizing it.

Those are valid concerns surrounding a player that a team like Vancouver may be preparing to select as the face of its future.

Beyond those flaws, though, is a truly special offensive weapon.

With the puck, McKenna is a potentially generational offensive player. For the Medicine Hat Tigers, he scored nine goals and 23 points in the final five games of the 2024-25 season. He can dish it to teammates or take it himself, creating scoring opportunities for his team and leaving defensemen dumbfounded by his ability to maneuver and manipulate the puck.

The most explosive offensive player in this year's draft, he can be a game-changer, from day one, even if his play off the puck needs some refining and toughening up.

Keaton Verhoeff, D, North Dakota

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A big, physical defenseman with Victoria in the WHL before making the jump to North Dakota, Verhoeff has shown a unique ability to mesh physicality on the defensive side of the puck with a knack for scoring.

Linc Zdancewicz wrote for McKeen's Hockey, "In the offensive zone, he is raw, but creative and smart, showing flashes of an explosive power-play defenseman."

His skating is a liability, particularly in his own zone, but that can be taught and polished before he ever skates on NHL ice. Still, he has a hellish shot that is tough for any goalie to see, let alone defend, and there is a creativity to his game that stands out.

A raw talent with great potential to be a special player in the league, Verhoeff needs only to take a moment to think about his skating and shot selection before attacking either impulsively.

The second-best North American prospect in this year's class, he should hear his name relatively early on, even if he does not appear for the team selecting him before others in his class.

Ivar Stenberg, LW, Frolunda (Sweden)

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There were many questions about Stenberg's ability to perform in the Swedish Hockey League, but the 18-year-old thrived, emerging as the top-ranked international prospect according to NHL Central Scouting.

A high-IQ player with a superb work ethic and relentless play on both sides of the ball has helped establish him as one of the top players available in the 2026 NHL Draft.

His smaller frame allows him to move with great quickness across the ice, but he does not shy away from physicality, either, and will expertly play the boards if and when necessary.

Dangerous at all times with the puck in his possession, he can set up scoring opportunities for his teammates or take the shots himself and find the net.

He could benefit from greater consistency, and his speed can be detrimental in that he loses control of the puck, but those are teachable flaws, of which he possesses few.

"Compared to other draft-eligible players, he's currently third all-time in scoring among skaters from the SHL, having a better draft season than other notable forwards like Nicklas Backstrom, Leo Carlsson and William Eklund," Peter Baracchini noted for The Hockey Writers.

That is an accomplished company for a player as young as Stenberg, who may not go No. 1 in the draft, but may ultimately be the best player to come out of it.