2026 NHL Mock Draft: Ranking Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg and the Best Wingers in This Year's Class

The Wing position is defining the top of the 2026 NHL Draft. If you've taken even a cursory look at this draft class, then you likely know that Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg are the top two prospects available at any position. There's a legitimate debate to be had about who should rank first, though in my mind the answer is definitive.

There's a big gap after those two, and the discussion becomes very interesting. There's a large pool of wingers who offer a lot of talent but also plenty of uncertainty to boot. Ask 20 scouts to rank the next five-best wingers available, and you'll almost certainly get 20 different answers.

I personally see nine total wingers who unquestionably deserve a first-round ranking. Here is my best effort to rank those nine wingers.

Updated 2026 NHL Mock Draft

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1. Toronto Maple Leafs: Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State (NCAA).

2. San Jose Sharks: Chase Reid, D, Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds (OHL)

3. Vancouver Canucks: Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

4. Chicago Blackhawks: Ivar Stenberg, LW/RW, Frolunda HC (SHL)

5. New York Rangers: Carson Carels, D, Prince George Cougars (WHL)

6. Calgary Flames: Keaton Verhoeff, D, University of North Dakota (NCAA)

7. Seattle Kraken: Viggo Bjorck, C/RW, Djurgardens IF (SHL)

8. Winnipeg Jets: Alberts Smits, D, Jukurit (Liiga)

9. Florida Panthers: Tynan Lawrence, C, Boston University (NCAA)

10. Nashville Predators: Daxon Rudolph, D, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

11. St. Louis Blues: Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

12. New Jersey Devils: Oscar Hemming, F, Boston College (NCAA)

13. New York Islanders: Adam Novotny, LW/RW, Peterborough Petes (OHL)

14. Columbus Blue Jackets: Ryan Lin, D, Vancouver Giants (WHL)

15. St. Louis Blues (via DET): Oliver Suvanto, C, Tappara (Liiga)

16. Washington Capitals: Nikita Klepov, LW, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

17. Los Angeles Kings: Elton Hermansson, RW/LW, MoDo Hockey (Hockey Allsvenskan)

18. Washington Capitals (via ANA): Malte Gustafsson, D, HV71 (SHL)

19. Utah Mammoth: Ilia Morozov, F, Miami University (NCAA)

20. San Jose Sharks (via EDM): Egor Shilov, C, Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)

21. Philadelphia Flyers: Alexander Command, C, Orebro HK (SHL)

22. Pittsburgh Penguins: Wyatt Cullen, LW, USNTDP

23. Boston Bruins: JP Hurlbert, C, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

24. Vancouver Canucks (via MIN): Marcus Nordmark, RW, Djurgardens IF U20 (U20 Nationell)

25. Seattle Kraken (via TBL): Xavier Villeneuve, D, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)

26. New York Rangers (via DAL): Mathis Preston, RW, Vancouver Giants (WHL)

27. Buffalo Sabres: Jack Hextall, C, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)

28. Montreal Canadiens: Maddox Dagenais, C, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)

29. St. Louis Blues (via COL): Casey Mutryn, RW, US National U18 Team (USNTDP)

30. Calgary Flames (via VGK): Liam Ruck, RW, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

31. Carolina Hurricanes: Nikita Shcherbakov, D, Tolpar Ufa (MHL)

32. Ottawa Senators: Ryan Roobroeck, C, Niagara IceDogs (OHL) 

9. Oscar Hemming, LW, Boston College (NCAA)

Hemming is a tough evaluation. He's difficult to project, as he presents himself as a big player with physical gifts but many underdeveloped aspects to his game. His mid-August birthday also makes him one of the youngest players in the draft.

The uncertainty worsened this season because he just didn't play. The Finnish winger intended to play for the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL this season, but drama concerning his contractual status in Finland meant he sat out the first half of the season. He then decided to play for Boston College. That's a difficult task for any 17-year-old, but nearly impossible for a European-born player making the jump halfway through the season. He played okay, tallying one goal and seven assists in 19 games, and Finland left him out of the U18 Championships because of the aforementioned contractual drama.

Hemming is a 6'4" winger who, even at the college level, looked physically imposing. He absolutely hammers players along the boards. He is a good passer in motion and finds teammates on the weak side. He has a strong shot when he can get into a shooting position with time and space.

I don't love his skating. His pivots are labored, and he needs wide paths for turning. He sometimes looks sluggish moving in open ice.

The optimistic take is that Hemming is raw and didn't have a chance to prove himself this year, and that, in a stable environment the next few seasons, he'll learn to make the most of his physical gifts. I can absolutely imagine that scenario coming to fruition, and it won't blow my mind if in five years he is a physically imposing top-six NHL winger.

But I think there is way too much uncertainty here to rank him as high as others have. I can just as easily imagine an outcome where people realize he had too much of his game to work on and was hampered by a lack of real development his draft year. I wonder if his more realistic upside is as a third-line checking winger.

8. J.P. Hulbert, LW, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

Not many people debate Hulbert's shooting ability.

He scored 42 goals in 68 WHL games, and not many of them were the cheap variety. His release is fantastic, and he has a knack for putting himself in scoring positions. He'll get open around the net and finish backdoor. He can shoot off the pass, receiving the puck across his body and slingshotting it on net. He has a good delay off the rush to keep the goaltender guessing when he's actually going to shoot. He is also a strong passer of the puck, and while I don't think he can yet truly dictate play from all around the offensive zone, he is enough of a dual threat that he can win the rock-paper-scissors battle when he has the puck, so to speak. 

The debate is whether he can do enough otherwise to remain at the NHL level. He's only 6 feet tall and a below-average skater. For some scouts, that's poison. No doubt, it's inhibitive. Where I don't agree is that he doesn't provide more off-the-puck. I think he has good instincts as a defensive forward and forechecker. 

He'll need to work on his physical traits (skating and leveraging strength), and he needs to learn how to become a more connective presence in the neutral zone, but I see enough effort and intelligence off the puck that I believe he can carry him across the finish line as a middle-six scoring winger.

7. Elton Hermansson, RW, MoDo (Allsvenskan)

This is a bet on upside. Elton Hermansson, at his best, is extremely exciting to watch. A gifted stickhandler who can embarrass defensemen 1v1, Hermansson can weave around players and pull off highlight-reel-caliber inside-out dekes. Within the offensive zone, he has the ability to hit on high-difficulty passes across the slot.

It's all about developing consistency and rounding out his game. When he's on his game, he can be the best player on the ice, but he needs to find a "B" game for when everything isn't clicking and make an impact in more grounded ways. His decision-making can be frustrating at times, and he has some work to do on the physical side of the game and on defense.

It's impossible to ignore the talent, though, and I think he's shown enough to make scouts think he can build a more rounded game. In the late teens and into the 20s, talent is harder to come by, and Hermansson owns it. Despite his ups-and-downs, he finished with 11 goals and 10 assists in 38 games for MoDo in the Allsvenskan, Sweden's second tier. That puts him on par with some really talented NHL players. The remaining wingers are projects in their own ways, so I'd bet on the project with the biggest potential, and that's Hermansson. He could be a top-six offensive winger who can create by himself if all goes well.

6. Adam Novotný, LW, Peterborough Petes (OHL)

Novotný provides a lot of projectable certainty in the second-half of the first round, which is not typical. There's a lot to like about his game not on a theoretical level but in terms of actualized, consistent ability. He already plays an NHL-style game.

The Czech winger is physically gifted. He has some of the best north-south speed in this draft and is a dog on the puck. A supreme forechecker who will crash and bang but also work robustly to win more subtle advantages. I can't count the number of times I watched him seemingly lose a board battle, even be knocked to the ice, only to somehow recover and muscle the puck with his stick or feet to cleanly win possession and create or maintain an offensive zone possession. He also draws a ton of penalties by keeping his feet moving.

He complements his speed and strength with a solid skill set. He'll create some zone entries. He can hammer pucks when he has the space and time and is a decent east-west passer. He lacks the finer details to make plays in small spaces, and he won't ever be the primary guy on the puck, but Novotný can make plays well enough to keep up with better linemates.

His early physical development and November birthday may mean he has less developmental runway than others, and perhaps he tops out as a 40-45 point NHL winger, but in combination with his superlative abilities in the less sexy parts of the game, I think he has it in him to become a complementary second-line winger who does the yeoman work for more skilled linemates.

5. Nikita Klepov, LW, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

Nikita Klepov is a well-rounded winger whose offensive output in the OHL is hard to ignore: 37 goals and 60 assists in 67 games to lead the Saginaw Spirit in scoring. And while he certainly had help around him, he was the primary driver of his own success.

In fact, it's Klepov's ability to work with others that makes him enticing. He is a dual threat as a shooter and passer. He has a quick release, and I like his ability equally to roof a shot over a goaltender from afar and to tuck one in from tight spaces around the net. He's an even better playmaker.

What's most important is that these abilities don't exist in a vacuum. He creates space in the offensive zone by holding the puck. He is extremely comfortable holding the puck in the middle of the ice, even under immense pressure. He doesn't panic, and with his vision and touch on the puck, he can unlock defenses. His game was built on the other talented Saginaw players, and the results showed in his point production.

With a B-tier motor to complement his game, Klepov is a big asset in cycle offense, and he'll be a decent enough defensive presence. Maybe he lacks a true defining high-end trait, but he's versatile offensively with enough skill to punish teams in multiple ways. He has second-line and potentially PP1 upside and should go in the middle of the first round.

4. Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

There's a lot to like about Belchetz's game. He's 6'5" and 230 pounds and has already shown some ability to utilize that size.

In the OHL, he's shown a proficiency for gaining the offensive zone, then holding up play by shielding the puck and waiting for reinforcements to establish possession. He has a pretty good motor and is the kind of player you want as your first forechecker. He uses his reach and size to pressure the puck and, when he wants to, he can pummel guys. He also uses his size to protect pucks along the walls. Not only in terms of just holding the puck and preventing turnovers, but also actively moving the puck along the walls and creating a cycle.

Belchetz has a high offensive upside. He has a quick, hard-shooting release and can pull the trigger even when receiving passes across his body. I like the way that he dictates the tempo of play at times. He can make things happen quickly but also can slow the game down. He is an efficient passer, but that seems to come more from building quick sequences rather than as a true unlocker of defenses.

My problem with Belchetz is that he fades in and out of games too frequently. He was almost always a passenger on his line, whether it was top prospects Liam Greentree or Jack Nesbitt carrying the play. Given his physical advantages and high-caliber linemates, 59 points in 57 OHL games isn't overly impressive.

There is no doubting his upside, and it won't be surprising if he's a top-10 player in this draft class when all is said and done, but I think he's a bigger project than some scouts are willing to admit. I think he has a lot of work to do to maximize his abilities at the NHL level, but if he figures it out, he'll be a top-six forward who complements a play-driving center. I have him closer to 15th overall than 10th.

3. Wyatt Cullen, LW, USNTDP (USHL)

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Wyatt Cullen, son of former NHLer Matt, has way more offensive ability than his father.

He is a great skater, both in straight-line speed and, especially, in his smaller-area footwork. Excellent crossovers, which come particularly in handy as he holds the puck. He can really create space for himself in the offensive zone. He is a fantastic stickhandler and really quick, even when forced to handle the puck close to his body. He'll put individual defenders into the blender 1v1, but he also has the tactical skill to discombobulate defenses when he cycles the puck high. He's very good at carrying pucks across the slot, which is, pound for pound, the most dangerous play in hockey.

Cullen is a wonderful playmaker with a shot that keeps goaltenders honest. He's still working on the defensive and physical sides of the game, but I think he's too smart a player to not eventually figure it all out. He'll be a top-six scoring winger in the NHL with at least passable defensive abilities, and he'll be a go-to half-wall operator on the top power-play unit. I think he's definitively the third-best winger in this draft class, and he deserved to go on the earlier side of the 10-15 pick range.

2. Ivar Stenberg, LW/RW, Frolunda HC (SHL)

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While I confidently rank McKenna first among wingers (and overall in this draft class), the gap between him and Stenberg isn't much. 

They're different types of players. Stenberg doesn't quite have McKenna's elite skill, but he has plenty himself and a more rounded game. Even at a young age in the Swedish Hockey League, he exuded confidence on the puck. Good hands plus above-average explosiveness make him a great choice to carry the puck up ice. He's close to an ideal half-wall operator. He has the playmaking vision and touch to thread passes from the perimeter but also the strength and drive to plow into middle ice and score or create chaos. 

He combines smarts and a major motor to become a force in the more granular parts of the game. Despite being only 5'11, his lower-body strength is a huge asset. He's tough to knock off pucks, he can carry the puck through contact, and he wins board battles. The motor and instincts also lend well as a forechecker and defensive presence.

I've compared Stenberg to Tampa Bay's Brandon Hagel in the past, and that's the player I think his drafting team will get: a true 200-foot winger who is good for 80-90 points and whose floor is the second-best forward on a contender. He's not only definitively the second-best winger in this draft class, but the second-best player overall.

1. Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State (NCAA)

I've planted my flag with McKenna in a few different mediums now. His NCAA season may not have been perfect but I think, with the totality of what he accomplished, he is definitively the top player in this draft. 

No other player in this draft class can unilaterally dictate the pace of a game quite like he can. Particularly in the offensive zone. His skill on the puck is absolutely elite, but most important is that this doesn't exist in a vacuum. He doesn't need someone else to do the hard work for him or a lot of time and space to make something happen. He can create zone entries while being outnumbered. He can be put under immense pressure and does not lose his confidence holding the puck. He doesn't only wait for lanes of opportunity to develop but actively creates them, carrying pucks from the exterior to the interior or vice versa. His wrist shot is silent but deadly. A quick flick of the wrists and it's in the back of the net before anyone knows what happened. His ability to hit teammates directly on the blade in scoring positions from seemingly innocuous situations is remarkable.

Is his skating very good? No. His agility is solid, but the straight-line speed is lacking. That's not great when talking about an undersized player, but we're talking about truly elite-caliber offensive tools. It hasn't mattered for Artemi Panarin. It hasn't mattered for Nikita Kucherov. It won't matter for Gavin McKenna. He'll be, at worst, a point-per-game first-line winger in the NHL, but I think he is very much in the running to become the 100-point type of superstar.