Craig’s List: McKenna the runaway favourite for No. 1 in 2026 NHL Draft

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button makes it clear the 2026 NHL Draft belongs to Gavin McKenna.

After lighting up the WHL last season as a rookie with 34 goals and 97 points in 61 games to claim CHL and WHL rookie of the year honours, the Medicine Hat Tigers forward is off to a torrid start this season, leading the league with 37 points in 19 games.  

“McKenna could’ve been the first pick last year, he’d be the first pick this year and there’s no doubt who the first pick is next year,” said Button. “He is one of the very best players outside the NHL. What I see in him is an IQ off the charts and a brilliance that has no limits.”

McKenna has also made his presence known on the international stage. At the U18s this past spring, he led the tournament in goals (10) and had 20 points in seven games to lead Canada to gold. In August, he helped Canada win gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with six points in five games.

At No. 2 on Button’s list is Spokane Chiefs forward Mathis Preston.

Preston is fresh off helping Canada White win gold at the U17 Hockey Challenge with a tournament-leading six goals and one assist in five games.

The third overall pick by Spokane in the 2023 WHL Bantam Draft, Preston has seven goals and 10 points in 14 games as a rookie this season.

“What an impressive, talented, skilled offensive player,” said Button of Preston. “Lightning fast hands, lightning quick mind, offensive instincts off the charts. He reminds me of Joe Sakic.”

Windsor’s Ethan Belchetz is the No. 3 player on the list.

Another member of the Canada White squad that won gold at the U17s, the 6-foot-5 forward had four goals and an assist in five games at the tournament.

The first overall pick by the Spitfires at the 2024 OHL Draft, the 16-year-old has four goals and 12 points in 12 games this season as a rookie.

“Here’s a young player that has got skill, he’s nimble, he’s got all kinds of really good athletic ability and he’s still raw,” said Button of Belchetz. “He’s still getting his legs underneath him and still getting his game in order. And he’s already a good player. He’s big player development.”

The first defenceman on the list is Keaton Verhoeff of the Victoria Royals at No. 4.

Verhoeff had five points in five games as he captained Canada White to gold at the U17s.

As a rookie in the WHL this season, he has five goals and 11 points in 14 games. He was taken fourth overall by Victoria in the 2023 WHL Bantam Draft.

“He just screams 25-minute a game player,” said Button of Verhoeff. “He reminds me of [Aaron] Ekblad, just so efficient, smart, so good, and competitive. “When he’s out on the ice, it lowers coaches’ heart rates, increases their comfort level and they just know that everything is under control.”

Rounding out the top five is forward Viggo Bjorck, who is skating with Djurgardens J20 squad this season, notching 10 goals and 22 points in 17 games this season.

He helped Sweden win bronze at the U17s, recording five assists in four games. Bjorck was also part of Sweden’s bronze-medal winning team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August with two assists in five games.

“He is such a good player,” said Button. “He is so smart, hockey sense off the charts.”

At No. 6 is another member of the 2023 WHL draft class in defenceman Ryan Lin, who is off to a point-per-game start with the Vancouver Giants this season with 13 assists in 13 games.

He had one goal and one assist in five games as he helped Canada White win U17 gold.

“Dynamic defenceman,” said Button of Lin. “He’s ready to break the puck out, he closes defensively, ready to transition, moves the puck. He does it with his feet and hands. He’s into the attack, always alert, always attuned. He’s a presence out there and he gets involved.”

Forward Colin Fitzgerald comes in at No. 7 on the list and has four goals and seven points in 14 games as a rookie with the Peterborough Petes this season.

Over the weekend, the Peterborough, Ont., product helped Canada Red earn silver at the U17s.

“Any way you want to play, any place, any team, Colin is going to play,” said Button. “Those types of players that can just seamlessly play a power game, a skilled game, a high-end offensive game. To me, that’s what Colin does.”

The eighth-ranked player on Button’s list is forward Ryan Roobroeck, the second overall pick in the 2023 OHL Draft by the Niagara IceDogs.

Roobroeck has 13 goals and 22 points in 18 games as a sophomore this season. As a rookie in 2023-24, he had 28 goals and 51 points in 63 games, earning OHL First All-Rookie Team honours.

“Ryan to me is somebody I would call not a flashy player but a real purposeful, competitive, in the mix, guts of the action player,” said Button. “He’s another player that’s got a motor. His skating, it’s really good, but he’s going to be no fun to play against. He’s relentless.”

The third defenceman on the list at No. 9 is Carson Carels of the Prince George Cougars.

The 15th overall pick in the 2023 WHL draft, Carels has nine assists in 15 games as a rookie this season. At the U17s, he had three assists in four games to help Canada Red earn silver.

“He is so good,” said Button of Carels. “IQ off the charts. He just makes the game look easy. He’s the player that could easily be higher.”

Completing the top 10 is forward Ivar Stenberg, who is off a hot start this season with Frolunda J20 with 16 goals and 34 points in 16 games.

At the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August, he led the tournament in goals with four and had 10 points to help Sweden win the bronze medal.

“He’s dynamic,” said Button. “I think he’s another player that might not be the biggest of guys but he can make plays and he’s got the puck lots. He drives it to the net, he makes plays, and he wants to score.

“When he’s out on the ice, he draws you to him and he commands your attention because he’s in the mix. He makes s—t happen.”

A player outside the top 10 that Button wants to draw attention to is forward Casey Mutryn, who is playing with the USNTDP U17 team this season.

With four goals and 14 points in 18 games this season, Mutryn also helped the United States to a fourth-place finish with eight points in five games.

“He reminds me of Jason Arnott,” said Button. “Jason was a good player and that’s what Casey reminds me of. Really good shot. Leads. He’s not going to run you over but he just takes over, he moves into a space and it’s like, it’s his space, you’re a visitor in his space. He owns the space.”