Marr talks McKenna's No. 1 final ranking on 'NHL Draft Class' podcast

NHL Central Scouting needed little time determining Gavin McKenna was No. 1 in its final ranking of North American skaters presented by BodyArmor for the 2026 NHL Draft.

"We only had to do one vote, and it was a unanimous vote and then we moved on," Central Scouting vice president and director Dan Marr said on the latest edition of the "NHL Draft Class" podcast. "It's kind of nice and neat when you don't have to spend a great deal of time arguing over No. 1. But like in any case, depending on the Draft Lottery and the team that's drafting, anybody could really go No. 1. It just depends on who's in the driver's seat. But for our group, Gavin McKenna's performance, not just this year, but the past three years-plus he's been in the highlights, he's done an outstanding job playing as one of the youngest players on his team. He finds a way to produce at every level he's been."

Central Scouting released its final rankings of the top North American skaters and goalies and the top International skaters and goalies for the 2026 draft, which will be held at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on June 26-27.

McKenna, forward for Penn State University, finished tied for fifth in the NCAA with 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) and was second with 1.46 points per game in 35 games this season. He earned honors for Big 10 Freshman of the Year, two-time National Rookie of the Month and four-time Big 10 Star of the Week and was the only unanimous choice on the Big 10 All-Freshman Team.

"It's his unique intellect for the game, his vision and anticipation that he's one of these players that has the eyes in the back of his head to make plays," Marr said. "This is the type of player who is only going to get better as he moves forward because he's going to be playing on a roster full of good players."

Marr also discussed the plethora of quality defensemen that occupy Nos. 2-5 on the final ranking of North American skaters, including No. 2 Chase Reid of Sault Ste. Marie in the Ontario Hockey League, No. 3 Carson Carels of Prince George in the Western Hockey League, No. 4 Keaton Verhoeff of the University of North Dakota, and No. 5 Daxon Rudolph of Prince Albert (WHL).

"It was difficult to come up with this order and there is strong consensus that all four of these defensemen are going to be franchise builders," Marr said. "Reid was the new kid on the block, but at every level, every situation he was put in, he wasn't just good, he excelled and excelled with the puck. But he has a very strong defensive game, which I don't know he gets enough credit for."

Co-hosts Adam Kimelman and Mike G. Morreale discussed NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters. Left wing Ivar Stenberg of Frolunda in Sweden is No. 1, and defenseman Alberts Smits, who was loaned to Munchen in Germany's top league after spending the season with Jukurit in Liiga, the top league in Finland, is No. 2.

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