McKenna, top prospects on final countdown to NHL Draft

BUFFALO -- The reality is beginning to set in for Gavin McKenna.

In less than three weeks, the 18-year-old left wing will learn his fate at the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft.

"It's very exciting," McKenna said. "This year has kind of flown by and during the year I wasn't really thinking about it too much, but as you got to kind of go home and reset a little bit, you start to think on the year and you only get to live this year once.

"For me to be going through it, it's been pretty special. I know if I was a kid looking at this year and telling my younger self where I'd be, I'd be pretty pumped. So, I'm trying to take it all in and just make the most out of it."

The 2026 NHL Draft will be held at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round will be June 26 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 on June 27 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN).

The Toronto Maple Leafs have the No. 1 pick, the San Jose Sharks have the No. 2 pick, and the Vancouver Canucks own the No. 3 selection.

McKenna, No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings of North American skaters presented by BodyArmor, was one of six draft-eligible prospects made available at LECOM HarborCenter on Friday to provide some insight on their season and future during the NHL Scouting Combine.

He was joined by left wing Ivar Stenberg, center Caleb Malhotra and defensemen , Keaton Verhoeff and Alberts Smits.

As a freshman at Penn State, McKenna 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. He's expected to be the first men's ice hockey player from Penn State to be selected in the first round of the NHL Draft. Forward Charlie Cerrato, chosen by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round (No. 49) last year, is the highest-drafted player in the program's history.

He's hoping to be the first name announced.

"It'd be an honor," McKenna said. "As a kid, that's what you dream of. Being a Canadian kid, going to a Canadian market would be pretty special. I think, obviously, the situation the Maple Leafs are in right now, it's pretty crazy that they got the first overall pick."

Toronto won the NHL Draft Lottery on May 5 despite having the fifth-best odds (8.5 percent) and would pick No. 1 for the third time.

"Their team is probably going to be fighting for the Stanley Cup Playoffs next year, so I'd be pretty fortunate to go there," McKenna said. "Whether I do go there or not, I'm getting drafted into the NHL, so it's going to be pretty cool."

Stenberg had 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 43 games for Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League, the most points in a season by an 18-year-old SHL player since Daniel Sedin (42) and Henrik Sedin (34) in 1998-99.

The 18-year-old, No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters, would be honored to be chosen by the Maple Leafs, a franchise with a long tradition of prominent Sweden-born players.

"It'd just be super fun," Stenberg said. "They're a good team, good organization. I know (defenseman) Oliver Ekman-Larsson pretty good so would be fun to play with him."

Malhotra, No. 6 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, is regarded by many as the top center in this year's draft class. He finished second among all Ontario Hockey League rookies in goals (29), assists (55) and points (84) in 67 regular-season games with Brantford.

His father, Manny Malhotra, was announced as coach of the Canucks on Monday.

"I think a lot of teams asked me what it'd be like playing for my dad (if the Canucks selected me) and I kind of had the same answer ... we'd be pretty professional," he said. "But it obviously would be a very special moment. It'd be pretty professional and I'd be able to handle that (situation) pretty easily, I think."

Reid of Sault Ste. Marie in the OHL is No. 2 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters. He ranked 12th among OHL defensemen with 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists) and 20 power-play points (eight goals, 12 assists) in 45 regular-season games.

"I think I've overcome a lot of adversity in my career," Reid said. "I think coaches can throw me out there in any situation they want, any opportunity that presents itself on the ice. I can run a power play. I think my skating separates me in a tremendous way to be able to play big roles in big minutes."

Verhoeff, No. 4 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, finished with 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) and was third on his team with 43 blocked shots in 36 games as a freshman at the University of North Dakota.

"I mean, every single player in this class is so talented," Verhoeff said. "I think the biggest thing I bring every single night is just that compete level. Obviously, going through ups and downs of the season, you're not going to always have your best game, you're not always going to show up the way you want to. So, bringing that consistent compete and is something that I really pride myself on."

Smits, who played with Munchen in Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the top professional league in Germany, is No. 2 on Central Scouting's list of International skaters. He had 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 38 games with Jukurit in Liiga, the top league in Finland, before he was loaned to Munchen on Feb. 25.

The 18-year-old was the youngest player at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he had two assists in four games for Team Latvia while averaging 18:44 of ice time. He had five points (one goal, four assists) and averaged a team-high 23:40 in ice time for seventh-place Latvia at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, and capped his season with four assists in 21:47 of ice time in eight games for his country at the 2026 IIHF World Championship.

"There's a lot of two-way defensemen in the NHL, and also I'm trying to be a two-way defenseman," Smits said. "I've got to work on my strengths and also weaknesses. I can develop my body and develop also as a hockey player, so I can reach the NHL level."