Scouting Combine, top defensemen discussed on 'NHL Draft Class'

The 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round will be June 26 (7 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+, Sportsnet, TVA Sports) with rounds 2-7 on June 27 (10 a.m. ET on NHL Network, ESPN+, Sportsnet). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features.

Two new testing stations will highlight this year's NHL Scouting Combine, which continues to be an integral part of the evaluation process of the top NHL Draft-eligible players in many ways, according to NHL Central Scouting associate director David Gregory.

The 2026 NHL Scouting Combine presented by Fanatics, scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo, allows the 32 NHL teams to interview some of the top prospects, as well as get physical and medical assessments, ahead of the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on June 26-27.

The 2026 edition will feature the debut of the isokinetic squat test and a 10-meter sprint.

"We've always tweaked a little bit of what the protocol will be just to give the teams as much information as they can get from these young players," Gregory said on the latest edition of the "NHL Draft Class" podcast. "The isokinetic squat is assessing the lower extremity strength, which is really important in hockey.

"The sprint is testing how quickly you can get up to speed and what speed you can generate in a short period of time, which is great for hockey, because you're going for 30-60 seconds and going quick speed. There's a cable attached to the player that's going to track what kind of strength they have and how quickly they get up to speed."

Gregory is one of several members of Central Scouting who help coordinate the travel, medical and fitness testing, and interviews for the 90 attending prospects with the 32 NHL teams.

Additionally, he discussed Penn State University left wing Gavin McKenna, the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft and how he adjusted to NCAA hockey this season.

"Being a 17-, 18-year-old and playing against someone sometimes up to 25 years old (in college) is a huge challenge and the way he adapted and watching his growth over the course of the season, really cemented for me why he's No. 1," Gregory said.

Gregory also provided his thoughts on which defenseman sits atop his draft list, as well as which prospects are highlighted as elite shooters and which are considered top power forwards. He also opined on how the influx of Canadian Hockey League players into the NCAA ranks has impacted scouting.

Co-hosts Adam Kimelman and Mike G. Morreale also reminisced about past years at the combine and how the event has grown over the years.

"NHL Draft Class" is free, and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms, including iTunes and Spotify. It also is available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.