Here are five questions to consider entering NHL Central Scouting's final meetings:
Is Penn State left wing Gavin McKenna still the overwhelming favorite to go No. 1 in the 2026 NHL Draft?
There's no question McKenna (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) is a stronger, more confident player at this point in his development and his ceiling remains high. The 18-year-old led Penn State and is tied for fourth among NCAA players with 51 points (14 goals, 37 assists) in 35 games. His average of 1.46 points per game is second among all players, and his 152 shots on goal are tied for third.
On Jan. 31, McKenna was involved in an off-campus altercation for which he faces a misdemeanor simple assault charge. His next scheduled court appearance is Wednesday at the Centre County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania.
"NHL Central Scouting provides ranking services to the NHL clubs which only factor a player's on-ice performance and development," Marr said. "We do not interview prospects or factor in anything other than what players show us on the ice when we compile the final rankings. This approach has served Central Scouting and the NHL clubs well over time."
Ivar Stenberg (5-11, 183) of Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League also has attracted plenty of attention. The 18-year-old left wing had 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 43 games. It's the most points by an 18-year-old SHL player since Daniel Sedin (42) and Henrik Sedin (34) with MoDo in 1998-99. Stenberg's average of 0.77 points per game is the most by an 18-year-old SHL player since Daniel Sedin averaged 0.84 in 1998-99.
Will it be difficult to determine the top defenseman on the North American list?
It probably will come down to Keaton Verhoeff, Chase Reid, Carson Carels and Daxon Rudolph, each of whom brings their own unique element.
Verhoeff (6-3, 208), a right-handed shot, has done well as a freshman at the University of North Dakota with 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) and a plus-7 rating in 35 games. He was No. 2 on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters. The Fighting Hawks will play Wisconsin in the 2026 Frozen Four semifinals on Thursday (5 p.m. ET; ESPN2).
Reid (6-2, 188), No. 4 on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters, was tied for 12th among Ontario Hockey League defensemen with 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists) in 45 games with Sault Ste. Marie. Carels (6-1, 202), No. 3 on the midterm list, was tied for fourth among Western Hockey League defensemen with 73 points (20 goals, 53 assists) in 58 games with Prince George. Rudolph (6-2, 206), No. 6 on the midterm list, was third among WHL defensemen with 78 points (28 goals, 50 assists) and first with 35 power-play points (13 goals, 22 assists) in 68 games with Prince Albert.
Is there a dark horse to keep an eye on down the stretch?
Watch out for Tommy Bleyl (5-11, 165) with Moncton of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The right-shot defenseman, No. 35 on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters, led QMJHL defensemen with 81 points (13 goals, 68 assists) and 42 power-play points (four goals, 38 assists) in 63 games. He's earned big minutes and can quarterback the power play. Bleyl has established league records for most assists and points in a season by a rookie defenseman, passing Gaston Therrien (60 assists, 70 points) with Quebec in 1977-78.
Who is the top center available in this draft class?
There are two players in the discussion: Caleb Malhotra (6-1, 182) of Brantford (OHL) and Tynan Lawrence (6-0, 185) of Boston University.
Malhotra, No. 5 on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters, was second among OHL rookies and tied for 11th among all players with 84 points (29 goals, 55 assists) in 67 games. He also had 30 power-play points (nine goals, 21 assists). Lawrence, No. 7 on the midterm ranking, began the season with 17 points (10 goals, seven assists) in 13 games with Muskegon of the United States Hockey League, then had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 18 games after joining the Terriers on Jan. 8. He had five points (one goal, four assists) in his final five games for Boston University, which lost 5-3 to the University of Connecticut in the Hockey East quarterfinals on March 14. He likely will play for Canada at the 2026 IIHF Under-18 World Championship in Slovakia from April 22-May 2.
"He was arguably our best player (against Connecticut)," BU coach Jay Pandolfo said. "I wish we could keep going to see him improve even more. He's just going to be a really good player for us."
How strong are the goaltenders eligible for the 2026 draft?
Interestingly, there were three right-handed catching goalies among the top five on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American goalies: No. 2 Michal Orsulak of Prince Albert (WHL), No. 3 Tobias Trejbal with Youngstown (USHL), and No. 5 Tobias Tvrznik with Wenatchee (WHL).
Brady Knowling (6-5, 202), who was No. 1 on the midterm ranking of North American goalies, is 12-10-1 with a 3.72 goals-against average and .880 save percentage in 27 games for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team, which plays USHL and NCAA teams, as well as international tournaments. Knowling played one game for the United States in a fifth-place finish at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
