McKenna's impact at World Juniors discussed on 'NHL Draft Class' podcast

Gavin McKenna, the leading candidate to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, is expected to have a leading role for Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship according to Steven Ellis, associate editor and prospect analyst for Daily Faceoff.

"He thinks he needs to go out there and have a big tournament to really prove himself," Ellis said on the latest edition of the "NHL Draft Class" podcast. "If he stuck in the Western Hockey League (with Medicine Hat) and put up 150-to-160 points, he'd probably be the undisputed No. 1, but going to [Penn State University] and playing against older competition, I think, is just really important for his development. Watching him in the World Juniors pre-tournament games, I thought he was one of the better players.

"Overall, what we've seen from him is just a guy that has so much skill who could really change a game. I have concerns about him not being super effective away from the puck and I think a lot of people share those concerns, but from what we've seen with the puck, few guys could do what he can do."

McKenna, a forward who turned 18 on Dec. 20, has 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 16 games as a freshman at Penn State. He's expected to play a key role on Canada's top line and first power-play unit.

Ellis touched on several other top 2026 draft prospects who could play significant roles at the WJC, including Canada defenseman Carson Carels of Prince George (WHL) and Sweden forward Ivar Stenberg (Frolunda, Sweden).

"I'm really excited to see Carels," Ellis said. "I feel like having seen him in the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge, where he was so good in that series, and then watching him throughout Canada's training camp, this is a guy that just gets how to play defense. He doesn't try to do things he's not capable of.

"The season Stenberg is having in Sweden is incredible. The Swedish Hockey League is a hard league to score in, but watching Stenberg do what he's doing is really incredible."

Stenberg, an 18-year-old forward, has 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) in 25 games with Frolunda this season. Carels has 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in 28 games with Prince George.

The World Junior Championship will be held in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, from Dec. 26-Jan. 5, with all games live on NHL Network in the United States and TSN in Canada.

Hosts Adam Kimelman and Mike G. Morreale also discussed Sweden's chances, Czechia's bolstered lineup, and the odds of the United States winning a third straight gold medal at the tournament.

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