"NHL teams made it clear in the 2025 draft that big defensemen and skilled forwards with bite are valued at a high premium. There is no shortage of right-handed defensemen who will be in the top-10 discussion this season, and a few highly skilled forwards many teams will be tracking closely. These are the players worth familiarizing yourself with, especially if your team is not expected to be a Stanley Cup playoff contender this season."
"This is the obvious name on the list. The hubbub around his decision to play in the NCAA led "SportsCenter" -- a testament to the star quality of this prospect. McKenna was one of the best players in the Canadian Hockey League last season, and he will be one of the best -- if not the best -- players in the NCAA this season. Making the jump to Penn State, McKenna is a bring-you-out-of-your-seat offensive dynamo. A playmaker first, McKenna is usually the bes"
The unofficial 2026 NHL draft scouting season begins after the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup as junior teams start training camps and NCAA players settle into campus. Rule changes are enabling more players to move from Canadian major junior play to the NCAA, creating interest in how those prospects will develop against older competition. NHL teams prioritized big defensemen and skilled, physical forwards in the 2025 draft, elevating the value of right-handed defensemen and top-end forwards. Gavin McKenna, moving to Penn State from the CHL, emerges as an electrifying offensive playmaker and a leading name among early prospects.
Read at ESPN.com
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