101 days. That is how much time is left until the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. The front loaded draft will likely come to define the future for the few teams picking at the top, especially the Canucks.
But before then, the Canucks will have to go through the NHL Draft Lottery on May 4th. As they currently have a comfortable seat in the basement of the NHL standings, the Canucks boast the highest odds of landing the first overall pick at 25.5%.
Being last in the NHL provides a substantial advantage in terms of attaining a top three pick in the draft, as the 32nd overall team has a 55.7% chance at landing the third overall pick. That is something Canucks fans can definitely be happy about, but what if the Canucks do in fact win the first overall pick in the draft lottery? And is Gavin McKenna the one they would select first overall?
A hockey prodigy?
Gavin McKenna from Whitehorse, the capital Yukon Territory, only turned 18 in December, but has already been a household name in hockey since the Medicine Hat Tigers selected him first overall in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.
Since his first full season in the WHL, McKenna has been named CHL Rookie of the Year, named to CHL First All-Star Team, and won the David Branch Player of the Year Award.
This run includes a 40 game point streak during the 2024-2025 season, breaking a record previously held by Logan Stankoven and Mckenna’s distant cousin, Connor Bedard. In total last season, McKenna had 167 points in just 72 games including the playoffs.
Unique path from the WHL to NCAA:
In 2024 a rule change allowing CHL players to become eligible for college hockey was announced. This change was set to begin at the start of the 2025-2026 season.
As a result, this rule change was the key catalyst in McKenna’s move from the CHL to the NCAA, with name, image, and likeness being the bonus, as he is receiving a package estimated to be around $700 000.
Aside from this, McKenna says: “I think it honestly just makes the jump (to the NHL) easier, going against older, heavier, stronger guys. I think it really prepares you.“ Adding, “Even in the locker room, being around older guys, being around more mature guys, I think it'll help me a lot.”
It sounded like what was the perfect storm for McKenna to make the move to the NCAA, and after what was called a “slow start,” scoring just 4 goals and 18 points in his first 17 games with Penn State, McKenna has follow that up with 11 goals and 33 points in 17 games since, as well as 14 points in 7 games at the World Junior Hockey Championships with Team Canada.
Controversy and felony charges:
More recently McKenna has come under the microscope after being charged with felony aggravated assault. On January 31st, McKenna was involved in an altercation where he punched a man in the face outside of a bar, after Penn State played outdoors against Michigan State.
The felony charges were ultimately dropped, as evidence did not support what was required to proceed with such a charge. Incidents like these are often a cause for concern for a team with a high draft pick who is looking to invest their long term future with a person, but in this case it seems to be an isolated incident.
Since the incident, McKenna has done nothing but take care of business, and while there were more doubts about McKenna being selected first overall, I think that he has now cemented his name as the top prospect in the game.