Look, everyone wants to find the next Connor Bedard. Every year, we hear about the "next big thing" and most of the time, it's just scouts getting a bit overexcited in a cold rink at 9:00 AM. But when you look at the 2026 NHL draft prospects, things feel different.
Honestly, we are entering a weird, transitional era of scouting.
The NCAA just changed the rules to allow CHL players. That’s massive. Now, kids like Gavin McKenna can jump from the WHL to Penn State before they even get drafted. It's changing the timeline for how these 2026 NHL draft prospects develop. It’s also making it way harder for scouts to compare a kid playing against 24-year-olds in college versus a kid dominating teenagers in the Swedish junior circuits.
The Gavin McKenna Factor
Gavin McKenna is the name. If you haven’t heard it yet, you haven’t been paying attention. He’s from Whitehorse, Yukon. Yeah, the place where it gets so cold the air hurts your face.
He is basically a wizard on ice.
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Last season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, the kid put up 129 points. As a 16-year-old. That is Sidney Crosby and John Tavares territory. You don’t just "accidentally" do that. He recently made the jump to Penn State, and while some people are panicking because his 5-on-5 scoring has dipped, let’s be real. He’s 18. He’s playing against grown men who have mortgage payments and beard stubble.
McKenna’s vision is what separates him from the rest of the 2026 NHL draft prospects. He doesn't just pass to where a teammate is; he passes to where they should be three seconds from now. It’s spooky.
Why the "Alarm Bells" are mostly noise
Some critics point to his power-play reliance. They say he’s too lean. They say he doesn't backcheck hard enough.
Give me a break.
He’s a 170-pound kid figuring out how to survive in the NCAA. The skating is fluid. The hockey IQ is off the charts. If you're an NHL GM and you pass on McKenna because he didn't hit enough people in November of his draft year, you’re probably getting fired by 2030.
The Swedish Surge: Viggo Björck and Ivar Stenberg
If McKenna is the undisputed king of the class right now, the Swedish duo of Viggo Björck and Ivar Stenberg are the crown princes.
Viggo Björck is fascinating. He’s not huge—maybe 5'10" if he’s wearing thick socks. But he broke the J18 scoring record in Sweden. He didn't just break it; he shattered it by 25 points. Coaches trust him. He’s already playing in the SHL with Djurgårdens, which tells you everything you need to know about his maturity.
Then there’s Ivar Stenberg.
He’s a bit more of a wild card. Dynamic? Absolutely. High-end skill? Tons of it. But Björck seems to have jumped him on the depth chart lately because of his reliability. Stenberg has that "game-breaker" quality that makes scouts drool, but Björck has the "won't-mess-up-in-the-defensive-zone" quality that makes coaches actually play you.
The Big Men on the Blue Line
You can’t talk about 2026 NHL draft prospects without looking at the defensemen. Teams are starving for mobile, 6'4" monsters who can actually skate.
- Keaton Verhoeff: Currently at North Dakota. He’s a giant. We’re talking 6'4", 212 pounds. He plays a pro-style game that makes scouts think of a young Alex Pietrangelo.
- Xavier Villeneuve: The polar opposite of Verhoeff. He’s shifty. He’s small-ish. People compare him to Lane Hutson, but he might actually be a better skater at the same age. He’s an offensive wizard for Blainville-Boisbriand.
- Daxon Rudolph: A right-shot defenseman who just does everything well. He’s steady. In a draft full of "flash," Rudolph is the guy who just makes the right play 99% of the time.
What’s the Deal with Joe Iginla?
Everyone wants to know if the name carries the weight. Joe is the younger brother of Tij (Utah) and the son of Jarome (The Legend).
Kinda a lot of pressure, right?
Honestly, Joe Iginla is a bit of a polarizing prospect right now. His stats with the Edmonton Oil Kings haven't been "superstar" level. Some rankings have him in the first round; others have him as a 4th-round flyer. He’s got the motor. He’s got the shot. But he doesn't quite have his brother's explosive growth spurt yet.
Does he get drafted early because of the pedigree? Probably.
Teams love a known quantity. They know how an Iginla is raised. They know the work ethic is there. But if you’re looking for a top-5 pick, Joe probably isn't your guy today. He’s a "wait and see" prospect who could explode in the second half of the season.
The 2026 NHL Draft Outlook
This draft feels deep. It’s not just McKenna and then a drop-off. You have kids like Mathis Preston in Spokane who can fill the net, and Ryan Roobroeck in Niagara who is 6'4" and plays like a power forward from the 90s.
Things to watch for in the next 6 months:
- McKenna's 5-on-5 production: If he starts dominating at even strength in the NCAA, the "generational" tag comes back in a big way.
- The International Tournaments: Keep an eye on the U18s. That’s where the European kids like Alberts Smits and Viggo Björck usually make their biggest statements.
- The Size vs. Skill Debate: This class has a lot of smaller, high-skill forwards. NHL GMs are still scared of small players in the playoffs. Watch if the bigger guys like Ethan Belchetz (who is a massive 6'5" winger) start climbing the rankings just based on "potential."
It is going to be a long road to the 2026 draft in Buffalo.
Expect the rankings to flip-flop. A kid who is #5 today might be #25 by June. That’s just how it goes. But the core of this class? It’s special.
If you want to stay ahead of your buddies in the dynasty league, start tracking these kids now. Watch the WHL highlights. Check the SHL box scores. The 2026 NHL draft prospects are going to change the face of a few struggling franchises very soon.
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To get the best edge, you should start following the IIHF World U18 Championships this April. It’s the single best environment to see these kids play against their own age group without the "older player" noise of the NCAA or European pro leagues. Check the rosters as they come out and look for the 2008-born players specifically.