2026 NHL Draft Thread

[JTech780]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Im looking at ceiling over how quickly a player is adjusting to a new team and league.

Its foolish to looking too glowingly at guys in their 2nd-3rd chl season dominating somewhat while docking marks off the guy who is new to a tougher league of adult men.

If mckenna stayed in the whl he'd be on a Bedard pace and no one would question him.

But just because he took the leap and isnt slaughtering guys 2-6 years older than him at 170 lbs people are raising their eyebrows? Seems short sighted.

You cant convince any one else has near the ceiling and raw skill of mckenna.

Maybe he needs time to bulk up, but that will happen eventually, whereas superstar skill wont magically find these other candidates if they dont already have it.

Other players have stepped in to the NCAA at the same age or younger and they continued dominate. He is always going to be small, at the NHL level the players he is going to play against aren’t going to get smaller and weaker.

Since 2000 his pace of 1.13 points would put him 7th amongst draft eligible U19 players. He is behind Fantili (1.81), Eichel (1.78), Celebrini (1.68), Kessel (1.31), Schroeder (1.29), and Zeev Buium (1.19). Not to mention Matthews who produced at 1.28 ppg in the Swiss League in his draft year.

So while he has been doing well, he is behind some other very good talents. On top of that he is a winger and wingers just aren’t that valuable.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by JTech780

That’s basically half the season in college hockey.

So what?

It's still just 16 games.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

So what?

It's still just 16 games.

What is the number of games that someone should start to question whether he should be the first overall pick? Surely he cannot be a PPG guy for the entire season and still be a sure fire first overall pick given a couple of the other options.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

What is the number of games that someone should start to question whether he should be the first overall pick? Surely he cannot be a PPG guy for the entire season and still be a sure fire first overall pick given a couple of the other options.

You can question it whenever you want. 16 games, 5 games, 0 games.

Fill your boots.

At the same time, I can find it hilarious and shake my head at what I think is a foolish notion.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

You can question it whenever you want. 16 games, 5 games, 0 games.

Fill your boots.

At the same time, I can find it hilarious and shake my head at what I think is a foolish notion.

So he would be your number one regardless of how this year goes?

[fotze2]

I can confirm he is not liking the massive drop in the amount of games.

[StrykerSteve]

Originally Posted by JTech780

Other players have stepped in to the NCAA at the same age or younger and they continued dominate. He is always going to be small, at the NHL level the players he is going to play against aren’t going to get smaller and weaker.

Since 2000 his pace of 1.13 points would put him 7th amongst draft eligible U19 players. He is behind Fantili (1.81), Eichel (1.78), Celebrini (1.68), Kessel (1.31), Schroeder (1.29), and Zeev Buium (1.19). Not to mention Matthews who produced at 1.28 ppg in the Swiss League in his draft year.

So while he has been doing well, he is behind some other very good talents. On top of that he is a winger and wingers just aren’t that valuable.

I struggle with these types of comparisons, because they’re bound to not be apples to apples. The league was filled with completely different players when those guys did what they did. They played on different teams with different strengths, and the opposition was completely different. Maybe it was a weaker league, maybe they had better teammates, maybe they were more physically developed… I don’t know but am not willing to ignore those variables.

He plays on a mediocre 4-4 team, is 3rd in scoring as a 17-year old kid playing with and against men 4-6 years older than him. He’s one of, if not the youngest player in the league and he’s shooting at an unsustainably unlucky 6.8% shooting percentage. By all accounts he’s generating scoring chances at a historic rate. Guys that can do what he does are super rare. Flames fans should know that better than anyone because we’ve rarely had them.

Remember back to Connor McDavid playing in the world juniors as a 16-year old, when he scored 1g,3a in 7 games, he wasn’t a star on that team, he was a kid learning his way amongst elder teammates, playing bottom six minutes. Then he came back the next season a year older and popped off for 11p in 7 games. It’s pretty normal progression and what McKenna is experiencing by shifting to a different league at 17 is a similar experience in my eyes.

Kids with his level of talent don’t just stop being great players. Give it time, with a little growing, he will catch up and get back to dominating opponents. This is very much short term pain for long term gain and the team that gets him will be all the better for him having gone through it.

The list throughout Flames history of players who have ever scored 100 points at any level of hockey is an extremely short one. And the list that did it in the fashion McKenna did is non-existent. A player like McKenna would be an absolute game changer for the franchise, no question in my mind.

I haven’t felt this way about a potential prospect since MacKinnon. He may not be a Center, but the Flames as an organization desperately need him.

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by fotze2

I can confirm he is not liking the massive drop in the amount of games.

Can you confirm he also wants the flames to rebuild properly so he can come here?

[Jiri Hrdina]

I really wonder how much this impacts decisions going forward for top end chl players
For the ncaa this is not what they wanted to see

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I really wonder how much this impacts decisions going forward for top end chl players
For the ncaa this is not what they wanted to see

Verhoeff is doing great in the NCAA, though players will know McKenna more than him. If the NCAA helps Verhoeff go number one there could be some players who see the opportunity in going NCAA too.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by fotze2

I can confirm he is not liking the massive drop in the amount of games.

He really didn't want to go, but you can't turn down an offer like that.

[JTech780]

Originally Posted by StrykerSteve

I struggle with these types of comparisons, because they’re bound to not be apples to apples. The league was filled with completely different players when those guys did what they did. They played on different teams with different strengths, and the opposition was completely different. Maybe it was a weaker league, maybe they had better teammates, maybe they were more physically developed… I don’t know but am not willing to ignore those variables.

He plays on a mediocre 4-4 team, is 3rd in scoring as a 17-year old kid playing with and against men 4-6 years older than him. He’s one of, if not the youngest player in the league and he’s shooting at an unsustainably unlucky 6.8% shooting percentage. By all accounts he’s generating scoring chances at a historic rate. Guys that can do what he does are super rare. Flames fans should know that better than anyone because we’ve rarely had them.

Remember back to Connor McDavid playing in the world juniors as a 16-year old, when he scored 1g,3a in 7 games, he wasn’t a star on that team, he was a kid learning his way amongst elder teammates, playing bottom six minutes. Then he came back the next season a year older and popped off for 11p in 7 games. It’s pretty normal progression and what McKenna is experiencing by shifting to a different league at 17 is a similar experience in my eyes.

Kids with his level of talent don’t just stop being great players. Give it time, with a little growing, he will catch up and get back to dominating opponents. This is very much short term pain for long term gain and the team that gets him will be all the better for him having gone through it.

The list throughout Flames history of players who have ever scored 100 points at any level of hockey is an extremely short one. And the list that did it in the fashion McKenna did is non-existent. A player like McKenna would be an absolute game changer for the franchise, no question in my mind.

I haven’t felt this way about a potential prospect since MacKinnon. He may not be a Center, but the Flames as an organization desperately need him.

Ilia Morozov is the youngest player in NCAA this year, 8 months younger than McKenna.

Listen I think McKenna is going to be a very good player, I just don’t think he is a franchise player. I also don’t think building around a winger is the smart move. This franchise tried it with Iginla, they tried it with Gaudreau, it doesn’t work. Will the Flames be a better team with McKenna, without a question, will they be perennial contenders with him as their best player most likely not. That’s just the reality for wingers, they don’t impact the game enough to build around.

[Sandman]

Since the 1989-90 season, McKenna owns the 57th-best ppg (1.13) of any NCAA player of age 18-and-under.

[Tkachukwagon]

Fans can’t control wins or loses but just as a reminder, this draft has a lot of depth in the first round:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1992832488310460689

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by fotze2

I can confirm he is not liking the massive drop in the amount of games.

McKenna's struggles might be the best thing for the CHL long term. Will definitely make players think twice before jumping.

I bet the whole having to go to school thing, being far away from home in a different country, etc. These are all factors you don't think of.

[CliffFletcher]

So who’s looking good at picks #5-8?

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

So who’s looking good at picks #5-8?

D Ryan Lin, RW Mathis Preston, D Carson Carels, D Daxon Rudolph, D Chase Reid, RW Marcus Nordmark, LW Elton Hermansson, C Viggo Bjorck.

Plus one of Ethan Belchetz, Ryan Roobreck, and Ty Lawrence might be available at #5.

[mile]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1992842602820079636

[Vinny01]

If the Flames can get McKenna and trade up to get Lawrence (if he falls out of the top 10) that would be unreal

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

McKenna's struggles might be the best thing for the CHL long term. Will definitely make players think twice before jumping.

I bet the whole having to go to school thing, being far away from home in a different country, etc. These are all factors you don't think of.

I'm sure they thought of them, just do not know the effect of them. Also the lifestyle is probably a lot more fun than a more regimented WHL life in some dumpy town. The temptations would be aplenty.