2026 NHL Draft Thread

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Incogneto

I will pay for their info this year. Sandman does crazy good work, and an admirable service for this site. he deserves to be paid for his work.

Thank you so much for this! Very nice of you to say.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by D as in David

It isn't out of the realm of possibilities that the Central gets both wildcard spots. Nashville is currently WC2 and only 3 points back of Vegas with a game in hand.

Problem is, there are no competent teams in the pacific, so expecting two of them to knock out the Knights & Coilers is like asking... uh... I don't even know what.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

Problem is, there are no competent teams in the pacific, so expecting two of them to knock out the Knights & Coilers is like asking... uh... I don't even know what.

Ill say it again i dont want those dirty no goods anywhere near a lottery.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Fan69

Ill say it again i dont want those dirty no goods anywhere near a lottery.

But they dont have their pick

[dammage79]

Help us Artemi Panarin! You're our only hope!

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

But they dont have their pick

Damn good point! i read no goods, out if playoffs, went a little dementia.

[Funkhouser]

Bjorck just turned 18, he is 6 months younger than Stenberg.
Half a year can make a huge difference in terms of development at such a young age.

Maybe Bjorck should be in on the discussion for #2. Centre is sooooo much more valuable than winger.

[Major Major]

The acceleration from a stand so still for bjorck in the second play of that clip was impressive. Wasn't skating considered a knock?

[Roko]

Would much much rather Bjorck over Malhotra.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Roko

Would much much rather Bjorck over Malhotra.

It isn't a problem to have a small center, the problem comes when they're ALL small. If we draft Bjorck, our top C prospects will be:

Bjorck...: 5'10" 172
Reschny: 5'11" 183
Potter....: 5'10" 172

That's not how you build a team.

[robertsfanatic]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

It isn't a problem to have a small center, the problem comes when they're ALL small. If we draft Bjorck, our top C prospects will be:

Bjorck...: 5'10" 172
Reschny: 5'11" 183
Potter....: 5'10" 172

That's not how you build a team.

Potter can play wing and Castagna and/or Gross fill in 3rd/4th lines - both over 6'

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by robertsfanatic

Potter can play wing and Castagna and/or Gross fill in 3rd/4th lines - both over 6'

So you're weakening the C position, just to solve the size problem.

That's why you don't paint yourself into that situation

[robertsfanatic]

but we don't know if it's weaker or not - whose to say Potter is a centre at the NHL level...or any of them for that matter?

just saying that Bjork and Reschny as a 1/2 seem pretty good.

[Enoch Root]

And I would argue that Malhotra and Reschny is an easier 1-2 to build around, and provides a better 200' game.

Then if Potter turns out, no problem, because you already have enough size with Malhotra and Catagna/Gross/whoever.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Mar.22nd: Here's a summary of a few of LW Gavin McKenna's accomplishments:
-6th best season all-time by a U-17 player in the WHL, and 2nd best (behind Connor Bedard) since the 1987-88 season, with 97 points in 61 games in 2023-24.
-13th-best season of all-time by a U-18 player in the WHL, and 3rd-best (behind Connor Bedard and Pavel Brendl) since the 1989-90 season, with 129 points in 56 games in 2024-25.
-Since the 1989-90 season, only 12 U-18 skaters have more points in Memorial Cup competition than McKenna's 6 points in 4 games.
-His 2.30 PPG mark from the 2024-25 season is 3rd-best all-time by a U-18 player in the WHL, and second only to Bedard since the 1986-87 season.
-His 38 points in 16 playoff games in the 2024-25 season are 3rd-best all-time in the WHL, or 2nd-best to Bedard since the 1986-87 season.
-McKenna owns the record for points by a U-17 player at the U-18 Worlds, posting 20 points in 7 games in 2024 (he took home Gold)- two more than Alex Ovechkin. His 10 goals are third-best.
-His 14 points in 7 games at the 2026 World Juniors is tied for 42nd all-time, and tied for 14th-best all-time by a U-19 player.
-For players 18 years-old and under, McKenna's 51 points in 34 NCAA contests this season with Penn State is tied for 56th-best all-time- after a slow start in his freshman season.
-McKenna won Bronze with Team Canada at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, posting 6 points in 5 games.
McKenna is #1 for North American Skaters, according to Central Scouting.

Walter Gretzky once told his son Wayne to not go to where the puck is, but go to where the puck is going. Far be it from anyone to make direct comparisons to the Great One, but like Wayne Gretzky, Gavin McKenna is not the biggest player on the ice (5'11",170lbs), he's not the fastest, he will never win a Selke, doesn't play a physical game, and doesn't have the hardest shot- all he does is create offense at a level higher than "elite", and make his teammates better. McKenna can disappear for long stretches, appears to float a lot, and does most of his damage from the perimeter. He started the current season with 18 points in his first 16 games with Penn State, numbers that are more than respectable for a player in their draft-year, but he caught fire upon his return from the World Juniors, posting 33 points in the last 18 contests. Obviously, McKenna's most important attribute is his superhuman brain, that supplies with him with the kind of hockey sense, instincts, and IQ that only come along once or twice in a generation; he is an offensive wizard in the truest sense of the word. He has the foresight and instincts to see passing seams and shooting lanes that haven't even appeared yet, and owns the distribution skill to thread the needle through the smallest spaces. McKenna is not a burner, but he can solve several problems at once with his deceitful agility, and his maneuverability on his edges; he can pivot and turn on a dime, and throws defenders off with quick changes of pace and direction. A gifted stick handler, he can deke and dangle his way through small spaces, while breaking ankles and forcing defenders to scramble- he baits opponents into missing, manipulates the puck around sticks and between feet, and has soft mitts to beat goalies in-tight. While his shot is not overwhelming in terms of it's heaviness and velocity, it's remarkably well-placed and precise, and facilitated by a deceptive release that includes changes in the angle of his blade, pass-fakes, look-offs, and a smart use of screens. He can fire while in-motion, and can shoot equally well off of either foot. While he has often been accused of being unable to get to the middle, he can actually exploit small holes in coverage to make timed forays to the inside, and he doesn't need more than a quick touch to make something happen.

Much of his play-creation comes from the perimeter, but he can dissect defenses like few others can with his incisive playmaking vision, and knows how to slow down the play to draw pressure, or attack space to make defenses shift. McKenna must be doing more than creating offense for the Nittany Lions, as he routinely plays well over 20 minutes per game in this, his freshman season- and often even plays over 25. Some say that his defensive play and off-puck game have improved quite a bit this year, but there is still some room to grow in his effort and intensity, as well as his engagement level. McKenna may not be a physical player, but he has certainly shown signs of some chippiness and competitive fire this season, with 36 PIM in 34 games, and we all know that he's fully capable of dispatching an adversary with a single punch. McKenna doesn't shy away from the rough-going, and can play through contact. For all his perceived faults, McKenna has generational talent, and still has some runway for growth.. Look for him in the top-two.

[bigrangy]

The problem is Malhotra isn’t half as talented as Bjorck is

So you have a bad 1-2 center depth instead of a small 1-2 center depth, still haven’t solved anything

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

And I would argue that Malhotra and Reschny is an easier 1-2 to build around, and provides a better 200' game.

Then if Potter turns out, no problem, because you already have enough size with Malhotra and Catagna/Gross/whoever.

If they think Bjork is the better player you take him.

So many maybes for all three players you mention to take a lesser player to avoid a possible outcome.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by bigrangy

The problem is Malhotra isn’t half as talented as Bjorck is

So you have a bad 1-2 center depth instead of a small 1-2 center depth, still haven’t solved anything

Just not true.

He more than doubled his production this year (tremendous progression), jumping from .59 PPG to 1.27 while playing 2nd line C and not getting the big offensive opportunities. His progression projects to being a 1C.

He has elite vision and and hockey sense, and while he is currently behind Bjorck in offensive talent shown, he is gaining fast and could easily end up being the better NHLer offensively.

All while DEFINITELY being better at the rest of the game.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

If they think Bjork is the better player you take him.

So many maybes for all three players you mention to take a lesser player to avoid a possible outcome.

Depends how you define better player. More importantly, it depends how you project each player.

The ultimate goal is to build a team, not just acquire assets.

[Sandman]

Bjorck is more talented than Malhotra, but will he put up more points in the NHL? Will he play C? Will be able to affect the game as well away from the puck? I'm not so sure, on all counts.