The 2026 NHL Draft has very talented players at the top of the round. One of the biggest names in the 2026 NHL Draft will be Penn State Nittany Lions winger Gavin McKenna. Before being with Penn State, he played for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL.
McKenna is only 18 years old. This season with the Nittany Lions, he has played in 33 games. McKenna has scored 14 goals and has recorded 36 assists. His plus/minus rating is -1. There is no doubt that some teams are trying to tank for him this season.
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He has been linked to potentially being the number one pick in the 2026 NHL Draft for the last couple of years. Which three teams could potentially draft him in this year’s draft?
Vancouver Canucks Have the Best Chances to Draft Gavin McKenna
Penn State’s Gavin McKenna, left, answers a question during a post-game press conference.© Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(© Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The Vancouver Canucks by far is the worst team in the NHL this season. Vancouver has a 19-37-8 record with 46 points. The Canucks might have the best chances to draft McKenna in the 2026 NHL Draft. This is a team that is probably going to be heading towards a rebuild.
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There is also a chance that this team might unload Elias Pettersson’s contract during the offseason. If Vancouver gets the top overall pick and goes with McKenna, they will have to make a decision if this will be McKenna’s team for the long haul or not.
Calgary Flames
It is not often that the Calgary Flames are drafting high in the NHL Draft. The last that the Flames had a top six pick was in 2016 when they selected Matthew Tkachuk sixth overall. Also, they were last in the top five during the 2014 NHL Draft when they selected Sam Bennett fourth overall.
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This year, Calgary has a chance to have a top three pick or maybe they can get lucky and have the top selection. The Flames have a 25-32-7 record with 57 points. Calgary has the second worst record in the NHL. They have a great shot of winning the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks continue to rebuild, but they will at some point have a bright future ahead of them. In 2023, they selected Connor Bedard with the number one overall pick. In 2024, they selected Artyom Levshunov with the second overall pick. In 2025, Chicago selected Anton Frondell with the third overall pick.
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In 2026, they have a chance to get another top five selection and continue to stockpile young talent into the pipeline. The Blackhawks will be one of the favorites to get the number one overall pick. Adding McKenna to a team with Bedard will help speed up the rebuild in Chicago, Illinois. This season, Chicago has a 24-29-11 record with 59 points.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.