Top 2026 NHL draft prospect Gavin McKenna has attracted a lot of attention over the last month, including from the Blackhawks.
First, there was the felony assault charge levied against the Penn State freshman — and dropped two days later — after a fight outside a college bar Jan. 31.
Then came McKenna’s eye-popping eight-point eruption last Friday in an 11-4 win over Ohio State that turned the spotlight back onto his surging play.
The Yukon Territory native, who turned 18 in December, now ranks second in NCAA scoring with 43 points in 28 games this season, including 25 points in 12 games since returning from the World Junior Championships in early January.
It sounds like the Hawks have noticed McKenna improving his all-around game. Although they were skeptical about him earlier this season, that’s no longer the case.
Plus, the felony charge is unlikely to affect his NHL draft stock now that it has been dropped. (He is still facing a misdemeanor charge, but his hearing has been delayed and Penn State has not issued any internal discipline.)
There never has been any doubt about McKenna’s giftedness on offense, which is why he entered the season as the projected No. 1 overall pick — and why his highlight reels tend to win fans over quickly.
His best attributes are his fantastic hands. He can mold the puck with his stick like a bowl on a potter’s wheel. He controls it effortlessly, making slight movements to keep it away from opponents before getting it to the perfect angle for the next motion.
He combines that with excellent vision, play-reading, elusiveness and creativity. Thirty of his 43 points this season are from assists, as were 88 of his ridiculous 129 points in 56 games in the WHL last season.
See all 7️⃣ of Gavin McKenna’s assists from @PennStateMHKY‘s win over Ohio State 👇 pic.twitter.com/bYIiPl3Qin
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 21, 2026
However, McKenna disappointed many scouts and lost his status as the projected No. 1 pick this fall due to inconsistent work ethic and effort levels, particularly defensively and on the backcheck.
Like many teenage prospects, he needs to gain weight and strength (he’s listed at 6-0, 170 pounds). But he also allowed himself to be pushed around and forced to the perimeter more easily than he should have been. The adjustment from junior hockey to college hockey proved more difficult for him than expected.
As time has gone on, though, he has grown considerably, maturing on defense and learning how to physically match up against older, bigger opponents. And it doesn’t hurt that his scoring is now overshadowing his weaknesses to a greater degree.
Throughout Kyle Davidson’s tenure four years as general manager, the Hawks have heavily valued work ethic in their draft decisions, so McKenna’s growth there suddenly makes him a viable fit again.
And the biggest missing piece from the Hawks’ future core is one more dynamic offensive winger, and he would certainly check that box.
However, there’s still much left to be determined before the draft in late June, both in terms of McKenna’s progression and where the Hawks will pick. If the season ended today, they would have only a 15.2% chance of winning the lottery for a top-two pick, with much higher odds of picking sixth or seventh.
Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg, another frontrunner for the No. 1 spot, continues to play extremely well against pros overseas. He also has avoided controversies and has been more well-rounded than McKenna from the start.
Latvian defenseman Alberts Smits, meanwhile, was outstanding as a teenager in the Olympics this month, pushing himself into the conversation for top defenseman in the class alongside Keaton Verhoeff and Chase Reid.
The Hawks also have long been interested in Canadian center Tynan Lawrence, whose lack of production since a midseason move to Boston University should be taken with a grain of salt, considering the Terriers’ bizarre team-wide struggles.
