F Gavin McKenna - Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL (2026 Draft)

[mrshootthepuck]

He will be on Team Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky

 

[frontsfan67]

He will be on Team Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky

100% and will be the best player there too

 

[mrshootthepuck]

100% and will be the best player there too

You think anyone can get close to him? Frondell?

 

[57special]

I
It's pretty hard to be 1/3 anything. Maybe 1/2 or 1/4.

I'm 50% sure that you are right.

 

[frontsfan67]

You think anyone can get close to him? Frondell?

Hagens if he goes will be right at the top too. Not familiar with frondell.

 

[newmanager]

Hagens if he goes will be right at the top too. Not familiar with frondell.

Hagens is too old for for this year's Hlinka-Gretzky, he's a 2006 birthday I believe.

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

I think he’ll end up playing primarily center this year for Medicine Hat. Nothing about his skill set makes me think he can’t be a center and the way he controls the game, I think he should be a center long term.

 

[frontsfan67]

Hagens is too old for for this year's Hlinka-Gretzky, he's a 2006 birthday I believe.

Oh didn’t know that. Wow so he, like Misa will likely be some of the older guys in the 2025 draft.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

I hope he kills it at the Hlinka Gretzky and then in Medicine Hat to start the year so then he makes the World Junior team in his 17 year old season.

 

[Mathieukferland]

He will be on Team Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky

I don’t know if the dates overlap but, as past years have shown, the best player on the u18 team usually make the world Junior team the next year, so you would think hockey Canada would prioritize the summer showcase going on in the states

 

[mrshootthepuck]

I think he’ll end up playing primarily center this year for Medicine Hat. Nothing about his skill set makes me think he can’t be a center and the way he controls the game, I think he should be a center long term.

They are pretty deep at center is the only issue. They have Lindstrom, Oasiz Weisblatt, Kadon McCann, Shane Smith, Hayden Harsanyi, Tomas Mrsic, Liam Ruck, Markus Ruck that are all natural centers and then Hunter St. Martin who also transitioned to center at some point.

But you never know because he is really good and probably could pull it off!

 

[Dog]

Is he likely to be the number 1 in the draft?

 

[MS]

Is he likely to be the number 1 in the draft?

He isn’t eligible until 2026 and there’s really no way of knowing.

Huge talent but he’s a small winger which is basically at the bottom of the totem pole positionally and we have literally no idea what other players will roll along in the next 2 years.

 

[Juxtaposer]

He isn’t eligible until 2026 and there’s really no way of knowing.

Huge talent but he’s a small winger which is basically at the bottom of the totem pole positionally and we have literally no idea what other players will roll along in the next 2 years.

McKenna is at least 6’0” now, and could grow more. Not a small winger.

 

[macbowes]

Is he likely to be the number 1 in the draft?

Yes, he's basically a lock for number 1 in my opinion. He's a special player.

 

[nergish]

He isn’t eligible until 2026 and there’s really no way of knowing.

Huge talent but he’s a small winger which is basically at the bottom of the totem pole positionally and we have literally no idea what other players will roll along in the next 2 years.

Pretty lukewarm take for a player of his calibre imo

 

[um]

He isn’t eligible until 2026 and there’s really no way of knowing.

Huge talent but he’s a small winger which is basically at the bottom of the totem pole positionally and we have literally no idea what other players will roll along in the next 2 years.

I would argue goalies are at the bottom. Rarely are they hyped enough to go high.

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

Is he likely to be the number 1 in the draft?

It's early, but unless he has a Shane Wright type stagnation or someone truly otherworldly pops off, I would say it is very likely he will be the #1 pick.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

He isn’t eligible until 2026 and there’s really no way of knowing.

Huge talent but he’s a small winger which is basically at the bottom of the totem pole positionally and we have literally no idea what other players will roll along in the next 2 years.

Just like objectively is not a small winger at this point lol

 

[MS]

McKenna is at least 6’0” now, and could grow more. Not a small winger.

Watching him play that 6'0 number seems pretty wildly optimistic. But yes, his size might not be an issue in two years.

Pretty lukewarm take for a player of his calibre imo

a) We have literally no idea who his competition is. He's on the radar to this extent because he's a late-2007. The 2008 guys haven't hit the CHL yet.

b) I've seen enough draft to know that the top-rated guy 2+ years out is anything but a lock to be the #1 when the draft happens.

He's a big talent who is projecting as a high pick. Really at this point that's all we can say.

I would argue goalies are at the bottom. Rarely are they hyped enough to go high.

Yeah, I wasn't even counting goalies.

 

[Vector]

Cole Eiserman was the guaranteed #2 pick for 2024 last year and would force a debate if he should go #1. Kiviharju was a transcendental prospect a few years ago.

 

[ORRFForever]

McKenna is at least 6’0” now, and could grow more. Not a small winger.

I read boys only grow until 16 but I remember friends, when I was in high school, growing past that age.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Watching him play that 6'0 number seems pretty wildly optimistic. But yes, his size might not be an issue in two years.

Watching him play at the U18, he was clearly 6’0”. He grew a ton over the course of this season. When I watched him in the winter, he was probably 5’9”-5’10”, but he grew 2+ inches from the beginning of the year until now.

Cole Eiserman was the guaranteed #2 pick for 2024 last year and would force a debate if he should go #1. Kiviharju was a transcendental prospect a few years ago.

Only to people not paying attention. Eiserman had hype due to his goal totals but anyone who watched the NTDP had questions about him already. Kiviharju lost some steam when he never grew past 5’9” or improved his skating. McKenna is not going to have those problems.

I read boys only grow until 16 but I remember friends, when I was in high school, growing past that age.

It’s not impossible. My dad said he grew until he was 19, but my brother never grew past 16. Even if he doesn’t grow more, I think McKenna has surpassed “small winger” status without a doubt.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Cole Eiserman was the guaranteed #2 pick for 2024 last year and would force a debate if he should go #1. Kiviharju was a transcendental prospect a few years ago.

McKenna just put up 20 points in the U18 tournament as a 16 year old where Eiserman put up 21 over two full tournaments as a 16 and 17 year old. Yes some other worldly prospect could emerge in the next year but trying to use Eiserman and Kiviharju as examples of reasons McKenna may not go 1OA is ridiculous. McKenna is closer to Bedard then he is to falling down to a mid round 1st rounder.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Cole Eiserman was the guaranteed #2 pick for 2024 last year and would force a debate if he should go #1. Kiviharju was a transcendental prospect a few years ago.

none of them produced to the extent McKenna have at this age though; I’m not saying it’s impossible we saw what happened with Wright but given that McKenna is pretty physically underdeveloped compared to eiserman at the same age I find it hard to see him stagnating