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

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TheBeastCoast said:
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.
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I don’t think it’s fair to use points when it comes to Eiserman. His goal totals have always been pretty elite.
 
TheBeastCoast said:
I’m not trying to shit on Eiserman I think he is a very good prospect. I just think McKenna is in another tier of prospect.
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I don’t even like Eiserman that much. I’m just saying his goal scoring numbers have been absolutely through the roof and some of the best of a draft eligible the last 10 years. The difference between the two players is likely that McKenna is a better overall player, but I don’t think his numbers are that much better than Eiserman. Putting up numbers has never been a challenge for Eiserman. The questions are everything other than the numbers.
 
McKenna was briefly mentioned in an article on Celebrini published on NHL.com recently: Celebrini, likely No. 1 pick in 2024 NHL Draft, ‘competitive, unique kid’

From the article:

"It was at North Shore [Winter Club] where Celebrini was introduced to Billy Coupland, who coached Celebrini for six years at the club. Developing elite young talent wasn't new to Coupland, who previously mentored future NHL players Kyle Turris, Evander Kane, Kent Johnson and Connor Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Coupland’s most recent protege, forward Gavin McKenna, is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft."

We don't know for sure what will happen in 2026, but it is rather astonishing that (potentially) 3 out of 4 #1 overall picks in a four year period trained and developed at the same place, with the same development staff.
 
ameselare said:
We don't know for sure what will happen in 2026, but it is rather astonishing that (potentially) 3 out of 4 #1 overall picks in a four year period trained and developed at the same place, with the same development staff.
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Not exactly, McKenna went to RINK academy but these coaches get around, in mini-camps or specialized sessions.

Academy hockey dominates high end hockey development in Western Canada. At some point all these players are going to run into each other. There's some overlap with coaches from NSWC, BWC,, Delta Hockey Academy or RINK.
 
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Bubbles said:
Not exactly, McKenna went to RINK academy but these coaches get around, in mini-camps or specialized sessions.

Academy hockey dominates high end hockey development in Western Canada. At some point all these players are going to run into each other. There's some overlap with coaches from NSWC, BWC,, Delta Hockey Academy or RINK.
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That's fair. 2 out of 4 spending their younger years at NSWC is still pretty interesting.

Western Canada + the Yukon is producing some amazing talent recently. The money that these parents pay for these programs is really quite something.
 
Pavel Buchnevich said:
I don’t even like Eiserman that much. I’m just saying his goal scoring numbers have been absolutely through the roof and some of the best of a draft eligible the last 10 years. The difference between the two players is likely that McKenna is a better overall player, but I don’t think his numbers are that much better than Eiserman. Putting up numbers has never been a challenge for Eiserman. The questions are everything other than the numbers.
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Mckenna had 20 points with 10 goals and 10 assists in 7 games as a 16 year old. Eiserman had 10 points with 9 goals and 1 assist in 7 games as a 17 year old. They just aren't playing in the same playground at this point. My only point was someone bringing up Eiserman being a bit of a faller as a reason it could happen to McKenna when McKenna is just at a different level of prospect to start with.
 
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TheBeastCoast said:
Mckenna had 20 points with 10 goals and 10 assists in 7 games as a 16 year old. Eiserman had 10 points with 9 goals and 1 assist in 7 games as a 17 year old. They just aren't playing in the same playground at this point. My only point was someone bringing up Eiserman being a bit of a faller as a reason it could happen to McKenna when McKenna is just at a different level of prospect to start with.
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But you are still using point totals. Eiserman should be compared to other goal scorers. He has some of the best goal numbers at all of these tournaments and settings of the last 10 years. Not saying McKenna isn’t better. I think he’s a lot better and his numbers might also be better, but I don’t think the big gap between the two is in who is putting up what numbers. It’s that you watch them play and McKenna is a machine and Eiserman is a floaty goal scorer.
 
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Pavel Buchnevich said:
But you are still using point totals. Eiserman should be compared to other goal scorers. He has some of the best goal numbers at all of these tournaments and settings of the last 10 years. Not saying McKenna isn’t better. I think he’s a lot better and his numbers might also be better, but I don’t think the big gap between the two is in who is putting up what numbers. It’s that you watch them play and McKenna is a machine and Eiserman is a floaty goal scorer.
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Right but I was just bringing up Eiserman because someone else brought him up as an example first. I'm not trying to say they play the same style of game or anything.
 
Hockeyville USA said:
I'll guestimate 60 GP, 121 PTS for McKenna's 17 year old season in the Dub
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Possibly but the Hat is just plain stacked with offensive talent next year with Mckenna, Lindstrom, Basha, Msric and the ruck brothers along with a couple of other good 16 and 17 year old forwards and Matt Ward coming over from swift current as an OA.

This is a team that should score well over 300 goals next season.
 
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He's definitely in the franchise conversation. Not sure why "franchise" doesn't get used as much, since only a few can be generational, but it applies to McKenna for sure. I think McKenna has an incredibly high ceiling
 
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NA Hockey said:
Button is the master of hyperbole. It's the TSN way and the social media need for clicks that gets him to overhype every high end prospect.
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He is, but McKenna is significantly better than McDavid was at the same age, so I don’t think it applies in this case.
 
Garbageyuk said:
He is, but McKenna is significantly better than McDavid was at the same age, so I don’t think it applies in this case.
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Not really. Just because he's putting up more points doesn't mean he's better than McDavid. McDavid was the best skating prospect ever, and still is to this day. On top of that, he had insane processing, hands, and was 6'+. McKenna is probably just as good as McDavid was at distributing the puck, he processes offense at a similar level, and I think he is going to be a Kucherov level player, but to say he's as good, let alone better than McDavid, is outlandish to me. McKenna is among the very best prospects since McDavid, but I don't think he's better now than McDavid was. McDavid was unreal at 16.
 
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