Confirmed with Link: LEAFS WIN #1 PICK IN 2026 NHL DRAFT

[Rare Jewel]

Who are they missing?

What's really missing is the quote of scouts saying this.

 

[Divine]

What's really missing is the quote of scouts saying this.

Harder to find a quote of a scout who doesn't say it, now that would be a challenge.

2026 EP Draft Guide

Interactive 2026 NHL Draft Guide from Elite Prospects. Filter 400+ prospects by position, league, height, and grade. Premium scouting reports.

www.eliteprospects.com

“The problems with his defence and physicality are real, but at the end of the day, he can do things with the puck that no other players can. I wouldn’t call him generational, but the hands are generational for sure. He’s still my #1 player in the draft.”

NHL scout, May 2026

McKenna ‘generational,’ likely to be No. 1 pick at 2026 NHL Draft | NHL.com

Forward averaged 2.38 points per game in CHL playoffs; Roobroeck, Verhoeff also considered top prospects

www.nhl.com

"His trajectory is generational because when you compare where he is at the same age to some of these other players to get to the NHL as 18-year-olds and have an impact, he's on that same path," Central Scouting associate director David Gregory said. "When you think of the key skills you have to have in the NHL ... you have to be smart, you have to be able to skate and you have to be able to compete. Those three important skills are maybe his three best skills, so we're not even talking about how great his hands are.


"We don't use the term ‘five-tool player’ in hockey as much as you hear it used in other sports, but McKenna's one of those guys. He's got it."

 

[Rare Jewel]

Harder to find a quote of a scout who doesn't say it, now that would be a challenge.

2026 EP Draft Guide

Interactive 2026 NHL Draft Guide from Elite Prospects. Filter 400+ prospects by position, league, height, and grade. Premium scouting reports.

www.eliteprospects.com

McKenna ‘generational,’ likely to be No. 1 pick at 2026 NHL Draft | NHL.com

Forward averaged 2.38 points per game in CHL playoffs; Roobroeck, Verhoeff also considered top prospects

www.nhl.com

Where's the quote about hockey sense being the best since Crosby? That's far more important to me.



Calling him a good stick handler, while not irrelevant, is really a secondary consideration when evaluating a hockey player. In this generation of YouTube trick shots artists, there's not much of a shortage of people who can do Michigan-type things.

I don't need to get the video of Sonny Milano doing larcross tricks in the parking lot, right?

Most normal NHL prospects have an adequate level of stick handling, which won't prevent them from playing in the NHL. Just look at a player like Alex Nylander; if his other attributes were as good as his raw skill, he would likely be an NHLer full-time.

But I would say if you're dismissing McDavid, Matthews, Drouin (as a prospect), Marner, Dahlin, and probably more as just stick handlers, then I'd say you're likely being a bit sensationalist here.

And that's really the point: why be so hyperbolic? He's a good prospect, but saying he's better at X since this hall of famer just comes across as overcompensating to me, especially as someone who's followed the draft the whole year prior to the lottery and knows he hasn't even had a firm grip as the best player in his own draft, never mind ones from the past.

 

[Divine]

Where's the quote about hockey sense being the best since Crosby? That's far more important to me.



Calling him a good stick handler, while not irrelevant, is really a secondary consideration when evaluating a hockey player. In this generation of YouTube trick shots artists, there's not much of a shortage of people who can do Michigan-type things.

I don't need to get the video of Sonny Milano doing larcross tricks in the parking lot, right?

Most normal NHL prospects have an adequate level of stick handling, which won't prevent them from playing in the NHL. Just look at a player like Alex Nylander; if his other attributes were as good as his raw skill, he would likely be an NHLer full-time.

But I would say if you're dismissing McDavid, Matthews, Drouin (as a prospect), Marner, Dahlin, and probably more as just stick handlers, then I'd say you're likely being a bit sensationalist here.

And that's really the point: why be so hyperbolic? He's a good prospect, but saying he's better at X since this hall of famer just comes across as overcompensating to me, especially as someone who's followed the draft the whole year prior to the lottery and knows he hasn't even had a firm grip as the best player in his own draft, never mind ones from the past.

Why are you so scared of being direct? I'm not bothering to find the quotes anymore since you were wasting time asking about when they became scouts rather than asking for specific things you disagreed with. You can Google it yourself.

If you don't value his stickhandling, or discard that he is being called a good one, than just move on.

I disagree with your last point. Anyone that followed him after 2026 thinks he hasn't had a firm grip as the best player in his own class because he was one of the first draft eligible prospects ever to be allowed to jump from the CHL to NCAA. People have no reference to how hard of a jump that is, so every top player that made that jump this year had their stock drop because people don't realize that a third of the freshman class was all top CHLers making the NCAA more competitive than it ever was.

The #1 and #2 ranked prospects heading into the 2026 draft season went to the NCAA this year. The #2 fell significantly harder.

The 2026 draft was called the McKenna draft since he was basically 13 breaking records at Canadian tournaments. The only time where the #1 spot was even debated was after he went to the NCAA because CHL prospects were never allowed to go, so people had no idea what to compare it to and seemed to significantly underrate the transition for both him and Verhoeff.

The strong consensus was that McKenna would have went #1 in the 2025 draft if he was eligible last year. To argue that's a prospect who wasn't even considered the best in his own draft class is someone who just started following the prospects after he went to the NCAA.

 

[Strangle]

I had a very vivid dream last night that with the first overall pick in the draft the Toronto blue jays selected Kawhi Leonard

 

[Rare Jewel]

Why are you so scared of being direct? I'm not bothering to find the quotes anymore since you were wasting time asking about when they became scouts rather than asking for specific things you disagreed with. You can Google it yourself.

If you don't value his stickhandling, or discard that he is being called a good one, than just move on.

I am being direct by asking for a quote supporting the claim that "most scouts agree that his hockey sense is one of the best since Crosby," which is quite a claim indeed.

I don't doubt he has very good vision or awareness, but many have. Go find and read an old Sam Reinhart scouting report.

Also, it's not that I don't value it, but what is its actual value? To me, it's a part of being a hockey player. If you said another prospect has the hardest shot since Weber, I'd have the same issue of establishing value in the context of what the player brings as a whole.

 

[Divine]

I am being direct by asking for a quote supporting the claim that "most scouts agree that his hockey sense is one of the best since Crosby," which is quite a claim indeed.

I don't doubt he has very good vision or awareness, but many have. Go find and read an old Sam Reinhart scouting report.

Also, it's not that I don't value it, but what is its actual value? To me, it's a part of being a hockey player. If you said another prospect has the hardest shot since Weber, I'd have the same issue of establishing value in the context of what the player brings as a whole.

Yes, you should have asked for that at the beginning. You didn't. You purposely waited for me to provide other quotes to strawman into a different quote. Had you asked at the beginning, I would have provided it, but then you couldn't strawman into something else so you purposely left it open. You'll have to Google it yourself now if you care.

There's levels of skills. Every draft is going to have prospects who are rated the best in whatever category in their draft class. McKenna's hands and IQ's have been highly regarded with people even calling them generational. Sam Reinhart had never had that. Sam Reinhart's NHL comparable as a prospect were Mikko Koivu and Jordan Staal. McKenna is being compared to Kucherov and Kane.

McKenna's whole game revolves around his stick handling and edgework - primarily his stick handling. He's one of those 'can stickhandle in a phone booth' players. He doesn't have the top end speed of McDavid/Barzal. Instead he creates space by being able to find lanes by being able to stickhandle through defencemen's feet, sticks, gaps, etc. His whole game is based around his stickhandling - it's how he creates passing lanes. McDavid, in comparison, creates passing lanes completely differently - he circles around the ice, accelerates to back off defenders, and then makes passes in the gaps he created - it's a completely different style of game than McKenna. That's why the way he creates space is more likely comparable to Kucherov, and even Crosby to some extent but Crosby is a lot more stop and starts to create gaps for passing lanes.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Yes, you should have asked for that at the beginning. You didn't. You purposely waited for me to provide other quotes to strawman into a different quote. Had you asked at the beginning, I would have provided it, but then you couldn't strawman into something else so you purposely left it open. You'll have to Google it yourself now if you care.

Right... lol

 

[Rare Jewel]

McKenna's whole game revolves around his stick handling and edgework - primarily his stick handling. He's one of those 'can stickhandle in a phone booth' players. He doesn't have the top end speed of McDavid/Barzal. Instead he creates space by being able to find lanes by being able to stickhandle through defencemen's feet, sticks, gaps, etc. His whole game is based around his stickhandling - it's how he creates passing lanes. McDavid, in comparison, creates passing lanes completely differently - he circles around the ice, accelerates to back off defenders, and then makes passes in the gaps he created - it's a completely different style of game than McKenna. That's why the way he creates space is more likely comparable to Kucherov, and even Crosby to some extent but Crosby is a lot more stop and starts to create gaps for passing lanes.

Also, do you think I've not watched him?

 

[Divine]

Also, do you think I've not watched him?

It doesn't appear so if you think he hasn't even been the consensus in his own class for years. He had 4 points in his first WHL game, as a 15 year old. He's the youngest player in WHL history to every score a hat trick.

 

[Rare Jewel]

It doesn't appear so if you think he hasn't even been the consensus in his own class for years. He had 4 WHL points in his first WHL game, as a 15 year old. He's the youngest player in WHL history to every score a hat trick.

Cool...

I meant actually watching him as in the player on the ice, not the perception of his draft stock.

 

[Divine]

Cool...

I meant actually watching him as in the player on the ice, not the perception of his draft stock.

How many Penn State games did you watch?

 

[Rare Jewel]

How many Penn State games did you watch?

As many as you have.

and enough to form an opinion on him as you have.

 

[Divine]

As many as you have.

and enough to form an opinion on him as you have.

What a shock, another instance of you avoiding the question.

Keep your opinions to yourself if you can’t answer basic questions.

 

[Rare Jewel]

What a shock, another instance of you avoiding the question.

Keep your opinions to yourself if you can’t answer basic questions.

Well, how many have you watched to form this evangelical-type opinion on him if it's so important?

 

[Statsman1]

I had a very vivid dream last night that with the first overall pick in the draft the Toronto blue jays selected Kawhi Leonard

….and he was immediately injured.

 

[RoadWarrior]

Where's the quote about hockey sense being the best since Crosby? That's far more important to me.



Calling him a good stick handler, while not irrelevant, is really a secondary consideration when evaluating a hockey player. In this generation of YouTube trick shots artists, there's not much of a shortage of people who can do Michigan-type things.

I don't need to get the video of Sonny Milano doing larcross tricks in the parking lot, right?

Most normal NHL prospects have an adequate level of stick handling, which won't prevent them from playing in the NHL. Just look at a player like Alex Nylander; if his other attributes were as good as his raw skill, he would likely be an NHLer full-time.

But I would say if you're dismissing McDavid, Matthews, Drouin (as a prospect), Marner, Dahlin, and probably more as just stick handlers, then I'd say you're likely being a bit sensationalist here.

And that's really the point: why be so hyperbolic? He's a good prospect, but saying he's better at X since this hall of famer just comes across as overcompensating to me, especially as someone who's followed the draft the whole year prior to the lottery and knows he hasn't even had a firm grip as the best player in his own draft, never mind ones from the past.

The problem with Alex Nylander was that his skating was below average and his compete wasn’t high enough to be useful in other areas to make up for it. The hands are probably as good as Willy but he didn’t develop like Willy.

You really notice the difference between the AHL and NHL when Easton Cowan and Ben Danford are the best skaters on the ice - probably a positive sign that they’re both nhl players.

There are guys who can finish in the AHL but most of them don’t have that extra gear.

In terms of skating ability while McKenna isn’t regarded as the fastest skater in the draft he’s probably in the top 5 in terms of edge work and agility. He can get up to a solid top speed but because he’s often playing longer shifts he rarely goes all out. I know he’s faster than Cowan so he would probably blow away the AHL.

 

[BoBfromAulon]

I swear some of the posts i read here make me like this...

 

[Divine]

The problem with Alex Nylander was that his skating was below average and his compete wasn’t high enough to be useful in other areas to make up for it. The hands are probably as good as Willy but he didn’t develop like Willy.

I don't find Alex Nylander to be as good of a stickhandler as William, not even close. He also never put up the kind of numbers William did as a prospect.

Alex Nylander as a comparison to McKenna in any regard is ridiculous. McKenna put up a comparable PPG in the WHL at 15 (it's a 16 year old league without exceptional status) as A. Nylander put up in his draft year.

Alex Nylander put up 7 points in 24 games in the AHL this playoffs - as a 28 year old.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

Yes, you should have asked for that at the beginning. You didn't. You purposely waited for me to provide other quotes to strawman into a different quote. Had you asked at the beginning, I would have provided it, but then you couldn't strawman into something else so you purposely left it open. You'll have to Google it yourself now if you care.

There's levels of skills. Every draft is going to have prospects who are rated the best in whatever category in their draft class. McKenna's hands and IQ's have been highly regarded with people even calling them generational. Sam Reinhart had never had that. Sam Reinhart's NHL comparable as a prospect were Mikko Koivu and Jordan Staal. McKenna is being compared to Kucherov and Kane.

McKenna's whole game revolves around his stick handling and edgework - primarily his stick handling. He's one of those 'can stickhandle in a phone booth' players. He doesn't have the top end speed of McDavid/Barzal. Instead he creates space by being able to find lanes by being able to stickhandle through defencemen's feet, sticks, gaps, etc. His whole game is based around his stickhandling - it's how he creates passing lanes. McDavid, in comparison, creates passing lanes completely differently - he circles around the ice, accelerates to back off defenders, and then makes passes in the gaps he created - it's a completely different style of game than McKenna. That's why the way he creates space is more likely comparable to Kucherov, and even Crosby to some extent but Crosby is a lot more stop and starts to create gaps for passing lanes.

But McDavid has the high end speed to match the hands and hockey IQ. I don't think McKenna will ever quite reach that level but he'll be a close second. Drafting him is the most obvious move imaginable. But if any team can screw this up, it's the Leafs.

 

[Rare Jewel]

I don't find Alex Nylander to be as good of a stickhandler as William, not even close. He also never put up the kind of numbers William did as a prospect.

Alex Nylander as a comparison to McKenna in any regard is ridiculous. McKenna put up a comparable PPG in the WHL at 15 (it's a 16 year old league without exceptional status) as A. Nylander put up in his draft year.

Alex Nylander put up 7 points in 24 games in the AHL this playoffs - as a 28 year old.

It was made to contextualize what raw skill means on its own; don't twist it.

 

[Rare Jewel]

But McDavid has the high end speed to match the hands and hockey IQ. I don't think McKenna will ever quite reach that level but he'll be a close second. Drafting him is the most obvious move imaginable. But if any team can screw this up, it's the Leafs.

No, no, best stick handler since Kane. Don't think about


Also, scouts compare the hockey sense to Crosby, supposedly...

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

No, no, best stick handler since Kane. Don't think about


Also, scouts compare the hockey sense to Crosby, supposedly...

I don't know if you're being sarcastic but McKenna definitely has the hockey sense of Crosby and the stick handling ability of Kane. He also has a great shot. I'm just saying McDavid has that flat out speed that I'm not sure I've seen in a long time and puts it all together like no other player, maybe in my lifetime.

 

[Divine]

But McDavid has the high end speed to match the hands and hockey IQ. I don't think McKenna will ever quite reach that level but he'll be a close second. Drafting him is the most obvious move imaginable. But if any team can screw this up, it's the Leafs.

I don't think McDavid has the hockey IQ of Crosby - his whole game revolves around his speed and being the fastest guy on the ice. His unique ability is to be able to do things at full speed with his full speed being basically faster than everyone else.

It's the slower players that usually need a much higher hockey IQ to put up similar numbers - like Kucherov. A lot of McDavid's plays when the team needs a goal is for him to circle the neutral zone and try to blow past the defence with speed - rather than actually breaking them down strategically.

 

[Oscar Peterson]

I don't find Alex Nylander to be as good of a stickhandler as William, not even close. He also never put up the kind of numbers William did as a prospect.

Alex Nylander as a comparison to McKenna in any regard is ridiculous. McKenna put up a comparable PPG in the WHL at 15 (it's a 16 year old league without exceptional status) as A. Nylander put up in his draft year.

Alex Nylander put up 7 points in 24 games in the AHL this playoffs - as a 28 year old.

Alex Nylander actually has sick hands and did even going back to his draft year, the difference between him and Willy is that Willy is one of the best skaters in the league and Alex's skating isn't NHL calibre. I agree McKenna isn't even remotely comparable to Alex Nylander though lol