2026 NHL Draft rankings: Gavin McKenna begins to pull away from the pack

2026 NHL Draft rankings: Gavin McKenna begins to pull away from the pack originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . It’s make-or-break time for 2026 NHL draft prospects, as the playoffs are in full swing.

The NCAA National Championship tournament begins in the coming days, the CHL regular season wrapped up on the weekend, and we’ve already seen prospects like Viggo Bjorck eliminated from the playoffs in Europe. But as we head into the critical part of these players’ season, we revisit our top 10, with Gavin McKenna continuing to lead the way, and on the brink of truly separating himself from the pack. Elsewhere, we finally see Chase Reid return from his injury, and a new stud right-handed defenseman works his way into the top 10.

Here are our top 10 2026 NHL draft rankings for the week of March 24: 1. Gavin McKenna Position: LW Current team: Penn State (NCAA) Measurables: 5'11", 170 pounds The start of McKenna’s biggest test date comes this week. Penn State takes on the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Albany Regional.

The Bulldogs’ strong netminder, Adam Gajan, has been solid in the NCHC playoffs with a . 925 save percentage through two games. McKenna may be the X-Factor in an offense-versus-defense matchup on March 27 at 7 p.