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The Athletic ranked Gavin McKenna outside the top-3 of its NHL Draft prospects
TL;DR
Gavin McKenna has been ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft by The Athletic, placing him outside the top three. This ranking has raised some eyebrows among hockey analysts and fans.
Key points
- Gavin McKenna is ranked No. 4 in the 2026 NHL Draft.
- The ranking was done by Corey Pronman of The Athletic.
- McKenna's ranking has sparked discussion among analysts.
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The Athletic ranked Gavin McKenna outside the top-3 of its NHL Draft prospects originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
This is one way to be different.
The Athletic's Corey Pronman has ranked Gavin McKenna as his No. 4 prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft class.
Wait, what?
McKenna is considered the consensus No. 1 in the class and the most likely to be taken by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the first pick.
There's a bit of a case to be made that one or two players should be ahead of him. But three -- and all defensemen? It's a bit of an unusual list.
"Given how close the evaluations are, my approach is always to lean toward the defensemen," Pronman writes. "I realize saying that will ruffle some feathers, but I owe it to my readers to tell them what I think, even if it’s unpopular."
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Pronman has Chase Reid as his No. 1 prospect. He also has Albert Smits and Keaton Verhoeff ahead of McKenna.
Q&A
Why is Gavin McKenna ranked outside the top-3 NHL Draft prospects?
Gavin McKenna is ranked No. 4 by The Athletic's Corey Pronman, indicating that he is viewed as a strong prospect but not among the top three.
Who ranked Gavin McKenna as the No. 4 prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft?
Corey Pronman from The Athletic ranked Gavin McKenna as the No. 4 prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft class.
What are the implications of McKenna being ranked No. 4 in the NHL Draft?
Being ranked No. 4 suggests that while McKenna is a top prospect, he may face increased pressure to perform and prove his value compared to the top three players.
