ST. PAUL, Minn. -- It sure seems like Gavin McKenna is living up to the expectations surrounding him as the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft through four games at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Craig Button, TSN director of scouting and a former NHL general manager, has been one of McKenna's biggest proponents since watching him as a 14-year-old for the RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna Under-18 prep team.
McKenna is 18 now, and Button is sure about one thing.
"I don't have any question in my mind that he can play in the NHL next year," Button said.
The truth is McKenna has been the best player among his peers at World Juniors, tied for the tournament lead with eight points (three goals, five assists) for Canada through the preliminary round of the tournament, being held in St. Paul and Minneapolis.
"Obviously there's a few more bounces that I'd like to go my way, but in terms of playing a full 200-foot game, I think I've done a pretty good job," McKenna said.
The Penn State University freshman left wing (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) even had a hat trick in a 9-1 win against Denmark on Monday. His third goal was highlight-reel material; he cut to the net, deked around the goalie's left pad and tucked the puck into the net to make it 7-1 at 5:45 of the third period.
"He just turned 18 (on Dec. 20) and he's been [going] against guys, 23, 24, 25 years old, so that's a challenge," TSN hockey and World Juniors analyst Mike Johnson said. "I think what we're seeing at this tournament for him is that among his age group, he is the best offensive player in the world. I think that is the truth. The way he sees the play, the way he can stick-handle, his vision, his passing, even his ability to shoot, which he is sometimes hesitant to do, he can do it all."
Canada (3-1-0-0) earned the No. 1 seed in the Group B field and will play Slovakia in the quarterfinals on Friday (8:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN).
"What gives you confidence that he can be good in the NHL, or great, is that the areas of his game he needs to work on the most are largely fixable with time and work," Johnson said. "That's why he went to college. That's why you should feel good about him. I don't want to compare him to (Chicago Blackhawks center) Connor Bedard, but Bedard, his first couple years, was not a great skater by NHL standards but he put in the work. He had maturity kick in and this year and he has been (a better skater). I think for McKenna, with strength, explosive speed, sort of puck-battle physicality, those are all things that will come with strength and weight and training.
"What you can't teach and what's harder to get better at -- the vision, the feel, the hockey sense, the passing, the stick-handling -- he's got all that."
McKenna is the third-youngest of 25 players on Canada's roster, with 17-year-old defensemen Carson Carels and Keaton Verhoeff, each a projected top 10 pick in the 2026 draft, the first- and second-youngest, respectively.
"People have talked about my compete levels and stuff, so I think I've showed that I've been competing here," McKenna said. "Obviously, I think I’ve got a little bit more too. But overall, I'm satisfied."
When he has the puck, the majority will agree there's no better player in the 2026 draft. Some, however, have questioned his effectiveness away from the puck.
"I mean, all (criticism) is fair. ... You're evaluating to see who's going to be the first pick in the NHL Draft," Johnson said. "Is his play away from the puck perfect? Not at all. He's got to prioritize positioning and he's coming from a place in junior where he could take routes that were probably not the most responsible because he'd have the puck so much, and even if he gave up a chance, he would get 17 more chances for himself. He's now at a level where that stuff doesn't happen quite so easily offensively, so maybe it highlights the positioning and the decision-making defensively. But he's not alone. I watch all the top players in Canada, America, Czechia, and they don't make great decisions all the time defensively.
"Again, though, that is so correctable with coaching, attention to detail prioritization, which he is working through and learning how to do, and he will have to do it better when he gets to the NHL. But for smart players, and he is certainly that, that is totally correctable."
McKenna appears comfortable and confident in his role for Canada coach Dale Hunter. He's also understanding how much of a step up NCAA hockey is after three seasons with Medicine Hat in the Western Hockey League.
"The things I've watched Gavin do this year at Penn State are no different than what I've seen him do since he was 14," Button said. "It's been an adjustment period at Penn State.
"Maybe he should just take the puck and not give it up, but he doesn't know how to do that, because that's not his game. Keep in mind, training off the ice is something he's never had to do in-season in terms of the heavy lifting. You can't do that in junior hockey. College is a grind and these are all the things he's learning how to do as he prepares for the NHL next spring."
McKenna finished second in the WHL with 129 points (41 goals, 88 assists) in 56 games last season and became the third-youngest winner of the CHL David Branch Player of the Year Award, behind John Tavares (2006-07) and Sidney Crosby (2003-04), each of whom was 16 at the time.
Now the fourth-youngest player in college hockey, he might not be scoring goals with great regularity at Penn State, but he does have 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) and 59 shots on goal in 16 games.
"He’s got all the skill in the world and he’s putting it all together, so I don’t know why there’s a reason people are questioning him," said Canada forward Porter Martone, a Philadelphia Flyers prospect.
The McKenna-Michael Hage-Brady Martin line has been quite productive for Canada in the tournament with 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists). Hage is a Montreal Canadiens prospect, and Martin is a Nashville Predators prospect.
"He's really smart, very deceptive with his eyes and his stick," Hage said of McKenna. "For me, it's pretty easy to read off of and it's fun to play on a line with him."
Does Johnson believe McKenna is ready for the NHL?
"Given what he did in junior, it'd be hard to say no, but the NHL is good, and the players are men, they're strong," he said. "He can play in the NHL. There will obviously be moments that you'll see him with the puck and see him on the power play and he's more than capable, talent-wise. But the physicality and the pace of the NHL would make it hard for Gavin McKenna today.
"Now, nine months from now is a long time and a lot can change, so we'll see what his body looks like, what his game looks like next year. I don't think he would sort of thrive and dominate, given where his body's at right now, but as that gets better, so will the results on the ice."
NHL.com deputy managing editor Adam Kimelman contributed to this report
