TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button believes there is no one close to challenging Penn State left winger Gavin McKenna in the race to be the first-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

McKenna is coming off a season where he scored 41 goals with 129 points in 56 games and added nine goals and 38 points in 16 games as the Medicine Hat Tigers captured the Western Hockey League championship.

The Whitehorse, Yukon native is the third-youngest player behind Sidney Crosby and John Tavares to capture CHL Player of the Year. McKenna was also awarded CHL and WHL Rookie of the Year honours in 2023-24.

“In my view, there’s nobody close,” said Button of McKenna. “He’s a franchise player. His favourite player is Patrick Kane, and he has all those same qualities. He’s a difference-maker, he’s creative.

“He’s got that imagination that can seemingly make something out of what nobody else sees.”

McKenna was the biggest name in the off-season to take advantage of the rule change that allows CHL players to join U.S. college teams.

“He’s been phenomenal in the CHL and the NCAA is going to provide him an outstanding opportunity to build on his junior career and to get as ready as possible physically for his debut in the National Hockey League next season,” said Button.

At No. 2 on Button’s list is University of North Dakota defenceman Keaton Verhoeff, who also made the jump to college hockey after skating with the WHL’s Victoria Royals in 2024-25.

As a 16-year-old rookie last season, Verhoeff, who is 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, had 21 goals and 45 points in 63 games and added 10 points in 11 playoff games. A U17 and U18 gold medallist, he served as captain at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August, helping Canada earn bronze.

“Keaton’s got a big presence on the ice,” said Button. “He’s got a physical presence. He’s a competitor. As a 16-year-old player, Keaton showed that willingness to step to the forefront. He did at the U18s en route to Canada winning the gold medal. He was a significant factor in that gold-medal win.

“When you have a player that can play every significant situation in the game, hard minutes, hard matchups, those are hard guys to pass on. They become foundations for your team.”

While scouts will be making the trek to watch McKenna and Verhoeff in college this season, Button said scouts also need to be beating a path to Finland to watch Tappara in SM-Liiga.

Headlined by defenceman Juho Piiparinen at No. 4, Button has four players in his top 32 who are skating with Tappara this season, including centre Oliver Suvanto (No. 21), right winger Vilho Vanhatalo (No. 23) and centre Simon Katolicky (No. 28).

Piiparinen stands at 6-foot-2 and 203 pounds and has two assists in five games to start the season.

“I think Juho just has a real comfort level,” said Button of Piiparinen. “He’s not trying to do things to catch your eye with flash and dash and show off. He’s just an incredibly efficient player.”

Also in Button’s top 10 are a pair of OHL forwards with a unique blend of size and skill in Niagara’s Ryan Roobroeck at No. 7 and Windsor’s Ethan Belchetz at No. 8.

Roobroeck, a centre who comes in at 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, scored 41 goals with 87 points in 64 games last season with the IceDogs, his second with the franchise.

Belchetz, a left wing who is 6-foot-5 and 227 pounds, had 17 goals and 38 points in 56 games last season as a rookie. He was drafted first overall by Windsor in 2024.

“They are such a great example of big player skill development,” said Button of the pair. “They are a byproduct of the rule changes that occurred back in 2005. Those big players used to be told just bang around, dump the puck in, go hit, do whatever you want.

“These two players have skill and when you’re 6-foot-4, 6-foot-5 and you have skill? That’s imposing. They’re fascinating players.”

Another player Button wants to keep an eye on this season is forward Viggo Björck (No. 13), who is playing in the Swedish Hockey League with Djurgardens.

Last season with Djurgardens’ junior team, he had 27 goals and 74 points in 42 games. Björck was also busy on the international stage, helping Sweden win silver at the U18s and bronze at the U17s and Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

“He’s a real interesting player,” said Button. “He’s got a great brain. He’s got really good skills but where does he fit? I don’t know if he is a centre or if he’s a right wing.”

RKPlayer
 TeamPosHTWTGPGP1Gavin McKennaPenn State (NCAA)LW5′1116256411292Keaton VerhoeffNorth Dakota (NCAA)D6′3 ½2076321453Ivar StenbergFrolunda (SHL)LW5′10 ¼1792726534Juho PiiparinenTappara (SM Liiga Jr)D6′1 ¾200402165Tynan LawrenceMuskegon (USHL)C5′11 ¾1705625546Mathis PrestonSpokane (WHL)C5′10 ¾1675423457Ryan RoobroeckNiagara (OHL)LW6′2 ½2106141878Ethan BelchetzWindsor (OHL)LW6′52275617389Marcus NordmarkDjurgårdens (SWE J20)LW/RW6′118344316410Oscar HemmingK-Espoo (SM Liiga Jr)LW6′318149377311Ryan LinVancouver (WHL)D5′111706055312Chase ReidSault Ste. Marie (OHL)D6′1 ¾1823974013Viggo BjorckDjurgårdens (SWE J20)C/RW5′917142277414Adam NovotnyPeterborough (OHL)LW6′1204411315Carson CarelsPrince George (WHL)D6′1 ¼1896063516Elton HermanssonModo (SWE J20)RW6′117541173617Caleb MalhotraBrantford (OHL)C6′11704482618Malte GustafssonHV71 (SWE J20)D6′4190362819Daxon RudolphPrince Albert (WHL)D6′21966474420Cooper WilliamsSaskatoon (WHL)C5′11 ¾15568215721Oliver SuvantoTappara (SM Liiga Jr)C6′219042114222Liam RuckMedicine Hat (WHL)RW5′11 ½17261254123Vilho VanhataloTappara (SM Liiga Jr)RW6′317641375824Thomas VandenbergOttawa (OHL)C6′01805591825Xavier VilleneuveB-Boisbriand (QMJHL)D5′10 ¼15861126226Olivers MurniecksSaint John (QMJHL)C6′1 ¼19052153527Jack HextallYoungstown (USHL)C5′11 ½1825383428Simon KatolickyTappara (SM Liiga Jr)C6′419430245229Beckham EdwardsSarnia (OHL)C/LW6′0 ½17662254530Colin FitzgeraldPeterborough (OHL)C6′1 ¾19548122831Chase HarringtonSpokane (WHL)LW6′0 ¼20168195032Casey MutrynUSA NTDP (USHL)C/RW6′2 ¾198461632