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Gavin McKenna, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, is making a quick, relatively seamless adjustment to NCAA Division I hockey at Penn State University, according to NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr. "In the offensive zone he's a wizard out there and you can see that in his game," Marr said on the latest edition of the "NHL Draft Class" podcast. "There's other parts of the game with the timing, the pace, the up and down there, that he's going to figure out in short order. But it's not like he's lost out there. He's just got to adapt to the league just like anybody that moves upward in their league. But I think one of the most important parts is he's going to have the time to physically develop himself." McKenna is one of 27 players to receive an A rating in NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list, which was released Monday. But the freshman forward is the most prominent. McKenna (5-foot-11, 170 pounds), who turns 18 on Dec. 20, is the fourth youngest player in men's college hockey. He has six points (one goal, five assists) and 22 shots on goal in six games this season. He dominated junior hockey last season, winning the player of the year award in the Western Hockey League and the Canadian Hockey League after he was second in the WHL with 129 points (41 goals, 88 assists) in 56 games with Medicine Hat. Marr also shared his feelings about several other A-rated players, including forwards Ethan Belchetz of Windsor in the Ontario Hockey League and Tynan Lawrence of Muskegon in the United States Hockey League, and defenseman Ryan Lin of Vancouver (WHL) and Keaton Verhoeff of the University of North Dakota. Marr said Verhoeff (6-3, 208) is "finding his way to how he can navigate" at the college level. He has three points (two goals, one assists) in four NCAA games after he had 45 points (21 goals, 24 assists) and eight power-play goals in 63 games with Victoria (WHL) last season. The right-handed shot won't turn 18 until June 19. "I was in Minneapolis over the weekend and saw him play; it was his second game in the NCAA," Marr said. "He was top pairing, playing top minutes, special teams. You could see he's adapting to the league. He was trying things, he was pinching in on the plays, he was joining in on the rush." Co-hosts Adam Kimelman and Mike G. Morreale also discussed the upcoming 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge, in Calgary on Nov. 25 and Lethbridge, Alberta, on Nov. 26. They also reviewed the second episode of "Welcome to the NHL" presented by BODYARMOR Sports Drink, which featured exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft. The second episode in the two-part series, titled "Class of 2025," followed several prospects including Matthew Schaefer (No. 1, New York Islanders), Michael Misa (No. 2, San Jose Sharks), Brady Martin (No. 5, Nashville Predators), Porter Martone (No. 6, Philadelphia Flyers), James Hagens (No. 7, Boston Bruins), Kashawn Aitcheson (No. 17, Islanders) and William Moore (No. 51, Bruins). The podcast is free, and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms, including iTunes and Spotify. It also is available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.
