F Gavin McKenna - Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL (2026 Draft)

[ORRFForever]

I sent my family in the Yukon

That's not something you hear everyday. Do they enjoy living there?

 

[Michoulicious]

Not really but that was over 20 years ago, anyone with even a remote chance to being the #1 overall is already known in 2024.

Kovalchuk was drafted in 2001. Youtube was created ... in 2005.

People thinking another generational talent like McKenna will abruptly appear in the next 2 years are delusional. We would know it by now for sure.

 

[WarriorofTime]

That's not something you hear everyday. Do they enjoy living there?

Yeah. Outdoors people.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Kovalchuk was drafted in 2001. Youtube was created ... in 2005.

People thinking another generational talent like McKenna will abruptly appear in the next 2 years are delusional. We would know it by now for sure.

So McKenna is generational now? Meaning best in the last 10 years? Let’s hold our horses.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

Kovalchuk was drafted in 2001. Youtube was created ... in 2005.

People thinking another generational talent like McKenna will abruptly appear in the next 2 years are delusional. We would know it by now for sure.

A Russian.
Nobody knows Silayev and Simashev one year before thé draft. Thé level of 2008' players still unknow too.

 

[Matsun]

So McKenna is generational now? Meaning best in the last 10 years? Let’s hold our horses.

Best in the last 10 years might not be that hard actually. Elias Petterson and Jason Robertson (both 2017 draft) are the only guys drafted after 2016 to have hit 100 points and neither of them look like future 120+ point players. This season Petterson was the only guy drafted since 2016 to be a top 20 scorer, last season you had Robertson, Petterson, Jack Hughes and Stuzle. I think Jack Hughes has 120+ potential and the latest drafts might be too soon to tell, but I feel like since 2013-16 we haven't had that good forward drafts. We have seen some incredible young defenders like Makar and Quinn Hughes come in to the league though.

When McKennas draft comes around it will have been 10 drafts since McDavid and 9 drafts since Matthews, that is as long as between Crosby and McDavid. I don't think McKenna have McDavid potential, but he could have MacKinnon potential which we have rarely seen since the 2015 draft besides Bedard.

 

[Silky Johnson]

Best in the last 10 years might not be that hard actually. Elias Petterson and Jason Robertson (both 2017 draft) are the only guys drafted after 2016 to have hit 100 points and neither of them look like future 120+ point players. This season Petterson was the only guy drafted since 2016 to be a top 20 scorer, last season you had Robertson, Petterson, Jack Hughes and Stuzle. I think Jack Hughes has 120+ potential and the latest drafts might be too soon to tell, but I feel like since 2013-16 we haven't had that good forward drafts. We have seen some incredible young defenders like Makar and Quinn Hughes come in to the league though.

When McKennas draft comes around it will have been 10 drafts since McDavid and 9 drafts since Matthews, that is as long as between Crosby and McDavid. I don't think McKenna have McDavid potential, but he could have MacKinnon potential which we have rarely seen since the 2015 draft besides Bedard.

A Generation is actually 20-30 years for humans.

Conventionally how it is used in hockey is much more frequent than that.

Really it just means a tier above elite, perennial all-stars. Guys who have been peerless at any level. Had the hype and lived up to it. Hard to define perfectly but you kind of "know it when you see it."

You can have multiple guys at one time - ie Crosby & Ovechkin McDavid. Lemieux & Gretzky.

There is no reason to link it to the specific biological definition - especially when you are getting the number wrong anyway.

 

[scoutman1]

Kovalchuk was drafted in 2001. Youtube was created ... in 2005.

People thinking another generational talent like McKenna will abruptly appear in the next 2 years are delusional. We would know it by now for sure.

Mckenna is generational lol, lets slow the horses...he is an amazing prospect at this point and that is it...generational we are talking like a Sidney Crosby some guy that will be the face of the league in the future and dominates and wins. McKenna has a long way to go before given that status.

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

A Generation is actually 20-30 years for humans.

Conventionally how it is used in hockey is much more frequent than that.

Really it just means a tier above elite, perennial all-stars. Guys who have been peerless at any level. Had the hype and lived up to it. Hard to define perfectly but you kind of "know it when you see it."

You can have multiple guys at one time - ie Crosby & Ovechkin McDavid. Lemieux & Gretzky.

There is no reason to link it to the specific biological definition - especially when you are getting the number wrong anyway.

For some people, the term used to be applied to Lindros , Crosby, and Mcdavid as prospects but now we have one every year according to some people.

I would say mckenna is not generational, he's just a really good prospect with superstar upside. I wouldn't consider Kucherov a generational talent at the nhl level and I think that's a realistic ceiling for him.

To me we had Crosby/Ovi and now we have McDavid. Those are the only generational talents of the last 25 years IMO at the NHL level, and even ovi is borderline but gets the nod because he will likely break the goals record - based on overall talent I actually personally would put him a hair below Crosby and McDavid.

Jury is out on Bedard , he was as a prospect but was still below Crosby and McDavid in terms of how well I expected his game to work at the nhl level. McKenna would be a small step below that

 

[Mathieukferland]

For some people, the term used to be applied to Lindros , Crosby, and Mcdavid as prospects but now we have one every year according to some people.

I would say mckenna is not generational, he's just a really good prospect with superstar upside. I wouldn't consider Kucherov a generational talent at the nhl level and I think that's a realistic ceiling for him.

To me we had Crosby/Ovi and now we have McDavid. Those are the only generational talents of the last 25 years IMO at the NHL level, and even ovi is borderline but gets the nod because he will likely break the goals record - based on overall talent I actually personally would put him a hair below Crosby and McDavid.

Jury is out on Bedard , he was as a prospect but was still below Crosby and McDavid in terms of how well I expected his game to work at the nhl level. McKenna would be a small step below that

Bedard i think met expectations without surpassing them. I think until he has a decent team around him it will be a bit difficult to judge his true level, because whenever he played with real players his production always increased in junior.


As for McKenna, I don’t think he’s generational, let alone better than Bedard and even Celebrini, but I’ll say one thing, he’s more fun to watch than almost any prospect I can remember seeing, because he has a datsyuk like ability to stickhandle through small areas and situations he shouldn’t be to with ease.

 

[LeProspector]

Mckenna is generational lol, lets slow the horses...he is an amazing prospect at this point and that is it...generational we are talking like a Sidney Crosby some guy that will be the face of the league in the future and dominates and wins. McKenna has a long way to go before given that status.

Excellent post.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

How about we don't turn this thread into another argument about the brainless, meaningless, horseshit term 'generational'. That would be nice.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Best in the last 10 years might not be that hard actually. Elias Petterson and Jason Robertson (both 2017 draft) are the only guys drafted after 2016 to have hit 100 points and neither of them look like future 120+ point players. This season Petterson was the only guy drafted since 2016 to be a top 20 scorer, last season you had Robertson, Petterson, Jack Hughes and Stuzle. I think Jack Hughes has 120+ potential and the latest drafts might be too soon to tell, but I feel like since 2013-16 we haven't had that good forward drafts. We have seen some incredible young defenders like Makar and Quinn Hughes come in to the league though.

When McKennas draft comes around it will have been 10 drafts since McDavid and 9 drafts since Matthews, that is as long as between Crosby and McDavid. I don't think McKenna have McDavid potential, but he could have MacKinnon potential which we have rarely seen since the 2015 draft besides Bedard.

What about Bedard? I swore that most people viewed him as that. And I’m talking about pre-draft, not post-draft. Dahlin was talked about as the closest thing we’ve seen to a generational defensemen. Lafreniere after the WJC in his draft year was talked up as that. Hughes at times was talked up as that. Are we sure he’s better than all of these guys, let alone Celebrini and Hagens or even the players in his own draft? Seems awfully premature. I mean Hagens is outperforming him at the U18’s playing with worse linemates. I get the year difference, but if he’s generational it shouldn’t matter.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Jagr, Yzerman, Sakic, Francis, Forsberg....you can be a top player in the world and not be generational. Add me to the list of fans that hate when that word gets used too liberally.

 

[Siludin]

He might not even end up being the best player on his NHL team, the Chicago Blackhawks.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

He might not even end up being the best player on his NHL team, the Chicago Blackhawks.

Man, Imagine having Bedard, Celebrini AND McKenna

 

[Mathieukferland]

Oh my f**king god

https://x.com/lassialanen/status/1786779358973092198?s=46&t=gayK_VFv9dswsr1U4K0m-A

 

[McMozesmadness]

I’m convinced McKenna could play in the NHL next year

Yet, he still has two full years in the Dub

 

[Juxtaposer]

McKenna’s draft year WHL production could get silly. Wish he had the option of going the Matthews draft year route and playing pros.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Bedard to Celebrini to Hagens to McKenna. Not to mention other top talents in those drafts. Good time to be a terrible team in the league

 

[sigx15]

McKenna’s draft year WHL production could get silly. Wish he had the option of going the Matthews draft year route and playing pros.

The biggest reason for top Canadian players to end up in the USHL is to untangle themselves from the CHL NHL agreement. I’m curious when the CHL will finally come to their senses on that

 

[ameselare]

The biggest reason for top Canadian players to end up in the USHL is to untangle themselves from the CHL NHL agreement. I’m curious when the CHL will finally come to their senses on that

I think it's more likely that the NCAA will allow CHL players to retain NCAA eligibility before the CHL NHL agreement changes. There's been rumours about that one for months now, hard to say if it's coming anytime soon and it appears as if NCAA teams are still largely against it, but we'll see what happens. Here's an article published today on the topic.

 

[ameselare]

Does anyone here think Medicine Hat would try playing/developing McKenna at centre? He's going to be there for at least two more seasons. Wondering if that's a possibility or if he's more of a true winger.

 

[Michoulicious]

Does anyone here think Medicine Hat would try playing/developing McKenna at centre? He's going to be there for at least two more seasons. Wondering if that's a possibility or if he's more of a true winger.

At this point, they might as well.

The kid is just too strong for the W in his D-2. He'll be there 2 more years and he has all the tools to be a C... Bedard did not.

 

[ameselare]

At this point, they might as well.

The kid is just too strong for the W in his D-2. He'll be there 2 more years and he has all the tools to be a C... Bedard did not.

Yeah I think they should at least try. According to this thread he's probably around 6'0" right now, and will likely grow an inch or two more as he's still so young. I see no harm in trying.