Post-Lottery NHL Draft: Who Goes After Gavin McKenna?

The NHL draft lottery is in the books and the board is set. Gavin McKenna — the dynamic forward from the Spokane Chiefs — is the consensus first overall pick. He's fast, he's electric, and he's the kind of player a franchise rebuilds around.

But everything after that first pick is wide open. And that's where it gets interesting.

The Real Race Starts at Pick Two

After McKenna, the draft has real depth at center and on the blue line. Several scouts believe this could be one of the stronger defensive crops in recent memory — which means teams picking in the top five aren't just chasing forwards anymore.

The Ottawa Senators hold the second pick. They've been building something competitive for years, and adding a difference-maker at center would accelerate that timeline significantly.

The Buffalo Sabres pick third. They've had high picks before — Tage Thompson, Jack Quinn — but the pressure to convert picks into impact players is real.

What Teams Are Actually Looking For

I've watched a lot of hockey over the years, and one thing stands out: the teams that win the draft lottery aren't always the ones with the best scouts — they're the ones with the best development systems.

You can have the second-best player in the draft and still waste it if your AHL affiliates and coaching staff can't close the gap between junior and pro.

That's why the NHL draft isn't just about who you pick — it's about what you do after.

Where RinkStop Fits In

If you're tracking these players — their junior teams, their leagues, their trajectory — RinkStop's player directory is built for exactly that. McKenna, the prospects ranked behind him, the junior leagues they're coming from — it's all in the database.

Use it to follow the path from draft day to opening night.