- 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.