Time for another series at McKeen’s from our scouting staff. The 2026 NHL Draft season is well under way, and our scouts have been busy soaking in the action around the globe. Analyzing early season play can be difficult, perhaps even a bit of a ruse. Hot starts aren’t always sustainable, and cold starts are not always indicative. However, players can still catch our attention in positive ways and that’s what this series intends to highlight.
This is USA PART TWO
Linc Zdancewicz - USA Regional Scout
Gavin McKenna
Left Wing - Penn State
6-foot-0, 165 pounds
Gavin McKenna has undoubtedly arrived on the NCAA stage. His many skills have shone through brilliantly in his first 3 series, with his spectacular passing being by far the highlight of his game so far. However, in this early stage, there are those who seek more from this young phenom, drawing attention to his point total of six points in only six games being a “red flag.” Having seen McKenna myself in the rocking Pegula Arena, I can assure any and all doubters, he is the real deal.
Since coming over from Medicine Hat, McKenna knew that his scenario with the Nittany Lions would be completely different. After being paired with right winger Aiden Fink from the jump, McKenna has gone through 4 different centers through 6 games. After the Clarkson series, when asked about this constant switching down the middle, Head Coach Guy Gadowsky commented that it was “only a matter of time” before Fink and McKenna catch fire, they’ll just need the right center to get them there.
Despite these factors, McKenna has been a fantastic offensive driver for Penn State in his first three series. In the offensive zone, he has adjusted very well, showing off the same elusiveness that made him famous in the WHL. Additionally, his passing strengths are on display during each offensive cycle and power play. McKenna has been extremely effective in creating chances for his linemates to score, finding ludicrously small passing lanes. Additionally, his skating has translated well to the NCAA, where he routinely outmaneuvers foes with his edgework to open up space for his passes. Though I would characterize his shot power as average, his release is truly a sight to see and will be the subject of several highlight goals he scores this year.
However, I would be remiss if I did not mention his play away from the puck. As a winger, he naturally bears the least amount of defensive responsibility on the ice, but some of his back checks, defensive pressures, and complete lack of play along the boards hurt his draft case in the minds of some. It is reasonable to want some more physicality from McKenna, but it is important to remember that 1. Gavin McKenna has never been known to play a strong two-way game 2. It is October of 2025, calm down. There is still plenty of season left for McKenna to score and develop more of a two-way game and find the net more.
Overall, even in this early stage, where there is skepticism and doubt, there are some really nice flashes of an offensive juggernaut here. We are looking at a very special playmaking wing who can generate a ton of offense that should translate to a top line spot, along with occupying the top power play. In the absolute worst-case scenario, Gavin McKenna will be a second-line winger who will put up 35-40 assists a season consistently. This kid is a stud, who will turn any top line or power play in the NHL into an elite one.
(Centers of McKenna so far through six games) - Dowiak, Schoen, (Luke) Misa, Laubach
VIDEOS
This assist is enigmatic of how effective McKenna can be in the offensive zone, gets open in space, fakes the shot and throws it over to his other winger to score.
So far McKenna’s only goal this season has been one of the most electric scored yet in this young NCAA season. This goal was also one of the hardest shots I have seen from McKenna this year.
McKenna backchecks going at his top speed on the penalty kill, helping get back in his own zone. His speed and ability to cover the ice like that is why he has been regularly featured on the penalty kill to this point.
Lincoln Kuehne
Right Defense - Arizona State
6-foot-2, 201 pounds
After playing with the U-18 last season with the USNTDP, Lincoln Kuehne decided to make the massive jump up to Arizona State in the fast-paced NCHC conference. Making that jump in your draft year is especially hard as a defenseman. However, with some examination, Kuehne has some excellent tools that will not only elevate him in the Sun Devils lineup but also make him stand out in a class chock-full of great defensemen.
To start, Kuehne is a very smooth skater, taking advantage of his solid speed on rush defenses and when creeping into plays in the offensive zone. His gap control was always solid with the NTDP, and it has translated perfectly to college, poking out pucks and running opposing forwards against the boards have been his specialty. Kuehne’s defensive abilities have been the highlight of his game so far in this early part of the season, so much so that he has been a staple of the ASU penalty kill despite being listed as the 7th defenseman on occasion.
As for the negatives in his game, Kuehne must improve his retrievals to bump up his stock this season. He has all the tools of a confident puck-carrying defenseman, just not the results, as he has been addicted to rimming it up the wall. Along with that, it would be nice to see him not shy away from contact when he has the puck as well, needing to take advantage of his 6-foot-2 frame.
Overall, Lincoln Kuehne is a guy I have had my eye on for a while now due to how thoroughly he has captured my attention. Despite generating 0 points in his first 6 games and mainly occupying a 3rd pairing role for ASU, Kuehne is already showing gobs of potential to be a reliable second-pairing two-way defenseman in the NHL. I have every expectation that with a little more confidence, he will see his role increase, along with realizing his offensive potential.
VIDEOS
This clip shows Kuehne's top speed, gap control, and prowess as a rush defenseman all in one.
Kuehne lays more of a dirty hit along the wall, but nonetheless kills the momentum of the opposing power play in this clip.
Kuehne is able to catch up to the opposing forward here on a breakaway, tie him up behind the net, preventing any offensive momentum, and the play ends up going the other way.
Landon Hafele
Center/Left Wing - Green Bay
6-foot-0, 187 pounds
Hailing from Fairbanks, Alaska, Landon Hafele brings a two-way intensity that every NHL GM craves from their forwards. He is committed to Arizona State for next season, and with a mid-September birthday, he is one of the oldest players in this draft class. His on-ice game is first and foremost characterized by his grit and compete on most shifts. His impact in only 10 games for Green Bay has been immeasurable, being a much-needed sparkplug.
Hafele is not a “burner” but his speed is felt on almost every possession as his feet are always moving. He will be first on pucks most of the time due to this speed and tenacity, and has been rewarded for it, occupying the first line center spot as well as a place on the top power play and penalty kill. Hafele additionally is not the most potent of offensive talents, but he gets by pretty well with a high IQ to help make quick decisions. Helping Hafele’s case is just how slippery he is in the offensive zone and with the puck, he can be hard to lock down. He has also taken a lot of physical punishment to make some plays this year, working hard around the net to help finish chances. Hafele embraces his two-way style of play quite admirably.
There are some offensive details that absolutely need work, especially with him heading to the high-scoring environment of the NCHC next season. Hafele can also be quite selfish, whether he holds on to the puck for too long or when he’s trying to cherry-pick the defense too early. Hafele will need to sharpen out his game throughout this season to earn his status as a proper two-way player.
Overall, Landon Hafele is quite fun to watch. His high speeds and exciting head-first attitude are going to make him a fan favorite wherever he goes in this year’s entry draft. Hafele’s most confident outlook would be a middle-six center, but I believe he may be stuck out on the wing at some point. Pinning him as a potential third-line center seems like a safe bet for now, and what an energetic third liner he’d be.
VIDEOS
Hafele crashes the net, finds the rebound, and spins around for the goal, showing his tenacity and high IQ with the puck.
creates a turnover, and passes to the slot for the goal. I love his “disruptiveness” exhibited in this play, that is one of the best parts of his two-way game.
Hafele’s evasiveness and puck carrying skill are on display on this penalty kill possession by him. His speed really will surprise some people in spurts and has some really underrated puck control.
Jamison Derksen - North American Video Scout
Jack Hextall
C - Youngstown Phantoms
6-foot-0, 188 pounds
Jack Hextall has stepped into a top line role in his second season with the Youngstown Phantoms and is producing at a point-per-game pace early on. The Michigan State commit plays in all situations for the Phantoms, having added penalty killing to his special teams repertoire this season.
Hextall is not the most exciting prospect at first glance, and is unlikely to be a top line forward at the NHL level, but his IQ and work ethic should lead to a middle-six role one day as a pro. Hextall is happy to get his nose dirty around the net or along the boards, and is also great at scanning for open ice and teammates. As a passer, he’s not necessarily a playmaker as much as he just moves the puck along to open teammates when it makes sense. As a shooter, he can be a threat when he has space, but it isn’t a noteworthy part of his game.
Videos
Hextall starts this shift by applying pressure on the forecheck, before backchecking through the middle of the ice. When the play goes up ice again, he’s ready to pounce on the loose puck and tries to find his teammate for a tap in.
Here’s Hextall acting as a connector, quickly finding his teammates and moving the puck along. A bit of a gaffe on the second pass, but the puck still made it to his teammate.
After first trying to find his teammate driving the net, Hextall makes his way into the slot himself. Despite being boxed out by a larger defender, Hextall still causes a commotion in front of the goaltender and reaches out to tip the puck in. Most of his goals are scored within a few feet of the net.
Felix Sicard - North American Video Scout
Keaton Verhoeff
Defense - University of North Dakota
6-foot- 4, 215 pounds
Keaton Verhoeff is charting unfamiliar waters this season. He is the second-youngest player in the NCAA, and the youngest defenseman. He’s also on the younger side for the draft class, as a June ‘08 birthday. That context is important when evaluating what he’s done so far in a league dotted with players a handful of years his senior.
The foundation of Verhoeff’s game is his combination of size and mobility. At 6-foot- 4 with an expansive reach, he’s able to cover large areas of ice in only two or three strides. He’s leveraging those tools already in the more pro-style NCAA game, which is comparatively more structured and detailed compared to the WHL, his former league.
Verhoeff eagerly seeks to kill off opposing advances, whether that be at the offensive blueline, the neutral zone, or at his own blueline, as opponents have the giant skater in their faces nearly as soon as they touch the puck.
With the puck on his stick, Verhoeff has been all business so far. He makes the quick, simple play after having diagnosed the situation in front of him. He matches that intelligence with good angles and a competitive streak on puck retrievals. The flashy, creative plays with the puck have been hit or miss, but he nails the simple stuff, which his coaches surely love.
North Dakota’s coaching staff has not been shy about using him on the power play. There, Verhoeff is more of a distributor, than someone drawing pressure to then make a creative play. However, his heavy shot has been an element that the Fighting Hawks have sought to exploit, sometimes to explosive results. As the slap shot has waned in its usage in the modern game, Verhoeff is ushering in its successor in the form of a blistering slapper from the point and left faceoff circle. We’ll check back in as the season progresses, but Verhoeff does not look out of place at all as he traverses the next phase of his hockey journey.
Here, Verhoeff takes a great angle at the puck carrier in the neutral zone, using his long reach to close off all time and space. This forces the opponent to get rid of the puck quickly. Verhoeff then transitions into a backwards stride, accepts a pass, and makes a quick tape-to-tape outlet. Textbook stuff.
Here, you can see how UND is orienting its power play to find openings for Verhoeff’s shot. A rather routine-looking windup produces a heat-seeking missile that quickly gets up high, giving the Minnesota goalie trouble in controlling the rebound.
Here, Verhoeff is able to quickly snuff out an opposing exit thanks to a quick transition into backwards crossovers. He ends up overhandling the puck a bit, but you can see how he’s such a problem for opposing breakouts.
Kyle Pereira - USA Regional Scout
Mikey Berchild
Center - USNTDP
5-foot-9, 172 pounds
Berchild has been a highly touted US prospect for some time, starting in his days dominating with Shattuck St. Mary’s, where he led his team in scoring over fellow 2026 eligible, Tynan Lawrence, back in 2022-23.
Since then, he has been an important piece of the USNTDP teams and even won a bronze medal in the 2025 U18 World Junior Championships with Team USA, where he was one of the leading scorers alongside current NHL draft picks Cullen Potter, LJ Mooney and William Moore.
While this season hasn’t got off to the best of starts for the NTDP, Berchild has still shown the traits that has led to him being ranked within several notable analysts' first rounds early on this season. His hockey IQ is clearly on display, with a strong understanding of where he needs to be on the ice at all times, in all three zones. He also forechecks incredibly well despite his smaller stature, proving to be a buzzsaw. He plays fearlessly, throwing his weight constantly, finishing checks and looking to be a nuisance for opponents. That remains true in his defensive zone play as well, where he is always engaged and in the right spots to help his team.
With the puck, Berchild can stickhandle at a high level, able to create space for himself when needed. His vision and passing ability was on display as well, but his teammates just were not able to capitalize on those chances he set up, which has ultimately been the story of the NTDP so far. Berchild can also shoot the puck well, with some good power behind his shots and a very quick release. He can shoot from off-platform as well. However, his accuracy needs work. While his shots have power and his release is quick, his shots remained pretty routine saves or missed the net.
It is important to note, the NTDP have faced a lot of NCAA D1 competition to this point in the year compared to USHL competition, and when the competition levels out, Berchild will likely shine more. Which brings us to his upside. He has clear upside as a potential dual-threat offensive presence, who can flash some serious skill, while maintaining a reliable two-way ability when needed. But his size is a serious hindrance, despite his fearlessness, and it has shown against the D1 competition thus far.
VIDEOS
A mini compilation of Mikey Berchild showing his aggressiveness and willingness to throw his weight around.
Another mini compilation of Berchild playing fearless with and without the puck to create scoring chances for himself, including a goal off a net drive.
An assist against Notre Dame that displays Berchild’s vision and IQ to set-up an easy tap-in for his teammate.
Victor Plante
Winger - USNTDP
5-foot-9, 148 pounds
Plante, a teammate of Berchild’s, does not have the same hype coming into his draft-year. He had solidified himself as a strong piece of the NTDP last season, as the 4th leading scorer on the U17 squad. But it’s this year where he has had a hot start. Across all NTDP games this year, he has scored 14 points across 18 games, leading the team in non-USHL contests to this point.
Where Berchild has struggled, Plante has been able to produce well, despite a smaller stature and less aggressive style. This comes down to Plante’s excellent skating ability, where he can really move. If he’s given space to build up speed through his crossovers, particularly on the powerplay, he can burn up ice.
Once in the offensive zone, Plante has shown off a fast-paced style where he constantly looks to feed teammates in the dangerous areas of the ice. He shows off a pretty strong vision and passing ability to find those teammates. He can also shoot himself, where he has a powerful one-timer. His positioning away from the puck also does him well, as he times up his net drives off the rush quite well when he isn’t leading the way there, which aids in his scoring ability.
When it comes to his upside, he faces the same hurdles as Berchild. While he does love driving the net off the rush, he gets boxed out quite easily. This often leads to him hanging around the perimeter of the zone, not really getting to the slot all too often once play is established. He can also bite off more than he can chew when he leads the rush himself, and once he enters a defenders wingspan, he can be separated from the puck a bit too easily.
That said, while his start has been very impressive and the upside is there for him, whether or not he can sustain it will determine where he lands in this draft. There is a potential middle-six scorer with powerplay upside in him, but the shift to bigger forwards and defensemen in recent years hurts.
VIDEOS
A look at Plante’s mobility, as he builds up speed to move up ice.
A beautiful assist as he gains the zone, takes the puck wide, and then centers it to the open man in the slot for the one timer.
A pair of goals from Plante that shows his positioning off the puck to set up a one-timer (first clip) and also a display of his willingness to get to the net for rebounds (second clip).
A mini compilation of Plante’s scoring chances, showing off his ability to create in tight to the net and off his one timers.