This year's NHL draft may be weak down the middle, but the wingers in the class are incredibly intriguing. Arguably, the two best players in the class are on the wing, and there are a number of other highly intriguing forwards. Whether you're looking for playmakers, power forwards or snipers, the 2026 NHL draft is full of wingers who can give a team whatever they need. This week at The Hockey News, we looked at the top players at each position. You can check out the top five goalies [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/2026-nhl-draft-top-five-goalies-include-trejbal-boettiger-and-knowling], defensemen [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/2026-nhl-draft-top-five-defensemen-include-smits-reid-and-verhoeff] and centers [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/2026-nhl-draft-top-five-centers-include-bjorck-malhotra-and-lawrence] for the 2026 NHL draft as well. Let's look at the top five wingers as well as a few other players of intrigue as we wrap up our top five series in preparation for my final NHL draft board on Monday, June 22. 1. GAVIN MCKENNA, PENN STATE (NCAA) An incredible offensive producer going back to his WHL days, McKenna is one of the best pure playmakers we've seen come out of the draft in years. His vision and creativity are truly special. The incredible touch he displays as a passer is at times mystifying. He can completely change a power play, using his hands and facilitation ability to pick apart opposing teams. For everything that makes McKenna special, he still has some areas of weakness in his game. His defensive play is lackluster, to put it kindly, simply not showing the kind of engagement or commitment that it takes to play sound defensive hockey. He also lacks any sort of physical edge and doesn't get involved with battles along the boards all that often. He's a difference-maker with the puck, and he'll put up some big point totals, but he's going to have moments that frustrate. 2026 NHL Draft Rankings: McKenna Leads Ryan Kennedy's Final Top 120 [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/78a5be4c-4f5f-4812-a771-0d4707971613.jpeg] 2026 NHL Draft Rankings: McKenna Leads Ryan Kennedy's Final Top 120 Editor in chief Ryan Kennedy shares the top 100 NHL draft prospects from The Hockey News' Draft Preview issue and a bonus 20. There's a different No. 1 than in his mid-season ranking. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/2026-nhl-draft-rankings-mckenna-leads-ryan-kennedys-final-top-120] 2. IVAR STENBERG, FROLUNDA (SWE.) Stenberg is the only other player in the class with a legitimate case for being the best player in the draft. He may not have quite the pure offensive upside that McKenna has, but he is such a complete player while still having quite the impressive offensive toolkit. Stenberg is arguably one of the most complete players in the draft, playing a very pro-ready game at both ends of the ice. He's been the top player on my board for the vast majority of the year, forming a true top tier of two players alongside McKenna. Stenberg plays with a pace and edge that will allow him to find success, even when the game isn't as open as he'd like. He has shown the ability to play through contact and find soft spots in coverage away from the puck. His shot pops off his stick with a quick release, almost exclusively taken from the higher danger areas of the ice. 3. MATHIS PRESTON, VANCOUVER (WHL) Although he's fallen on so many other analysts' lists, Mathis Preston remains one of the most intriguing players in the draft, in my opinion. His pace and skill are as good as just about anyone in the class. He has an incredible shot, truly making him dangerous from all over the ice. His puckhandling is tantalizing at times, almost toying with defenders. He's one of the more high-octane players in this year's draft. His stock has fallen largely because his production early in the year was underwhelming. He was traded from Spokane to Vancouver, and he didn't really get the fresh start he so clearly desired because he dealt with an injury. When he got the chance to play at the U-18s for Canada, Preston played some of his best hockey of the year, putting pressure on defenders nearly every shift and creating for himself and teammates regularly. He will go much later than he probably should, but that just means some team will get a gem later in the draft. 4. WYATT CULLEN, U.S. NTDP (USHL) The USA Hockey National Team Development Program was a bit underwhelming, but Cullen stepped up and showed they had some high-end talent. Cullen was the offensive catalyst for the program, and that was all the more evident at the World Men's Under-18s, where he was willing the Americans to many scoring chances. The dynamic winger has developed a much more well-rounded offensive game after coming into the year as a guy who was all hands and puck skills. Cullen is a more decisive and cerebral offensive player now, looking to attack defenders' weaknesses and mistakes. He's become a bit less predictable as the year has gone on, which has been a big advantage for him. 5. ELTON HERMANSSON, MODO (SWE.2) Easily the most hot-and-cold player of the top wingers in the class, Hermansson has the elite skill to absolutely dazzle at times. He can also go full ghost mode, seemingly taking a few shifts off at times in some games. The U-18s were such a good example of what it looks like when he is on his game, although he did still have a showing against the United States where he was less than involved in the play. Hermansson is a lethal offensive threat, which should make him a highly coveted player on draft day. He has a wicked shot and some of the most creative plays in the attacking zone overall. He's proven capable of playing against men at Sweden's second level, so that should give teams confidence that he can continue to push the envelope as he develops over the next couple of years. 2026 NHL Draft: Top Five Centers Include Bjorck, Malhotra And Lawrence [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/546c88fc-d150-4c0d-a813-d5d92c717da7.jpeg] 2026 NHL Draft: Top Five Centers Include Bjorck, Malhotra And Lawrence Could we see centers getting selected earlier than expected at the NHL draft? In a weaker center group overall, these five and some honorable mentions stand out from the rest. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/2026-nhl-draft-top-five-centers-include-bjorck-malhotra-and-lawrence] BEST OF THE REST ADAM NOVOTNY, PETERBOROUGH (OHL) Novotny is a transition forward who simply understands how to leverage his skating to move the puck, using his finesse and power. He is a dual-threat attacker who can help complete a line and make life easier on teammates by handling the dirty work on the forecheck and along the wall. ETHAN BELCHETZ, WINDSOR (OHL) A massive winger with a ton of skill, Belchetz is the kind of finisher who helps take a line from good to great. He has excellent touch from in tight and a heavy shot from distance. His skating is a work in progress, but he's a skilled puck protector who can use his length to maintain control under pressure. OSCAR HEMMING, BOSTON COLLEGE (NCAA) Hemming is a power forward who started his season late due to some contractual issues in Finland. When Hemming finally found his hockey home for the year at Boston College, he came out of the gates like a man on fire. He pushed pace, attacked defenders head-on and showcased his shooting talent while adding some playmaking we haven't seen consistently prior to that. CASEY MUTRYN, U.S. NTDP (USHL) This year's closest thing to a bull in a china shop, Mutryn loves to attack defenders across their face. His physicality and potential will attract NHL scouts. He has some refining to do in terms of offensive skill, but he often has the right idea. He could be a big-time riser over the next couple of years. ADAM VALENTINI, MICHIGAN (NCAA) Although he's a bit undersized, Valentini is hyper-intelligent, and he might be the player who best exemplifies having that dawg in him. He stepped into the NCAA [https://thehockeynews.com/ncaa] this season for his draft year, and for much of the first half, he was outproducing McKenna. Valentini showed his motor and two-way game at the U-18s for Canada. If he falls in the draft, he could easily be the biggest steal outside of the first round. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/bfd414ce-b06e-461c-8408-60121d02dde4.jpeg] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source [https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=thehockeynews.com]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
