Although the Chicago Blackhawks are not interested in Gavin McKenna, it is time for them to start rethinking that.
The Chicago Blackhawks, although improved, will still have a nice draft pick in 2026. The first round of this year’s event promises to eject a ton of talent into the NHL, and a big-time prospect would be great for the end of Chicago’s rebuild.
There has been a lot of discussion around Penn State forward Gavin McKenna. He entered the 2025-26 season as the consensus number-one pick. A couple of factors have made that less of a guarantee.
For one, playing college hockey has become harder than major junior hockey in Canada. The opposition is stronger, which makes it more difficult to dominate every single shift you take as an offensive player.
Other great players have elevated their game during their draft year, which has made it more of a discussion as to who should be drafted where.
There is also the off-ice incident that McKenna was involved in at a Penn State bar after their outdoor game earlier this month. He had misdemeanor and felony charges for the incident, but eventually had the felony charges dropped.
The report after that was that the Blackhawks had no interest in drafting McKenna for hockey reasons, even before the bar fight.
It might be time for Kyle Davidson and any scouting staff that helps make these decisions to think differently about McKenna. On Friday night, he put on a show that you don't see very often, and won't again for a long time.
In his first game back following that bar incident, McKenna scored one goal and had seven assists for eight points in an 11-4 rout of Ohio State. It was one of the greatest single-game performances in the history of the NCAA.
To take over a game at any level is difficult, but that is in another stratosphere of talent and determination.
This big night has propelled McKenna into the nation's top five in both assists and points heading into Saturday. For being a freshman with all of the pressure in the world on him, that's impressive.
It is unclear if McKenna is going to be a center or a wing once he reaches the NHL, but he certainly has the tools needed to be a high-end offensive player. Scoring goals and creating plays will be something he can do at the pro level.
There are parts of his game that need development. He would tell you that. No teenage player comes into the National Hockey League and dominates with nothing to work on. McKenna is no different.
Will the young Penn State forward be on the board when the Blackhawks come up to pick? It is unclear exactly where he will be drafted or where Chicago will land in the standings. If he is available, however, he is worth considering.
Yes, he was not their ideal selection as of a month ago, but things change. A performance like this is nothing to ignore.
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