Unexpected Teams Could Join Gavin McKenna Sweepstakes

There may be some unfamiliar teams at the bottom of the standings as the 2026 NHL Draft peers into view.

Mar 1, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) celebrates with the Bruins bench after scoring a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Gavin McKenna has long been expected to be the fist overall pick at the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft. There is still a full season to be played before the recent Penn State commit learns the fate of his NHL future.

Teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, and Chicago Blackhawks are sure to be in the running, but are there any unexpected teams that might find themselves near the top of the draft lottery? Almost every team has looked for improvements heading into the 2025-26 season, but not all of them are going to pan out quite right.

Who is shooting for a big season, but will ultimately fall and hope the lottery balls will fall their way?

Nashville Predators

Maybe last season wasn’t just a fluke and this combination of players isn’t working? The Predators went out an made numerous splashes last offseason with Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei, only to finish with a 30-44-8 record.

Unless everyone flips the switch, it might be safe to expect much of the same from the Predators in 2025-26.

The Predators might also have the added bonus of McKenna building a chemistry with one of Nashville's top prospects in Aiden Fink. The Hobey Baker finalist will be suiting up alongside McKenna for the upcoming season at Penn State.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins massively disappointed in 2024-25 and didn’t do much to patch the holes over the offseason. The team appears to be seeing their brutal season as a one-off and hope to be back in contention in the upcoming campaign.

Without many moves to bolster the roster, the Bruins will be walking a tight rope all year. They’ll need more than David Pastrnak to lead the charge offensively and for Jeremy Swayman to find his game.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The 2024-25 season was a bit of an anomaly for the Columbus Blue Jackets, finishing just two points out of a playoff spot. After being one of the worst teams in the league for a number of years, the Blue Jackets found an unexpected stride last season.

2025-26 might just be a fall back to earth for the Blue Jackets, but maybe with an outstanding consolation prize. The Blue Jackets showed they can play good hockey and can vie for playoff positioning, but they might just need that one McKenna sized piece to get them over the edge.

Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators made the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017. Can they maintain their winning ways, or are they looking back to the lottery for some help?

This one is the longest shot considering they were a playoff team showing a ton of potential in 2024-25, but nothing is guaranteed in the NHL. Their lineup didn’t take massive strides forward this offseason and they will still have a bit of an uphill battle ahead of them.

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