How top prospects handle the draft year pressure
BUFFALO – It won’t be long before the top 2026 NHL Draft prospects become hockey stars, known to fans around the world.
But at this moment, they’re just teenagers enjoying life.
And that’s easy to forget – we’re talking about 17 and 18-year-olds trying to navigate life in the spotlight. Gavin McKenna’s name has been in the hockey consciousness for about half a decade at this point.
These kids dream of making the NHL their whole lives. And when the reality gets closer, it can be a lot to handle. The pressure can cause a mental toll on just about anyone, no matter how prepared you are.
The media, the fan support, the draft boards, and the rumors. It’s hard to ignore it all, no matter who you are. But for the top prospects, dealing with the spotlight is all just part of the journey. And some prospects thrive in it.
“I like playing with pressure,” Ivar Stenberg told reporters during the NHL Draft Combine on Friday. “I think I always play well in those pressure games.”
Stenberg is coming off a remarkable World Championship performance, registering eight points in eight games with Sweden. It was the fifth-most productive campaign from a draft-eligible prospect in tournament history, with Patrik Laine (12 points in 10 games) being the gold standard. He also had 33 points in 43 games in his first full season of pro hockey in Sweden – again, a near-historic effort.
McKenna, meanwhile, entered the season as the top prospect. Many dropped them in their public rankings around Christmas time, but a tremendous second half with Penn State helped him thrust his way back into the top spot ahead of the draft later this month.
“It’s just hockey in the end,” McKenna said prior to the 2026 World Juniors. “I’m just doing what I do all the time, and it’s trying to win.”
If anyone knows how to deal with pressure, it’s McKenna. And through it all, the small-town kid from Whitehorse has had some good resources to lean on.
“Earlier in the year, I talked with Connor (Bedard) a little bit and just asked for some advice,” McKenna said. “We’ve gone through some similar things with media and pressure and stuff like that. I think we both kind of know what it’s like a little bit.”
Keaton Verhoeff has heard his name quite a bit this year. Like McKenna, Verhoeff jumped to the NCAA this past season in an attempt to truly challenge himself. But with it came growing pains, leaving some scouts to drop them down their draft boards.
Verhoeff is more focused on the long term and believes his decision will pay off in the end. Many scouts wholeheartedly agree.
“I think playing against these older, faster guys has really made me into a more mature defenseman, and helped me play a more mature game,” Verhoeff said back in April. “I think it’s something that I kind of wanted to emphasize this year, which was developing my defensive game and my 200-foot game. And I think that’s something I did and I’m pretty happy with.”
Latvian defender Alberts Smits had a dream season for a young prospect. Not only did he spend the whole season playing against pros in Finland and Germany, but he also played a pivotal role with Latvia at the World Juniors, World Championship, and, most notably, the Winter Olympics in Italy. Through it all, he has displayed a no-nonsense attitude – nothing seems to faze the young blueliner.
“It doesn’t really matter how young or how old you are, at least not for me,” Smits said. “I just went through those events and once I got there, I didn’t think too much of it. I just went out there, and now I try to do my best and do my job.”
Caleb Malhotra is in a unique position. Not only is he projected to be the first center off the board, but the Brantford Bulldogs forward appears likely to be available with pick No. 3. That’s where the Vancouver Canucks, with Caleb’s father as coach, are due to pick. Malhotra said having his father as a resource has been so valuable for his development, but it’s hard to ignore the added pressure sent his way if the team were to draft him.
Malhotra wasn’t worried about that this season, though. He just wanted to impress everyone, all the time.
“I think I just go out there playing,” Malhotra said, answering the question on behalf of himself and Chase Reid. “We’ve had a lot of adversity, and we’ve played, and we’ve made our way up to be fortunate enough to be in this position. And I think for us, we’re just out there playing. We’re not really worried about too much pressure.”
Reid agrees.
“It’s about being present in the moment,” the Soo Greyhounds defender said. “I think we’ve both gone through building our way from nothing to something big. So I think as long as we keep our noses to the grindstone, I think everything will pan out.”
The on-ice portion of the season is over. Outside of Saturday’s fitness tests, the only thing left to do is to relax and look forward to the draft. Regardless of where players are selected, being taken in the NHL Draft is something they all aspire to. And for 32 players on June 26, they’ll forever be remembered as first-round draft picks, regardless of what happens next.
Next up? The real test – making the NHL. And once that happens, the draft year will feel like a drop in the bucket in comparison.
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