Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jun 18

Pronman Projects Maple Leafs to Take Gavin McKenna No. 1 in 223-Pick NHL Mock Draft

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jun 18

Pronman Projects Maple Leafs to Take Gavin McKenna No. 1 in 223-Pick NHL Mock Draft

Q: Which high-risk prospect, like Lagerberg or Novotný, could become the biggest steal of this year's NHL draft?

Adam Novotný looks like the best bet to become this draft’s biggest steal. The case is straightforward: he was once viewed as a lottery-level talent, but Pronman’s mock has him slipping to No. 31, where St. Louis could take a low-risk swing on high-end upside. That gap between earlier reputation and projected draft slot is usually where steals are found. The upside is real. Novotný is widely described as a fast, aggressive winger with a pro frame, a dangerous shot and the ability to generate offense from inside scoring areas. In Peterborough, he produced 65 points and 34 goals in 58 OHL games, and some evaluators still see top-six potential. Even at the World Juniors, where the points did not fully come, he drove play and led Czechia in shots, suggesting the underlying offense was better than the box score. The risk is also clear. Scouts have questioned his puck management, consistency, shot selection and defensive detail, which helps explain why he could slide into the late first round. But if those habits improve, the talent level is much higher than a typical No. 31 pick. Lagerberg is the other strong answer. He may have even greater pure steal potential because his knee injury depressed his stock, while his pre-injury profile pointed to first-round tools as a tall, fast scoring winger. But among the names tied directly to Pronman’s first-round mock, Novotný is the cleaner pick as the most likely high-risk player to outperform his draft slot.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 18

223 projected picks headline Corey Pronman’s annual seven-round NHL mock draft, with Toronto opening the board by selecting winger Gavin McKenna first overall.
League sources cited by Pronman call McKenna to the Maple Leafs close to a foregone conclusion, even with Toronto also doing work on Ivar Stenberg, Chase Reid and Caleb Malhotra.
The projected top five has San Jose taking Reid at No. 2, Vancouver landing Malhotra at No. 3, Chicago getting Stenberg at No. 4 and the Rangers selecting defenseman Carels at No. 5.
Defensemen dominate much of Pronman’s early first round, with Seattle linked to Verhoeff, Winnipeg to Alberts Smits and Florida to Daxon Rudolph if the Panthers keep their pick.
The mock draft arrives a week before the 2026 NHL Draft, offering a full-board snapshot of team preferences as late risers, medical updates and trade possibilities keep the order fluid.