Elite Prospects November top-50 2026 NHL Draft Ranking

Two months ago, the draft's primary debate was who’s next after Gavin McKenna? 

Now, all the talk is about who is No. 1? 

It has essentially become a five-player race, featuring McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff, and Ethan Belchetz. Each brings their own unique skill set, and provided no one pulls away with it, the top pick could easily end up coming down to skill set and positional preference, just like in 2022. 

For now, McKenna remains our No. 1. He’s been better than the discourse, though his last few weekends have certainly shaken confidence around the industry. Still, he remains the most skilled and dynamic player, with the longest track record of elite success. With Penn State’s final game of 2025 played last weekend, he’ll have an extended layoff to reset and prepare