Skip to page content
Loading page
Search
pick a player randomlygo to advanced search
The EP app is now live! Try it out.
Get the App

Rinkside Roundup: Gavin McKenna is setting up to make history

Dan Hickling - Hickling Images
NHL Prospect Report

It’s been a highly eventful week in the prospects world. A bunch of high-profile names have continued to dominate their respective leagues — from Gavin McKenna’s continued quest to make history in the WHL, to Zayne Parekh putting up monster numbers in Saginaw, to Jacob Fowler putting on a clinic in Boston College’s weekend back-to-back against their rivals.

Meanwhile, Justin Poirier is slowly driving a wedge between him and the rest of the league when it comes to goalscoring skill, and overseas, Lenni Hämeenaho and Oliver Kapanen have been showing NHL-level qualities against pro competition.

We’ll start with McKenna — the youngest and most promising prospect in this group.

Gavin McKenna, LW, Medicine Hat Tigers (2026 NHL Draft) 

Season stats: 21G, 57A, 78PTS

Last Week Stats: 1G, 7A, 8PTS

With eight points in his last three games — and 18 in his last eight since returning from the World Juniors — Gavin McKenna just can’t stop racking up assists. They’re not fluke plays, either — 12 of the 16 assists he accumulated in his recent run of games have been primary. 

The arrival of Minnesota Wild winger Ryder Ritchie via trade has only further bolstered McKenna’s ability to flash his distribution game. The two have been combining wonderfully this season, whether they’re playing catch on the power play or connecting with high-end passing plays in transition. 

McKenna is making history — his current 2.08 points per game on the campaign would be the highest full-season mark in WHL history for a draft-minus-one prospect if he maintains it through the final stretch. If Cayden Lindstrom gets back in the Tigers’ lineup in the next couple months, McKenna will only have more talent on his team to work with — Lindstrom’s constant slot drives and power play net-front work will be a welcome addition to McKenna’s creative playmaking attempts.

Zayne Parekh, D, Saginaw Spirit (Calgary Flames) 

Season stats: 21G, 38A, 59PTS

Last Week Stats: 5G, 3A, 8PTS

With two multi-goal games over the weekend, including a hat-trick in Sunday’s bout against the Ottawa 67’s, Zayne Parekh easily makes this week’s Roundup. The Calgary Flames’ seventh overall pick in 2024 has racked up a whopping 15 points in his last five games for Saginaw. He now sits second in OHL scoring among defencemen, one point behind fellow Flames 2024 draftee Henry Mews. Our OHL scout Lauren Kelly had this to say about Parekh’s performance last week against the Guelph Storm in a recent game report:

“His offensive vision continues to shine this season, but he's also taken a ton of steps to improving the success rate of his breakouts [...]. He initiates contact on retrievals now too, and he seals players off along the boards with his arm and hip before trying to poke pucks away with his stick. His defensive reads are much stronger than last season.”

Parekh and Michael Misa keep finding new ways to connect, building more and more chemistry with each passing game. The Saginaw Spirit have a contending core that is having a major positive impact on both prospects’ development.

Jacob Fowler, G, Boston College (Montréal Canadiens) 

Season Stats: 17W, .938SV%, 1.63 GAA

Last Week Stats: 2W, .968SV%, 1.00 GAA

The undisputed top goaltender in the NCAA strikes again. Jacob Fowler has been phenomenal so far in his sophomore year at Boston College — the Montréal Canadiens’ third-round pick in 2023 was once again stellar this week in the Eagles’ weekend back-to-back against their rivals, the Boston University Terriers. He allowed two goals on 33 shots on Friday in a 6-2 win, before following that up with a 2-0 shutout on Saturday.

Composure has become a staple in Fowler’s game — where he would previously falter under high pressure, the 6-foot-2, 214-pound netminder now keeps his feet moving, controls his depth, and routinely keeps his chest square to the puck. The Canadiens are in a great spot, goaltending-wise. Samuel Montembeault continues to perform well, while Jakub Dobeš has stolen the backup spot from Cayden Primeau with some stellar rookie performances. But Fowler has the potential to out-perform them all, and is only scratching the surface of what he can do with a more athletic frame.

Oliver Kapanen, C, Timrå IK (Montréal Canadiens) 

Season Stats: 10G, 11A, 21PTS

Last Week Stats: 3G, 0A, 3PTS

On the subject of Habs prospects, Oliver Kapanen also deserves his flowers. On the back of a stellar pre-season camp, the Canadiens’ 64th-overall pick in 2021 forced his way into the starting lineup, earning a 12-game stint before being loaned overseas to Timrå in the SHL. He is currently clicking at a point-per-game pace, sitting second on the team in that regard since joining.

Our Swedish scout, Jimmy Hamrin, noted the considerable uptick in cohesive on-puck ability in his game report on Kapanen’s second career SHL game: 

“He dominated in the face-off circle, won loose pucks and carried the play for his line through the neutral zone. It is like he is playing with a magnet on his stick at times as even the worst passes seem to find his blade. He is an easy player to play with that way and his line created a lot of offence in this game.”

Since then, Kapanen’s transition game has only kept growing, and he is settling in as Timrå’s first-line centre at this level. Between that and playing as a 13th forward in the NHL, the best path to improving his long-term projection is clear. The Habs made the right choice in loaning him overseas.

Justin Poirier, RW, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (Carolina Hurricanes) 

Season stats: 36G, 30A, 66PTS

Last Week Stats: 6G, 3A, 9PTS

Heading over to the QMJHL, Justin Poirier continues to impress on a nightly basis for Baie-Comeau. The Carolina Hurricanes’ fifth-rounder in 2024 has continued to diversify his offensive arsenal, while still staying true to his identity as a sniper.

The QMJHL’s player of the week continues to pick corners with impunity — his hard, accurate, downforce-laden wrister allows him to work defenders into screening positions before quickly changing his angle upon release. The rest of his offensive game, however, is starting to catch up — he works off-puck routes into give-and-go plays, finds seams on the power play, and has gotten more comfortable driving the net for additional chances. 

Working on developing habits that support that growth in his skill set will be the next step to beating the odds as an undersized NHL scorer.

Lenni Hämeenaho, RW, Ässät Pori (New Jersey Devils) 

Season Stats: 16G, 20A, 36PTS

Last Week Stats: 2G, 2A, 4PTS

With a three-point performance on Friday and a one-goal effort on Saturday, Lenni Hämeenaho more than deserves the final spot in this Roundup. The New Jersey Devils’ 58th-overall selection in 2023 stands out massively at this level, primarily due to polished, NHL-scalable habits and puck skills.

Although his skating remains a setback — he doesn’t have the mobility to overwhelm defences or escape board pressure — Hämeenaho’s brain works at an NHL level already. He exploits aggressive defenders by quickly finding the right pass, frequently creates advantages by drawing pressure to him, and always picks the right routes in all three zones. With the right linemates, Hämeenaho has legitimate middle-six upside as a dual-threat scorer and defensive presence who will do most of his damage off-puck.

Similar articles you may be interested in
Next Article