NHL: Stanley Cup Final-Florida Panthers at Edmonton Oilers - Source: Imagn — Hockey analyst believes Gavin MCKenna might overshadow Connor McDavid in future (Credit: IMAGN))

"Best prospect since McDavid" - NHL podcaster proclaims Hlinka Gretzky Cup standout as next face of the league

Modified Aug 09, 2024 17:40 GMT

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is considered a top talent in the league. Since joining the NHL in 2015, he has been the standard for excellence. However, hockey analyst Simon "Snake" Boisvert believes a new player might soon challenge McDavid's position: Gavin McKenna.

On an episode of The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro, Boisvert discussed standout players at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. This tournament showcases future NHL stars. Boisvert singled out McKenna, a player eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, comparing him to McDavid. Boisvert compared McKenna to McDavid.

"I mean a lot of them I would say and I'm not taking into consideration the game against Switzerland too much because was a ten-nothing route. But I'm talking about the game against Sweden. That was pretty good, obviously," Boisvert said [00:11:20].

"Gavin McKenna, the future Connor McDavid of the NHL in my opinion, best prospect since McDavid. I think he's a notch below McDavid at the same age, but just a very, very tiny little notch below McDavid."

However, he emphasized that this gap is minimal.

"So I don't know if he's going to be scoring 130 points a year in the NHL. I don't know. We don't know. But I think potentially he's the future megastar of the NHL once McDavid slows down," Boisvert concluded.

Apart from Connor McDavid, Boisvert suggested Gavin McKenna is better than Connor Bedard

The discussion also touched on Connor Bedard, the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft by Chicago Blackhawks. Host Tony Marinaro asked:

"We heard the same thing about Connor Bedard at one point of you are, are you saying that McKenna in your opinion has a higher ceiling than Medard?"

Boisvert replied he would choose Macklin Celebrini, a top prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft, over Bedard.

"Yeah. I think Bedard, I always tell people who enjoy hockey pools, you know, take Bedard, he's going to store a bunch of points." Boisvert said, "But there are still players that I prefer to Bedard. Like for instance, if I had to build a team, not a pool, a team, I would take Macklin Celebrini before Connor Bedard."

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup has helped McKenna gain attention. His speed, skill and understanding of the game have led to comparisons with McDavid. Some believe McKenna could be the NHL’s next superstar.