NHL Sour Rankings: Fizzling Flames Lead The McKenna Sweepstakes Early
The first NHL Sour Rankings of the season highlight teams that appear least motivated so far. One month into the 2025-26 NHL season, the standings remain tightly packed with only a few teams struggling at the bottom.
Currently, only six teams hold a record below .500, showcasing the league's notable parity. As usual, The Hockey News takes a monthly look at the bottom dwellers in the standings with the Sour Rankings.
Draft Lottery and Top Prospects
With this being the initial Sour Rankings edition, it’s crucial to consider which prospects bottom teams hope to draft if they stay near the bottom.
The leading prospect for this year’s NHL draft is Gavin McKenna, a highly talented winger who has excelled in the WHL and is now putting up strong numbers at Penn State in the NCAA. His creativity and dynamic skills make him an exciting potential addition.
This draft year is regarded as deep and strong, especially at the top, with many promising prospects. Among them, Tynan Lawrence stands out as the top center, offering a blend of skill, speed, and power.
"The top prospect in this year’s NHL draft is Gavin McKenna, a superstar forward who has dominated the WHL the last couple of seasons, and now he’s putting up impressive numbers at the NCAA level with Penn State."
"It’s widely considered a strong draft with more depth at the top than recent years."
Teams at the bottom are eager to secure these prospects to strengthen their rosters in the coming seasons.
Author's summary: The NHL's early-season standings show strong parity, with a few struggling teams eyeing top prospects like Gavin McKenna to fuel future success.