The biggest name among all rookies will be playing his trade in the NHL's Atlantic Division this season, and in an increasingly common trend, he's a former NCAA player.
Gavin McKenna jumped from the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL to the Penn State Nittany Lions last season, finishing his freshman year in the top 10 for the Hobey Baker as a freshman, and now he's ready for the next step with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But the 2026 No. 1 pick is not the only former NCAA player looking to make a big impact in his first NHL season.
Let's break down the top three former NCAA rookies in the Atlantic Division for 2026-27:
1. GAVIN MCKENNA, LW, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
You know the story by now: McKenna went from dominating WHL competition at 16 to being among the most productive forwards in college hockey a year later.
He finished second in the nation in points per game (1.46) and assists (36 in 35 games) and has already signed his entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs.
Making strong predictions about how much a teenager will score in the NHL is tricky. However, one imagines a playmaker like McKenna shouldn't have too much difficulty finding a way to make it work with players like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Matthew Knies available as linemates.
He might not end up as the Calder Trophy winner, but he'll certainly get more opportunities to make a run at it than most other first-year players.
Gavin McKenna’s Whirlwind Summer: From Training with Macklin Celebrini, Auston Matthews' Welcome And Expectations For This Season With Maple Leafs Gavin McKenna’s Whirlwind Summer: From Training with Macklin Celebrini, Auston Matthews' Welcome And Expectations For This Season With Maple Leafs McKenna says this summer will probably be his busiest ever, as the newest Toronto Maple Leaf navigates preparation for his first professional season.
2. JACOB FOWLER, G, MONTREAL CANADIENS
This is Fowler's second full year as a pro; he played only 17 regular-season games and made one playoff appearance in 2025-26. That means he's still considered a rookie, and he's likely to get a lot of runway alongside batterymate Jakub Dobes, who's entering his second year in the league.
Everything in Fowler's history suggests he is an elite goaltender, including the fact that he put up a .916 save percentage in the AHL and a .908 SP in the NHL at just 21 years old as a first-year pro.
Between Dobes and Sam Montembeault, it's unlikely that Fowler gets the lion's share of the starts for a Montreal Canadiens team that looks to be very good once again, but he has proven he's worthy of a 1B role at the very least.
If Dobes and/or Montembeault get hurt or falter, Fowler will have the opportunity to do even more.
3. JAMES HAGENS, C, BOSTON BRUINS
Hagens had what some (incorrectly) consider a disappointing college career, with'only' 34 goals, 50 assists, and an 84-point career line in just 71 games, while providing a solid 200-foot presence, all of which he played from ages 17-19.
He'll be 20 in November and seems more than ready for pro hockey; he put up a goal and four points in six games with the AHL's Providence Bruins and played five games in the NHL between the regular season and the playoffs.
This is a guy they think"has it.
So there's a real opportunity for Hagens to make the Boston Bruins out of camp. Right now, there are rumors that Pavel Zacha might get traded, and while Hagens didn't play the middle of the ice during that brief run with Providence on a tryout contract last year, such a trade would further open up a door.
But it's not like the Bruins are particularly deep on the wings, either, and it's easy to see him slotting into that kind of role next to, say, Fraser Minten, who's coming off a solid rookie season.