It wasn’t a good season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who struggled to adjust to life without former first-round draft selection Mitch Marner and also had to deal with multiple injuries to key players.
The Maple Leafs missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2016, which was ironically the same year that they selected Auston Matthews with the first overall pick. History has now repeated itself, as the Maple Leafs won the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery and will have the right to choose first overall later this month.
Right now, the presumptive first overall selection is Penn State Nittany Lions forward Gavin McKenna, who has consistently been ranked at the top or near the top of every analyst’s prospect list. But how would McKenna feel about playing for the Maple Leafs if they were to select him with the first overall pick?
Gavin McKenna Speaks Honestly About The Potential Of Playing For The Toronto Maple Leafs
McKenna recently said that it was “crazy” that the Maple Leafs ultimately ended up with the first overall selection, and that he would be “fortunate” to play for a team that is expected to compete for the postseason in 2026-27.
“Going to a Canadian market would be pretty special. Obviously, the situation the Leafs are in right now, it’s pretty crazy they got the first overall pick,” McKenna said Friday. “They’re a team who’s probably going to be fighting for the playoffs next year so I’d be pretty fortunate to go there.”
New Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka recently met with McKenna in Whitehorse, Yukon, and came away impressed.
“I spent a lot of time with him and his family now and going through that process. We want to make sure we get the person right, first and foremost,” Chayka said Friday. “Gavin is a really nice young man. Really quality family. Spent some quality time with him, got to know him. He’s a small-town kid. It’s a remote area of the world, very peaceful but beautiful. Within that, I think there’s some real resolve around who he is and what his career means to him and his family, and I find it impressive.”
McKenna scored 15 goals with 31 assists in 36 games during his freshman year at Penn State, and also led the Big Ten in conference scoring while setting program freshman records for points and assists.
John Chayka Has A Major Decision To Make
The Maple Leafs did not enter this season expecting to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but their inconsistent play and the numerous injuries that struck so many key players caught up to them.
But now, they have the opportunity to turn the page – not only with new general manager John Chayka, who replaced Brad Treliving (fired on March 30), but also with a yet-to-be-named head coach following the dismissal of Craig Berube after two seasons on the job.
Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs also received a major boost by winning the NHL Draft Lottery, earning the right to select first overall.
Gavin McKenna Offers Blunt Response To Potentially Joining Maple Leafs