The Toronto Maple Leafs will kick off their 2026-27 NHL season on Tuesday night at home against the Montreal Canadiens.
Toronto enters the season with plenty of expectations after drafting Gavin McKenna first overall and landing the likes of Sergei Bobrovsky and Darren Raddysh.
The Maple Leafs have the 11th-best odds of winning the Stanley Cup entering the year.
Gavin McKenna Makes Surprise Decision Ahead of Maple Leafs Debut
Toronto will open its season at home, and it will also serve as the NHL debut of Gavin McKenna.
The first overall pick has plenty of hype, and ahead of his debut, he didn’t participate in the optional morning skate, which surprised some.
Chris Tanev: “He’s got some swag.”
“Rookie Gavin McKenna took the option and skipped morning skate. Chris Tanev: “He’s got some swag,”” Luke Fox wrote on X.
Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller was actually excited to hear that McKenna didn’t participate in morning skate.
“I actually thought it was great. I really did,” Hiller said about McKenna. “Because that’s an optional skate. It’s optional if you think you need it to get ready to play tonight. And when I heard he didn’t go out, it didn’t surprise me. He just has that way. He knows who he is…”
McKenna recorded 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points in 35 games last season at Penn State. He’s expected to skate on the second line with John Tavares and Kirill Marchenko.
Toronto Makes Blockbuster Trade Before Season
The day before the NHL season, Toronto pulled off a blockbuster trade.
The Maple Leafs acquired Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a six-player blockbuster trade. Toronto also acquired Miles Wood, as well as goaltender Elvis Merzļikins, from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenceman Emil Andrae, forwards Matthew Knies and Steven Lorentz, and a second-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft.
“There’s a lot of good players in the NHL, very few that can impact winning and can single-handedly dictate outcomes of games. We believe that Kirill is one of those players for us,” Maple Leafs GM Chayka said about the trade. …
“You have to give up quality to get quality, and we gave up some quality people and some quality players. But ultimately, my job is to always make the team as best as possible. And not just collect talent but put together a team that fits and works.”
Toronto vs. Montreal takes place at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.
Toronto Maple Leafs Gavin McKenna Makes Surprise Decision Ahead of Season Opener