Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka praised young star Gavin McKenna, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
The 18-year-old McKenna has played in all 14 games for the Maple Leafs so far this season, scoring 3 goals and 8 points in total.
However, it has not been all sunshine and roses for the Whitehorse, Yukon, native, who was benched earlier in the season by Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller.
But McKenna took the benching in stride, and Chayka loves that about him.
John Chayka Praises Gavin McKenna
Speaking to Maple Leafs reporters, Chayka offered high praise for McKenna during the start of his NHL rookie season.
“Gavin’s been great. Like, things you see from him, it’s not hard to forecast out and see that he could be a top player in this league one day. The idea that 18-year-olds come in, even if they’re first-overall picks, and they’re ready to dictate outcomes and be superstars — if you actually look at it, that’s pretty rare and almost never happens. And so, for Gavin to come in and make the impact he has, it’s been great. I know Jim and the coaching staff love working with him. He’s gotten better pretty much every game. You know, there’s been ups and downs, like any player, but a lot of good trends,” Chayka said.
John Chayka Comments on Benching
Although Maple Leafs fans were not thrilled when Hiller benched McKenna earlier this year, Chayka understands why he did it.
“When it comes to protecting a lead, as a coaching staff, they’re trying to win hockey games the NHL level. And for all of Gavin’s offensive gifts coming in the league, playing without the puck when you’re used to having the puck your whole life, you’d probably guess there are players on our roster that they get paid to play better defensively. And for your coaching staff to lean on those players a little more heavily probably makes logical sense. But as we work through a development process with Gavin — and that’s what it is — I have no doubt his time will come, and he’ll continue to build up trust and confidence with the coaches. That’s all really healthy, actually. It’s actually the right thing for his development. And candidly, I thought Jim handled it well and continues to build a relationship with Gavin, and I think it’s going to be a really good relationship over a long period of time,” Chayka said.
Given McKenna’s offensive gifts, he has all the talent in the world to become an elite player in the NHL for many years to come. However, he still needs to learn the defensive side of the game, and that will take time.
The good news for Toronto is that they have so many veteran players that they can lean on for scoring goals, so McKenna can take his time to develop, and the Maple Leafs don’t have to go out there and rush him, which is a luxury they have.
John Chayka Praises Young Maple Leafs Star Gavin McKenna