The Toronto Maple Leafs have spent years building their roster around Auston Matthews and the botched Core Four experiment.
That has been understandable. Matthews is a franchise player, a former 60-goal scorer, and one of the best centers of his generation. However, the former Hart Trophy winner also carries a $13.25 million annual cap hit through 2027-28.
But the arrival of Gavin McKenna could eventually change the equation.
The Maple Leafs selected McKenna first overall in 2026, and the expectations surrounding him are enormous. He isn’t going to replace Matthews overnight, but if he becomes the superstar many expect, Toronto’s timeline could look very different a few years from now.
That’s the interesting part of the argument coming from The Athletic‘s Corey Pronman. If everything goes according to plan, McKenna could end up becoming the cornerstone the Leafs need, foregoing the need to dish out a massive contract for Matthews.
“Auston Matthews will still be a highly productive, elite goal scorer into his early 30s. But what completely alters Toronto’s trajectory and keeps the Maple Leafs in the upper echelon is the arrival of Gavin McKenna. Selected No. 1 in 2026, McKenna is a winger with elite offensive tools and game-breaking ability. If the Maple Leafs can build a little depth around those two and William Nylander, they could win a lot of games, or at the very least score a lot of goals.”
Maybe the Maple Leafs don’t need to bend their entire salary-cap structure around Matthews anymore.
Maybe they can build around McKenna and William Nylander instead.
That doesn’t mean Toronto should rush Matthews out the door. Far from it.
It simply means the organization finally has another potential franchise cornerstone to consider when making some very expensive decisions.
The Maple Leafs Could Save Their Money for McKenna
This is where things get a little dicey.
McKenna is entering the NHL on an entry-level contract. That gives the Maple Leafs something they haven’t had with a player of his potential in a very long time: an elite talent who doesn’t consume a massive portion of the salary cap.
That window won’t last forever.
If McKenna becomes the player everyone expects him to become, his second contract is going to be enormous. And by then, the Maple Leafs could be looking at a very different salary-cap landscape.
That’s why Toronto shouldn’t automatically assume it needs to give Matthews another massive contract when his current deal expires.
Would it really make sense to hand Matthews another $13 million-plus contract if doing so makes it significantly harder to surround McKenna with the talent necessary to win?
That’s the question the Maple Leafs eventually have to answer.
Toronto could instead preserve some financial flexibility and build a deeper roster around McKenna and Nylander.
That might actually be the better path.
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Matthews Could Stay If He’s Willing to Take Less
Of course, there is another option: Keep Matthews.
There’s no reason the Maple Leafs have to choose between their current superstar and their potential future superstar. If Matthews is willing to leave some money on the table, Toronto could potentially keep both players while maintaining enough flexibility to build around them.
That would be the ideal scenario.
Matthews could remain the face of the franchise while gradually handing some of that responsibility to McKenna. The younger star could grow into his role without being asked to immediately replace one of the most important players in Maple Leafs history.
And perhaps Matthews would actually be willing to do that.
He has already made an enormous amount of money. At some point, winning has to matter more than maximizing every last dollar. If Matthews wants another massive contract, however, the Maple Leafs may have to make a difficult decision.
That’s because McKenna changes everything.
Maple Leafs May Not Need Matthews as Much as They Think