Potentially the most anticipated prospect since Connor McDavid, the Penn State alum, McKenna leads NHL Draft rankings.
For the better part of two years, Gavin McKenna was the consensus number one overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
It was clear that he was the premier player while playing for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League, which is why he took his talents to Penn State University.
While with the Nittany Lions, McKenna looked the part, scoring 51 points over 35 games and getting used to playing against older, more physically mature players.
And now he’ll get the chance to play with two of the best players the NHL has to offer.
The Toronto Maple Leafs won the Draft Lottery earlier last month, and there was speculation whether Toronto was going to select McKenna or not.
But why would Toronto even think about taking the top-ranked player for years?
It’s a trend that has become more prominent in hockey. When you’re in a position like McKenna, you tend to get overanalyzed. Teams start finding reasons not to draft you, and your weaknesses become more profound.
Such was the case for players like Cole Eiserman, Matvei Michkov, Shane Wright, and recently James Hagens.
Ivar Stenberg, the second-ranked prospect in the draft, was beginning to gain some momentum in late May, posting eight points in eight games for Sweden during the World Championships.
However, during the NHL Combine last week, the Leafs had allegedly told McKenna that they were planning on taking him first overall.
Or at least that’s what Shawn Hutcheon of The Fourth Period heard.
It also lines up with what Chris Johnston of The Athletic reported on his podcast "The Chris Johnston Show," suggesting that it was “more likely than not” that the Leafs were going to select him.
For over 60 years, the Maple Leafs have been through heavy scrutiny. There’s a reason why people in the hockey world call Toronto “The Hockey Mecca.” Hockey in Toronto is what football is to people in Green Bay.
When you play for the Maple Leafs, you’re either a hero or the villain you didn’t sign up for.
McKenna will get the chance to play with Auston Matthews, one of, if not the most skilled goal scorer in the NHL. Alongside Matthews, he’ll also get to play with William Nylander and veteran John Tavares.
After the Leafs lost Mitch Marner to free agency, many speculated that the Leafs’ run with Matthews and Nylander would come to a close.
But after they won the lottery, and had McKenna fall into their laps, perhaps there’s a beam of light sneaking in between rubble.
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