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Drafting Gavin McKenna is the only option for the Maple Leafs at the 2026 NHL draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were smiled on by the hockey gods when they won the 2026 draft lottery. But now, the catch is that they have to hit a home run with the first-overall draft pick.
That said, before we go any further, let’s make it clear – we’re not here as a draft expert. The Hockey News has experts in that department in editor-in-chief Ryan Kennedy and writer Tony Ferrari, who we’ll defer to.
However, in sports, as in life, optics is everything. And the optics of new Maple Leafs GM John Chayka and senior executive advisor Mats Sundin picking anyone other than NCAA phenom Gavin McKenna would have Toronto management ripped to shreds before they even settle into their jobs.
Indeed, when you have a trusted appraiser of young hockey talent like University of Denver coach – and potential Maple Leafs coaching target – David Carle comparing McKenna’s skill to that of Tampa Bay Lightning superstar winger Nikita Kucherov, that’s a player you absolutely have to select with the No. 1 pick.
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This isn’t to demean Swedish left winger Ivar Stenberg, who some believe is more NHL-ready than McKenna. Nor are we running down consensus top-defenseman Chase Reid. Both of those players would no doubt have success for the Leafs, who need as much elite young help as they can get.
That said, the reality is that McKenna’s vision and creativity with the puck is what the Maple Leafs sorely lacked last season. With McKenna on the wing on a line with superstar Auston Matthews, Toronto would have the foundation they’re going to need for the foreseeable future. You can’t pass up on that opportunity, even if it means being patient with McKenna as he acclimates to the best league on planet Earth.
Regardless of whether Stenberg and/or Reid go on to have stellar NHL careers, you can’t take the chance that McKenna doesn’t live up to expectations. You have to go with McKenna and help him develop into an all-world NHLer.
MORE: 2026 NHL mock draft: Maple Leafs, Sharks win big in draft lottery
Ultimately, picking McKenna is a no-brainer. If Toronto passes on McKenna and he does turn into a superstar, Leafs management would be tormented for it for the rest of time. You can’t make the choice for the No. 1 pick based solely on public perception, but public perception does play a role in the decision-making process.
If you’re Chayka and Sundin, you have to sell your choice for the first-overall pick to the public. And no one will fault Toronto for going with McKenna, a player who’s been a phenom at every level he’s played in. Even this past season, with the NCAA’s Penn State Nittany Lions, McKenna was a point-and-a-half-per-game player. He still has maturing to do, but you can say the same about Stenberg and Reid.
The choice for the Maple Leafs is clear: pick the player with the highest ceiling – which is McKenna – or depart from the consensus and take a major risk by choosing someone else.
MORE: Maple Leafs 2026 NHL Draft Pick: The Case For Gavin McKenna
To his credit, McKenna has thrived despite the pressure of being seen as a generational player. Even if he’s not a point-for-point replacement for departed Leafs star winger Mitch Marner, McKenna is still a terrific talent whose best days are still to come. He’s absolutely worthy of the first-overall selection.
Thus, it’d be a massive shock if the Maple Leafs chose anyone other than McKenna. The Buds need help in many areas, but Toronto must go the expected route and take McKenna first overall.
McKenna’s instincts and craftiness separate him from the rest of this year’s draft class, and who knows – the Leafs may not get the top pick again for another decade or longer. Toronto lucked out with this year’s draft lottery, and they don’t need to reinvent the wheel by departing from public perception and taking a massive risk with someone other than McKenna.
McKenna has been a special player for years now, and the Maple Leafs have to take him with the first pick. It’s that simple and that straightforward.
And if Chayka and Sundin don’t pick McKenna, they could be haunted by that decision for the rest of their lives.
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