Gavin McKenna was selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs during Friday’s opening round of the 2026 NHL Draft.
The 18-year-old McKenna has long been a favorite for the top choice, it was just a matter of where the Penn State forward would be playing as a professional. The Maple Leafs won last month’s NHL Draft Lottery after having the fifth-best odds (8.5%) to select No. 1.
“The most skilled player in the draft, McKenna has the offensive advantage over just about every player in the class,” wrote FloHockey NHL Draft analyst Chris Peters. “But the concerns about his play away from the puck, lack of interior play and reliance on power play usage for production this season caused at least pause. McKenna had a good season, but not a season that was reflective of a no-doubt first-overall selection. No one really took the mantle away from him.”
The left-handed shooting McKenna scored 15 goals and recorded 51 points in 35 games with the Nittany Lions this past season. He helped Canada to a bronze medal with four goals and 14 points in seven games during the World Junior Championship in December.
McKenna chose Penn State over junior hockey in Canada after the NCAA allowed Canadian Hockey League players to be eligible to play collegiately beginning with the 2025-26 season. That decision also allowed him to earn up to $700,000 in NIL compensation.
McKenna joins a Maple Leafs team looking to bounce back after a down year. Toronto missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2016 after finishing last place in the Atlantic Division. Head coach Craig Berube was fired and former Los Angeles Kings bench boss Jim Hiller was installed as his replacement.
As captain Auston Matthews enters the final two seasons of his contract before he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency, the franchise is doing everything it can to construct a winning roster and win its first Stanley Cup title since 1967. Adding McKenna is a good start.
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