Gavin McKenna may be a rookie, but he’s a first-year player with very high expectations.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft has yet to play in his first NHL game, but he’s expected to be a big-time contributor for the Toronto Maple Leafs in his rookie year. The 18-year-old made garnered attention due to his offensive talent in stints with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers and during his lone year in college at Penn State.
During the 2024-25 season with Medicine Hate, McKenna set a league record with a point in 54 consecutive games and he won the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s Most Valuable Player after posting 41 goals and 88 assists for 129 points in just 56 games. In his lone season with Penn State, the 5-foot-11 forward posted 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points in just 35 games.
The Maple Leafs are coming off of a down year after missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade. A year after pushing the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers to seven games, the Maple Leafs were the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference with just 78 points.
However, first-year general manager John Chayka has made a number of high-profile moves this offseason, leading to increased expectations for the Leafs. McKenna has taken notice of these aggressive moves.
âYou see what Chayka is doing,” said McKenna. “You see the players heâs bringing in. I think we obviously want to go on a run this year. So itâs very fortunate for me to go to a team like that thatâs hungry and in that winning environment. Itâs pretty common that players who get drafted first overall go to a team thatâs tanking, and thatâs not the case for me. I know Iâve gotten lucky.â
Maple Leafs’ Aggressive Approach This Offseason
The Maple Leafs have signed two-time Stanley Cup champion goalie Sergei Bobrovsky along with making a major sign-and-trade for former Tampa Bay Lightning star Darren Raddysh. The Leafs promptly signed Raddysh to an eight-year, $68 million contract.
They also hired a new head coach in Jim Hiller, who previously served as an assistant coach for the Maple Leafs years prior.
It’s clear that Toronto is not in a rebuild mode at all. Prior to this past season, the Maple Leafs had been to the playoffs in nine consecutive seasons. They still have the entire main core from the last playoff team — Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares — with the exception of Mitch Marner.
Where the Maple Leafs Need to Improve
The Maple Leafs clearly have to get Matthews back on the right track after he’s been in a decline over recent seasons. Matthews produced a career-low 53 points and 27 goals last season. The lack of production comes two years after Matthews led the NHL with 69 goals, while setting a single-season record in that category in the Stanley Cup era.
The Leafs also have to improve on the defensive end after allowing the second-most goals of any team last season. They also ranked just 15th on the power play.
It’s clear that the Leafs are all in for this season as they look to rebound from last year’s disappointing season. The first-year McKenna is someone who has taken notice of the team’s motivated approach this offseason.
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