Report: Toronto Maple Leafs Drafting Gavin McKenna First Overall

The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the clock, and according to reports, they'll be using their first-overall selection to take Penn State star Gavin McKenna. 

Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka has recently met with McKenna at the draft combine, but also made the trip to meet his family in the Yukon, and from all accounts, those meetings have gone well, and both sides are excited for what's to come.

A source close to the situation, who was part of the NHL Combine, tells me Toronto told Gavin McKenna during their interview with the player that they intend on drafting him with the first overall pick.

— Shawn Hutcheon (@ShawnHutcheon) June 9, 2026

McKenna's been on the radar as the prized prospect for years now, and despite a slow start to his NCAA career, McKenna turned it on during the World Juniors, and was lights out during the second half of the college season.

After losing Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights last offseason, this is a perfect replacement for the Leafs top six. McKenna's a winger who can distribute with the best of them, and his ability to slow the play down is something the Leafs missed a ton of this season.

Auston Matthews is reportedly in for next season and is excited to see what kinds of moves Chayka can pull off. The Leafs are expected to trade one of their goaltenders, along with veteran defencemen Morgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo.

Look for the Leafs to make some noise at the NHL Draft from Buffalo in a couple of weeks, and while there's some trades coming, there's also McKenna mania on the way too!

Photo credit: Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images