The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to make the first overall selection in the NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York, on Friday night. This marks a significant moment for the franchise, which is undergoing a transition with a new front office and coaching staff. The draft comes a decade after the Maple Leafs last held the top pick, selecting Auston Matthews in the same arena.
Gavin McKenna, an 18-year-old winger from Whitehorse, Yukon, is widely projected to be the first overall pick. McKenna, who stands 5-foot-11, is considered a prolific scorer. He recently visited Toronto and attended a World Cup game with his family. Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka toured McKenna’s hometown last month, and McKenna expressed his excitement about the possibility of joining the team, noting the passionate fan base.
McKenna’s journey to the draft has included a move from the Western Hockey League (WHL) to Penn State in the NCAA, where he faced older and more physical competition. He concluded his freshman season with 32 points in his final 17 outings, finishing tied for fourth nationally with 51 points. Chayka described McKenna’s background as an “amazing story,” highlighting that he did not have a skills coach until he was 13, a skating coach until 13, or attend a gym until he was 15.
Draft Prospects and Uncertainty
While McKenna is the projected No. 1 pick, the draft class is characterized by a scarcity of top centres and an abundance of defencemen, leading to uncertainty among NHL executives regarding the top five selections. San Jose Sharks General Manager Mike Grier, whose team holds the second and ninth picks, noted the unpredictability, stating that “everyone’s board is going to be drastically different.”
Other top prospects include Swedish left winger Ivar Stenberg, centre Caleb Malhotra, and defencemen Alberts Smits from Latvia, Keaton Verhoeff from North Dakota, and Chase Reid, the top-ranked U.S.-born prospect. There is particular interest in Vancouver, which picks third, and the potential for Malhotra to be selected by a team coached by his father, Manny Malhotra. The hometown Buffalo Sabres hold the fourth pick, followed by the New York Rangers.
The possibility of trades further complicates the draft order. Buffalo has already acquired the fourth pick by trading defenceman Bo Byram to Chicago. The ninth pick has changed hands three times recently, moving from Florida to Ottawa before being acquired by San Jose. Grier has received “a couple of legitimate offers” for the No. 2 pick, and Chayka has reportedly pushed to secure another top-five selection. Predators GM Chris McFarland commented on the unusual level of activity for high picks, as top-five selections rarely change hands.
Maple Leafs’ Organizational Context
The Maple Leafs’ draft preparations occur as the organization aims to rebuild its core group after finishing last in the Atlantic Division, missing the playoffs for the first time with Matthews on the roster. The team has a new front office, led by Chayka, and a new head coach, Jim Hiller. Hiller’s official introduction took place in Toronto, where Chayka confirmed the organization had decided on their first pick.
Despite the team’s recent struggles, the organization celebrated a championship win on Monday when the Toronto Marlies secured the AHL Calder Cup. The Marlies defeated the Chicago Wolves 4-3 in a five-game series, marking the franchise’s second Calder Cup victory. Marlies goaltender Artur Akhtyamov, a fourth-round pick by the Leafs in the 2020 draft, made 27 saves in the decisive Game 5 and was named the playoffs’ Most Valuable Player, receiving the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy.
McKenna expressed his gratitude for the opportunity, reflecting on how he would feel as a young kid seeing himself in this position. He has been in the spotlight since his debut in the WHL at age 14, where he recorded four assists for the Medicine Hat Tigers in 2022. He later led the Canadian Hockey League with 129 points in 2024-25 before transitioning to the NCAA.
The draft represents a fresh start for the Maple Leafs, with the first round commencing on Friday night in Buffalo.
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Source: theglobeandmail.com
As CasinoNews's Sports News Writer, Mason Leclair reports on the CFL, golf and combat sports for readers across the country. He moved from regional papers into digital sport. He holds a degree in Journalism from Carleton University. Mason lives in Ottawa, where he follows the PGA Tour and mixed martial arts. “Get the facts down first, then add the context.”
