There’s plenty to watch with the Toronto Maple Leafs heading into the new season. Auston Matthews might be back to his old self.
William Nylander is still the scorer everyone expects him to be. Matthew Knies could take another step, and Easton Cowan is part of the conversation too.
But Gavin McKenna may be the most intriguing name of them all.
The 2026 first-overall pick has already brought a wave of hype, and his preseason play has only poured fuel on it. On Wednesday night in the Leafs’ preseason finale against the Ottawa Senators, the 18-year-old winger looked like he had another gear. Toronto rolled to a 6-1 win, and McKenna finished with one assist, a plus-3 rating and 16:47 of ice time.
The numbers on their own are modest. The impact was anything but.
Even with John Tavares and Nylander alongside him, McKenna kept driving the play and helping tilt the ice Toronto’s way. He was a major reason the Leafs spent so much of the night attacking.
That wasn’t a one-night burst, either. In his first real taste of something resembling NHL hockey last Saturday, McKenna kept creating chances and looked like the engine of the offense over both preseason games.
Pre-season, sample size etc.....but, a few things of note. Led the Leafs in pre-season in a few key offensive areas which speak to his strengths. Zone entries (17), OZ possession (2:13) and slot passes (8).
A lot to like heading into Tuesday's season opener. pic.twitter.com/FIVqD0r2zj
- Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) September 24, 2026
Those are the kinds of details that jump out. McKenna is getting into the zone with pace, finding teammates in dangerous spots and making the game look fast in all the right ways. His vision has stood out immediately.
Yes, it’s still preseason. Yes, the Senators weren’t rolling out a full NHL lineup.
That caveat is fair. But the early signs suggest this could carry over once the games count, starting next Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens.
For a Maple Leafs team that went through a miserable stretch last season, the idea of adding this kind of teenage talent is almost hard to believe. A year ago, this roster looked like it could challenge near the top of the Atlantic Division. Now McKenna is arriving as a player who looks capable of handling a top-six role right away.
That’s a pretty fortunate turn for Toronto.
In Other News...
Leafs Decision On Dennis Hildeby Suddenly Looks Worth Revisiting
When the Lightning claimed roster space for Dennis Hildeby by waiving Jonas Johansson, it offered a fresh reminder of how close the Leafs came to losing the young goalie for nothing. Hildeby was once part of Torontos pipeline, then moved to Tampa Bay in the deal involving Nick Paul and draft picks, a swap that helped reshape both clubs depth charts. At the time, Toronto had settled on Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz as its goalie tandem, leaving Hildeby expendable and vulnerable to the waiver wire.
Now, with Hildeby getting another look in Tampa Bays system, the old Toronto decision doesnt look quite as tidy in retrospect. The Leafs clearly prioritized their present crease situation, but the pathway they chose meant giving up a goaltender with some value at a point when he still could have been lost without any return at all. It is the kind of organizational fork in the road that doesnt always matter until a player resurfaces elsewhere and forces the question back into view. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Leave Preseason With One Encouraging Sign And One New Concern
The Leafs closed out the preseason with a 6-1 win in their final exhibition game, and coach Jim Hiller came away with a couple of clear takeaways from the night. Gavin McKenna looked improved in his second preseason game, while Easton Cowan continued to show the kind of versatility that can make him useful in different roles as camp winds down.
Jim Hiller also addressed Sergei Bobrovskys performance in net, but the bigger question coming out of the game involved Nick Paul. His status is still uncertain, though it is not believed to be serious, and the team is expected to know more the following day. For a group trying to leave the preseason feeling settled, that is the kind of update that can linger a little longer than a win usually does. [Read more 🡒]
Gavin McKenna Just Gave Leafs Fans Another Reason To Be Excited
Preseason games are built for exactly this kind of buzz, and Gavin McKenna gave Maple Leafs fans a little more of it against the Senators. The rookie picked up his first NHL point by tipping the puck to William Nylander on a sequence that ended with John Tavares scoring, a neat little play that immediately put McKenna on the radar in Torontos camp.
It will not count in the official career ledger, of course, but these are the moments that make September hockey feel meaningful. For a player trying to carve out a place with a team that always draws scrutiny, even a preseason assist can carry a little extra weight, especially when it comes in the kind of quick, connected shift the Leafs like to see from their younger talent. [Read more 🡒]