Jack Hughes didn’t just answer a question about Gavin McKenna at NHL Media Day on Wednesday - he took a swipe at the Toronto Maple Leafs while doing it.
Asked by Michael Traikos about what McKenna is stepping into this season, the New Jersey Devils forward and former first-overall pick framed the rookie’s situation in a favorable light. Then came the line aimed at Toronto: "[McKenna] might be in the best spot because they should have a good team - the Leafs probably shouldn't have had the first-overall pick - and on top of that AMats [Auston Matthews] and John Tavares, who were both first-overall picks before."
Traikos later posted that he had asked Hughes about the situation McKenna is walking into with the Maple Leafs, and said Hughes gave a strong answer as a No. 1 overall pick himself.
The comment about Toronto not really deserving the top selection is the kind of thing Leafs fans won’t forget in a hurry. But there is at least some logic behind it.
The 2025 Toronto Maple Leafs were a mess by their standards. They missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season and didn’t just slip in the standings - they finished last in the Atlantic Division.
Losing Mitch Marner, their top points getter from 2024-25, to the Las Vegas Golden Knights only made the offense thinner. No Maple Leafs player reached 80 points, a steep drop from Marner’s 102 the season before, and several of the team’s biggest names were slowed by injuries and underwhelmed when they were on the ice.
The changes weren’t limited to the roster. Toronto also went through a front-office and coaching overhaul, with John Chayka taking over as GM and Jim Hiller becoming the new head coach. By any measure, it was a rough year.
Still, rough doesn’t automatically mean worst.
The Maple Leafs were one of the league’s bottom teams, but they were not the bottom team. The New York Rangers finished last in the Eastern Conference with 77 points, one fewer than Toronto, and struggled badly at home, going winless there for the first month of the season.
In the Western Conference, three clubs finished below the Leafs as well. The Vancouver Canucks ended up last in the entire league with 58 points and only 15 regulation wins. The Chicago Blackhawks finished second-last in the West with 72 points, while the Calgary Flames were third-worst with 77 points.
That context matters when you look at the draft lottery. The Canucks had the best odds at 25.5 percent.
Toronto sat fifth among the 11 bottom teams at 8.5 percent, with the Rangers, Flames and Blackhawks in between. On that basis, Hughes had a point: four other teams had better odds to land first overall.
But the Leafs were still bad enough to be in the lottery mix at all. Finishing among the 11 worst teams is what put them there, and that alone earned them a shot at a premium pick - even with Auston Matthews, John Tavares, William Nylander and now Sergei Bobrovsky in the mix alongside Gavin McKenna.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs May Regret Letting A Defense Prospect Help Tampa Bay
Nathan Mayes, a defenseman originally drafted by the Maple Leafs, is now getting a look in Tampa Bay after being added to the Lightnings Prospect Showcase roster. It is a small roster move on paper, but for Toronto it is one of those reminders that player development does not stop at the draft table, especially when a prospect keeps moving and another team is willing to take a closer look.
Toronto did not offer Mayes an entry-level contract, which opened the door for Tampa Bay to evaluate him without surrendering a draft asset. The Lightning are now weighing whether his development in the WHL has put him on a path to help at the AHL or NHL level, and that kind of opportunity is exactly the sort of thing that can sting when a former pick starts to find traction elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Forward Depth Issue Could Open Door For An Unexpected Prospect
The Leafs have spent plenty of time this season trying to sort through their forward depth, and that has naturally put a few younger names back on the radar. Among them is Miroslav Holinka, whose recent development has stood out enough to keep him in the conversation for a possible call-up. He has handled both junior and professional levels well, which is the kind of progress that can move a prospect from long-term project to something a little more immediate when a roster needs an extra body up front.
For Toronto, the appeal is straightforward: when depth becomes an issue, the organization wants options that have shown real growth rather than just emergency insurance. Holinka has given the Leafs reason to keep watching closely, especially with the kind of opening that can appear when injuries or lineup turnover start to pile up. The question now is less about whether he belongs on the radar and more about how quickly the team is willing to test him if the need gets serious. [Read more 🡒]
Barkovs Bobrovsky Message Should Have Maple Leafs Fans Paying Attention
A former teammates praise can carry extra weight this time of year, and Aleksander Barkovs words about Sergei Bobrovsky should resonate in Toronto. The Panthers captain spoke glowingly about the goaltender the Maple Leafs brought in, pointing to Bobrovskys work ethic, his leadership and the kind of presence he brought every day over their seven seasons together in Florida.
For Maple Leafs fans, the more relevant part is how Barkov framed what Bobrovsky still brings now. He said the veteran remains in excellent shape and continues to operate with the professionalism that has defined his career, which is a useful reminder that Toronto is getting more than just another name in net. Florida will miss him, Barkov said, and for a Leafs team looking for stability at a critical position, that kind of endorsement is hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]