Gavin McKenna hasn’t even played a game in a Maple Leafs uniform yet, and he’s already picturing how he could fit beside Auston Matthews.
Toronto’s first overall pick said Friday that lining up on the wing with the captain would be “pretty special,” and he made it clear he’d welcome the chance to learn from one of the NHL’s biggest stars.
“To play with a player like that, of that caliber, would be pretty special,” McKenna told reporters Friday. “I think we would suit each other pretty well.
Him being an older veteran guy, I think I can learn a lot from him. Being the captain of the Leafs, just a lot to learn from him.
He's an amazing player, and if I get that opportunity, I'm not gonna try and waste it.”
McKenna said he’s already gotten a small taste of that dynamic this summer, with the two spending “a little bit” of time together in informal skates.
“He's unreal. He's fun to watch,” McKenna said. “To play with him, he's super smart, and obviously he's got that release, so you kinda want to give him the puck when he's open and hope you get an assist.”
The 18-year-old arrives in Toronto carrying plenty of recent production. Last season at Penn State, he put up 15 goals and 51 points in 35 games. He also helped Canada at the world juniors, scoring four goals and 14 points in seven games on the way to a bronze medal.
McKenna is the Maple Leafs’ first No. 1 pick since the club took Matthews first overall in the 2016 draft.
His rookie year will also come with a veteran roommate. McKenna will live with John Tavares during the season.
On Friday, McKenna skated with Toronto’s prospect tournament roster, but he won’t take part in either of the team’s games in Gatineau this weekend.
“I was just doing whatever the team wanted me to do,” McKenna said. “Obviously, it would be fun to play some games, but if they think me staying here is best, then I'm OK with that. I'll listen to what they want.”
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Just Left A Former Draft Pick's NHL Future In Limbo
Semyon Der-Arguchintsevs path back to North America is getting murkier by the day. The former Maple Leafs draft pick will not be given a professional tryout or a place in Torontos camp for the upcoming season, and he is expected to keep playing in Russias KHL, where he has built a productive career while waiting for a possible NHL opening.
Toronto still holds his rights, but there has been no indication the club is ready to turn that into a roster move or even a trade. The Leafs have one more year before those rights expire, which leaves Der-Arguchintsev in a strange middle ground: still technically connected to the organization, but without a firm commitment that he will get another shot to return to North America. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Prospects Already Gave Steve Sullivan A Tougher Decision
The first look at Torontos prospect group at the 2026 Prospect Tournament gave Steve Sullivan plenty to sort through, even in a 4-3 overtime loss to Ottawa in the opener. The Marlies prospects came out with a strong start, showed resilience as the game tightened, and generally stayed within the structure Sullivan wanted to see, which made the evaluation less about effort and more about which young players handled the moment best.
Luke Haymes, Timofei Obvintsev, Ben Danford and Alex Bilecki all drew mention from Sullivan for the way they contributed and continued to grow in the setting. He also pointed to the special-teams swings as part of the teaching moment, since those situations can change a prospect game quickly and force coaches to weigh execution against development when the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Prospect Showcase Just Put Two Camp Storylines In Focus
The Maple Leafs got an early look at two of the organizational talking points that figure to follow them into camp during their 2026-27 Prospect Showcase over the weekend, and both surfaced in encouraging fashion. Toronto split its games with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators and a 6-4 win over the Winnipeg Jets, but the bigger takeaway was the style of play the group showed. The defensemen chipped in three goals, a sign that the teams preference for mobile, offensive blue-liners is still very much a priority in the pipeline.
Tinus Luc Koblar was another name that stood out, collecting three assists and playing with the kind of confidence that can change how a prospect is viewed heading into the next level. For a club trying to sort out which young players can push beyond a showcase setting and into real organizational plans, that kind of performance matters. It also leaves Toronto with at least one appealing question coming out of the weekend: how close Koblar is to carving out a place with the Marlies. [Read more 🡒]