A respected NHL analyst is publicly arguing the Leafs should not take Gavin McKenna first overall
Photo credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images
Cory Pronman thinks that Gavin McKenna isn't a surefire first overall pick and while it may irk some Maple Leafs fans, he brings up a couple of good points.
With the Toronto Maple Leafs holding the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, all eyes are on who they are going to be choosing, be it Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg. McKenna is the consensus #1 pick but Stenberg's professional growth shows he is ready to contribute now.
It's truly a toss up though most fans are hoping that the generational McKenna makes his way to the blue and white. He would give Auston Matthews the playmaker he desperately needs and also provide the team with their future superstar to build around for the next decade.
Cory Pronman wants Toronto to at least entertain selecting someone other than Gavin McKenna
Though not everyone is exactly set on McKenna being the first overall pick, and for Cory Pronman of The Athletic - it's not a surefire bet.
Pronman discussed McKenna's readiness and how his NCAA season wasn't exactly the strongest display of his talents though did admit that he can help Toronto now as opposed to a name like Chase Reid:
There's a group of players who can go #1; McKenna, he's one of the most NHL-ready of them and can come in and put up points; I would lean towards Chase Reid if I was making a list, it's near the top or tied for me.
Toronto is in a position where they can't afford for Reid to go to college then sign; things feel urgent and McKenna and Stenberg are both in that group as #1 picks and they can help the team next year and help their power play.
Toronto is in a position where they can't afford for Reid to go to college then sign; things feel urgent and McKenna and Stenberg are both in that group as #1 picks and they can help the team next year and help their power play.
In Pronman's recent mock draft he did have the Maple Leafs selecting McKenna first overall and explained his offensive potential is too good to pass up:
McKenna is the consensus favorite for the top spot right now, though we're still early enough in the process that it's not a done deal yetIt's hard to see the Maple Leafs passing on his dynamic skill and vision at No. 1 as it currently stands
Obviously it stands to reason that the Maple Leafs need a playmaker like McKenna to hopefully bring Auston Matthews back to his previous dominant form, and Stenberg would be a solid though potentially unspectacular pick in the minds of the fans - something that doesn't help that waning trust.
Is there a chance Gavin McKenna doesn't go first overall to the Maple Leafs?
Well obviously, yes. Anything can happen and we don't know what influence Mats Sundin and the other GMs and scouts are going to have regarding names like Stenberg, Reid, and Caleb Malhotra.
But passing up on the marketability and hype surrounding McKenna would be foolish for John Chayka and company. Toronto wants to endear themselves to the fans once again and ignoring their desperate cries for a superstar would only turn them away (potentially for good).
Stenberg makes sense as a pick given that there's a huge Swedish contingent in Toronto and with Sundin at the helm and players like Oliver Ekman-Larsson actively trying to recruit him - that's going to make fans a bit nervous.
As much as Toronto needs a puck-moving defender, they can't wait for Reid and there's other options they can pursue like Darren Raddysh or Dougie Hamilton. The team needs to be competitive now and if they want to keep Auston Matthews around; they better win sooner than later.
There's some argument to be had about McKenna's NCAA season not being as electric as one would have hoped, but the WHL and college are two completely different beasts. He was still nearly a 1.5 point-per-game player, and that's something you can't ignore.
The Maple Leafs fanbase is pleading for the team to choose McKenna and although Pronman's got his reservations, even he relented at the end of the day.
Gavin is going #1, we're just waiting for the official call.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Auston Matthews is not the Maple Leafs' urgent priority this week and the focus has shifted to someone else
Auston Matthews is not the Maple Leafs' urgent priority this week and the focus has shifted to someone else
Previously on Hockey Patrol
| POLL | ||
1 HOUR AGO|41 ANSWERS A respected NHL analyst is publicly arguing the Leafs should not take Gavin McKenna first overall Who do you think the Maple Leafs should select first overall? | ||