Gavin McKenna gives the Maple Leafs two decisions before his 10th NHL game

Gavin McKenna's first Maple Leafs training camp will give Jim Hiller only a handful of game situations to determine whether the 18-year-old is ready for the top-six.

McKenna, the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, is expected to have a focal offensive role as part of the Maple Leafs in 2026-27, and while we don't know for sure where he'll slide into the lineup - the spotlight will be on him wherever that may be.

He may not get a chance to play his first game with the team until their first preseason game on Sept. 21 as his status for the Prospect Showcase is still up in the air. But every preseason appearance matters because Hiller needs to test more than whether McKenna can produce.

Gavin McKenna's preseason will decide whether Toronto trusts him with top-six responsibility

However, he's also going to make the Maple Leafs face a time crunch when it comes to his placement in the lineup.

Toronto and head coach Jim Hiller has to decide where McKenna fits and while he's got training camp and the preseason to determine that - there's only a week between the preseason ending the regular season beginning.

The hope is that between a surprise appearance at the Prospect Showcase, coupled with two strong preseason games will give both McKenna the confidence and Hiller the idea of where he best fits within the top-six.

While it's not likely going to be an issue, Toronto only has nine games to play McKenna in the NHL before they need to decide if he's staying or not - adding another bit of pressure to Hiller's lineup construction. The preseason is the perfect chance for the Maple Leafs to see where McKenna best fits because there are no stakes.

Games don't count for anything, and Hiller gets a chance to play McKenna alongside Matthews on the top line but as wells the power-play, and maybe even give fans a peek of his highlight reel creativity. The issue is that McKenna can't play in both preseason games against Montreal or Ottawa - they are two split squad games, so he'll really only have two full preseason games to get comfortable.

Opening night is the first Maple Leafs decision before his nine-game window opens

Once McKenna lines up for his first regular season game, it'll kick off the first of his nine games before his ELC kicks in. Once he hits #10, that burns the first year and Toronto has to make sure they are confident he's sticking around.

Though that's an extremely likely outcome, and given that the Maple Leafs have a mixed bag of a schedule - there's chances for him to thrive or struggle. Games against the Islanders, Senators, Mammoth, and Predators are easier games than Vegas or Colorado but nothing is a given.

If he can become a point-per-game player in that 10-game span, then he will have proven that he can contribute at a high level, and there's no reason to hold him back.

Also to note, with how intense the first game of the season is going to be against Montreal - and it being at Scotiabank Arena - McKenna is likely going to get a boatload of chances to both help the team and fire up the crowd.

The Maple Leafs may only have one week from the preseason to the regular season to determine what to do with Gavin McKenna, but given that the stakes are low - they can at least get a clearer idea and play him in different roles to see where he fits best.

Though Game 10 doesn't guarantee where McKenna plays for the rest of the season, it does make one decision irreversible: Toronto can no longer preserve that first year of his entry-level contract.

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