Gavin McKenna ranks behind several players the Maple Leafs passed on at No. 1

Gavin McKenna was the clear choice for Toronto at No. 1 in June, but Corey Pronman's latest ranking creates an interesting contradiction: several players the Maple Leafs passed on are already ranked ahead of him.

Corey Pronman of The Athletic ranked not only the top prospect systems in the NHL but also the Top 23 Players Under 23. It was a star-studded list headlined by Macklin Celebrini and after a 115-point campaign it's hard to argue against that.

However it was when you keep reading down the list that you start to see some names that while certainly good, are inching above some pretty important names - mainly Gavin McKenna, as the Toronto Maple Leafs rookie and 2026's #1 overall pick only ranked #18th on the list, leading him to the lower-half of the leaderboard.

Toronto passed on several names who rank ahead of Gavin McKenna

He's behind names such as Chase Reid, Alberts Smits, Cole Hutson and Keaton Verhoeff. It's stunning considering that McKenna was a consensus #1 overall pick and the likes of Smits and Reid while good - aren't near the generational-level talent that McKenna offers.

He does end up beating the likes of Ivar Stenberg (#19), Viggo Bjorck (#21) and Caleb Malhotra #23) from this year's draft, and the list does include players who aren't from 2026 but still - having McKenna behind the likes of Reid and Verhoeff is odd.

Toronto's decision was ultimately about acquiring the player it believed had the highest ceiling. Reid and Verhoeff would have strengthened a defence pipeline that will eventually need successors for several veterans, but McKenna gives Toronto something much harder to acquire: a potential first-line offensive cornerstone.

Granted, the Athletic may have given Reid and Verhoeff higher rankings due to their positional advantage, that being on the blueline another importance and two-way ability can't be ignored. But McKenna also has talent that could lead him to becoming one of the top stars in the entire world - and if he can turn hockey's biggest franchise into a winner then he'll be worth more than any rookie on this list.

McKenna has the clearest path to making this ranking look outdated quickly

Now here's where McKenna actually gets to benefit a bit. The Athletic noted that his defensive game isn't strong and that he gets pushed off the puck easily. Well, surround him with players like Matthews and Matthew Knies and suddenly you have protection and defensive coverage.

Plus, no one actually knows what McKenna can bring at the NHL level meanwhile Celebrini, Connor Bedard, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Leo Carlsson all have one or several years of experience under their belt and teams have much more of a scouting report on how they will work at the NHL level.

While he managed 51 points in 35 games in the NCAA, that's nowhere near what he can do on the ice and also dealt with first-half struggles before he found his footing. It's a big leap from junior to collegiate hockey and he made it, but the real test is if he can do the same coming from college into Toronto.

The Athletic may underestimate McKenna's impact given that he's not a focal point of the offence, is part of group of superstars, and other players play more of an important or vital position while offering a dynamic skillset.

McKenna doesn't need to prove Toronto was right to take him first overall during his first NHL season. But if his offence translates quickly while playing meaningful minutes in Toronto's top six, he could make No. 18 look conservative by the time this list is revisited.

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