Gavin McKenna's contract could leave the Maple Leafs facing a hidden cap penalty

Gavin McKenna recently signed his entry-level deal and while it's not a huge cap hit if he manages to perform as he's expected to, it could push Toronto into the red.

With the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Gavin McKenna and gave themselves a franchise cornerstone to build around for years, and the team isn't going to have to wait too long until they see what he can do in a game as preseason is only a couple months away.

He also recently signed his three-year entry-level contract and while it's not expensive compared to other deals around the NHL, it's an extremely lucrative contract by rookie standards, and if he's good as everyone expects him to be, he can earn even more.

Currently, McKenna's cap hit is only $1.075-million which isn't too bad, but then you start to realize that if he hits his performance bonuses, he's going to quadruple that amount - per season.

Breaking down McKenna's huge bonus potential in his entry-level deal

So let's say McKenna hits all of his performance bonus goals in the first two seasons of his NHL career. That means the 20-year-old will have earned a combined $9.15-million and already headed towards a massive extension that could rival some of the highest-paid contracts in the league.

Some of those bonuses are classified as Schedule A which means McKenna earns a bonus if:

- He hits 20 goals, 35 assists, or 60 points
- Finishes Top-6 in TOI among forwards (in total and/or per game) on team (min. 42 games)
- Finishes in Top-3 in +/- among forwards on team (minimum 42 games)
- Accumulates 0.73 points per game (minimum 42 games)
- Makes the end of season All-Rookie Team
- Earns an All-Star Selection
- Wins All-Star MVP

Those come with a maximum bonus of $1-million (4 x $250,000). Schedule B bonuses are a bit more lucrative but come with more difficult accomplishments:

- Top-10 in NHL forward goals, assists, points, or points per game (min. 42 GP)
- Win any of the following trophies: Hart, Selke, Richard, Conn Smythe, Norris
- 1st or 2nd team All-Star

These are worth $2.5-million and while he needs to really show out if he wants to earn every cent, you can see that a very strong year gives him an extra $3.5-million off the bat.

McKenna's bonus structure could cost the Maple Leafs a potential roster piece

With Toronto already over the cap currently and looking to fill out the lineup some more, McKenna's bonuses throw a wrench into things.

While the team isn't exactly on the hook for the entire thing off the bat, there is a carryover allotment that could see his bonuses compile and eat into Toronto's available cap next summer.

Puckpedia has Toronto projected to have $6.47-million in open space and while they really don't need to make any massive signings or extensions in 2027 - 2028 is around the corner and they need as much free cap space as possible.

If Toronto wants to give Auston Matthews one final shot at winning with the Maple Leafs then they may go even harder and try to add some real firepower even if only for one season. But every dollar McKenna makes eats into that potential, and it could end up being a difference between a key signing or losing out.

So while we all expect and want to see Gavin McKenna succeed, his accomplishments come at a cost for Toronto that extends past this season.

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