Gavin McKenna's training footage with Macklin Celebrini strengthens his Maple Leafs case

Some new footage showing Gavin McKenna and Macklin Celebrini training together is going to give the Maple Leafs more confidence he'll be ready for 2026-27.

If there was anyone who has high expectations out of all the players this season, it's Gavin McKenna. The first overall pick in this year's draft is going to be looked at as the saviour of the Maple Leafs franchise for the next decade-plus, and with his talent, that could be a reality much sooner than later.

But he's going to have some growing pains and while the spotlight is going to be firmly illuminating him all year, it seems like he not only wants to step into the fire, but happens to thrive when the pressure's on. We'll get to see what he can do shortly, but for now he's keeping himself prepared as he works towards training camp.

And it just so happens that he's working with one of the best young players in the entire game.

Training with Macklin Celebrini gives McKenna an NHL-level benchmark

McKenna was seen recently training with none other than Macklin Celebrini, who is coming off an incredible season where he had 40 goals and 115 points in only his second season. If there's anyone who can teach him how to acclimate quickly to the NHL it's the Sharks superstar.

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We previously touched on what type of production to expect from McKenna based off of previous rookies and Celebrini's name came up as a modern example of someone where 60+ points in your first year is a great benchmark and will translate into better numbers the longer his career goes on.

McKenna isn't going to come into the league and score 100 points. That's really unfeasible and unrealistic to think. But if he manages to hit the 55-60 point mark while adapting to the game and learning from some of the best minds in the world, much like Celebrini - his sophomore year may be outstanding.

But if there's anything McKenna can take away from working with Celebrini is that success takes time.

He had a great rookie year and got better, but he also finished dead last in his first season with the Sharks, and then last year was much more improved for the team overall (of which Celebrini played a big part) but they still missed the playoffs. It's what you have to do if you're setting expectations for McKenna - your talent is incredible but it's still up to 22 other guys.

McKenna's preparation strengthens his case for immediate top-nine minutes

But in preparing with Celebrini it's clear that McKenna is not going to be led astray when it comes to in-game action and he looks more than ready to step into the lineup immediately.

McKenna isn't just working on his own or with skills coaches, but he actively sought out a chance to work with someone he's close with and a mind closer in age to him can still offer a bit of a veteran voice (two years is still two years experience) while also allowing him to fail and just get comfortable.

It's akin to Auston Matthews and Clayton Keller working together, where you have a duo who know each other well and can feed off their strengths and get better in tandem. Plus, it's very, very likely that both men are going to play together for Team Canada in due time, so a little early preparation can't hurt either.

McKenna's going to do some great things in the NHL and while he's going to have some bumps along the way, he can always turn to Celebrini for advice to help even things out both on and off the ice.

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