Gavin McKenna's arrival in Toronto helps reset Auston Matthews' timeline as the team can focus on winning now and building the next captain should he leave town.
When the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Gavin McKenna first overall on Friday night, it finally closed the first chapter in his journey on being a star for not only the NHL but a star in hockey's capital. McKenna has a ton of pressure that he's looking forward to, and he's even more excited to be part of the greater Toronto community going forward.
His charm is heartwarming, he's incredibly likeable and he's conducted himself so humbly and gracefully so far, not taking anything for granted and showing a lot of emotion - this clearly meant something very special to him. But now that he's here, the next part becomes getting him on the ice and acclimated.
Toronto has to choose between winning now and building around McKenna
A lot of speculation has McKenna skating on the same line as Auston Matthews as a way to give him an offensive spark again and provide that playmaking and creativity that he thrives off of. The team is certainly loading up to be competitive once again after a dismal 2025-26, but they do run into a bit of an issue.
With that win-now mantra, that could affect how the team wants to build around McKenna going forward.
They only have until 2028 to give Matthews a chance to win before he comes to free agency and despite him giving all signs that he wants to win here, another two years of failure may push him out - as any star would.
Which is why John Chayka is stopping at nothing to make sure the team gets better, and the signing of Darren Raddysh and the potential signing of Sergei Bobrovsky plus news that the team is one of the places Zach Werenski would enjoy playing - all of a sudden they turn into a powerhouse.
But that also prevents the team from featuring players who may be playing with McKenna in a few years. Raddysh is sticking around, and we don't know how long the others may sign or being extended for though some may be held back for the sake of winning.
There's guys like Ben Danford who could be held back a bit despite progress especially if Toronto wants to win now, and the new guys like Ethan MacKenzie and Alexander Bilecki may not get a chance as soon as they hoped if Toronto wants to build a powerhouse to keep competing.
What Chayka is really telling Leafs fans about life after Matthews
But all of this is part of Chayka's plan too, believe it or not. If the GM doesn't give the fanbase hope for the future, then they are going to be sorely upset if Matthews leaves town. These win-now seasons are important to develop McKenna into the leader he will be post-Matthews.
Chayka is saying 'Enjoy life with Matthews now. We're going to try our damndest,' but he's also saying 'Don't fret if it doesn't happen, we have a replacement.' The moves being made now are for the benefit of Matthews, but they are also meant to prepare McKenna down the road.
Them sacrificing McKenna's growth now for the sake of Matthews is risky, but with the potential that he brings to the table, it's not like playing to win-now will hinder him, it's just going to not have him as the focal point right now.
Combined with the rest of the NHL Draft, Toronto really brought in people who will grow with McKenna and be part of the future.
The message has always been 'We're going to try to win now with Matthews.' That's perfect, because he deserves a true shot at competing with a team properly built to support him.
But in that, the team is also not kidding when they say McKenna is a player who can alter a franchise and lead if Matthews heads elsewhere.
Will Gavin McKenna help keep Auston Matthews in Toronto?
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