Toronto Maple Leafs Land No. 1 Pick In 2026 NHL Draft Gavin McKenna

Penn State's Gavin McKenna (Image: Penn State)

The Toronto Maple Leafs struck gold on Tuesday after winning the draft lottery. They will own the first pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, giving them an opportunity to land star left wing Gavin McKenna.

McKenna was tied for fifth in the NCAA with 51 points (15 goals and 36 assists) and was second with 1.46 points per game in 35 games last season.

“I’m extremely happy for the Toronto Maple Leafs fanbase, of course,” Toronto senior executive advisor of hockey operations Mats Sundin said. “It’s great to get the first pick. Great night, great lottery.” Sundin and general manager John Chayka haven’t gotten a chance to discuss the draft after both were hired to the organization on Sunday, but Chayka praised the Penn State alum’s abilities on the ice.

“He’s an exciting player,” Chayka remarked. “The skill level, creativity, his puck ability and his shot release is all pretty special. It’s a good package, so it’ll be good to get with the scouts and talk through it all.” If McKenna gets picked by the Maple Leafs, he will be the first men’s ice hockey player from Penn State to be selected in the first round of the NHL draft. Forward Charlie Cerrato is the program’s highest drafted player, being taken 49th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes last year.

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The Maple Leafs can also take an alternate route: Ivar Stenberg. Stenberg is one of the top international skaters, tallying 33 points (11 goals and 22 assists) in 43 games with the SHL’s Frolunda. Toronto has other names to consider — most notably Chase Reid, Carson Carels and Keaton Verhoeff. They are defenseman with high upside, a boost Toronto should consider.

“I think it’s a strong draft,” Sundin said. “The first round is really strong, and Ivar has had a strong season from the World Junior Championship, and I’ll follow him probably in the World Championship this year in a couple of weeks.”

McKenna is the favorite to go first overall in the draft because of his upside; he’s known as a “pass-first” winger, meaning that he utilizes optimized vision and passing to set up teammates for open shots. McKenna would fit alongside Auston Matthews because both share similar play styles; he would also fill in the void left by Mitch Marner.