Being selected first overall in the NHL Draft comes with a lot of pressure. Playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs comes with a lot of pressure. Now take Gavin McKenna, who was just selected first overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2026 NHL Draft after the Leafs missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16, and you can see how much of a pressure-packed situation he’s walking into.

New York Islanders defenceman Matthew Schaefer, who was selected first overall by the Islanders in the 2025 NHL Draft, spoke to TSN’s Mark Masters at the Smilezone Celebrity Golf Tournament in Brampton on Sunday and discussed the advice that he gave to McKenna, a friend of his and someone he’s long competed with.

“Just enjoy it,” Schaefer said. “Obviously, he’s in Toronto, and me growing up in Toronto, obviously Toronto’s known for its hockey and stuff just growing up. Toronto’s always the hot spot for tournaments and things like that. But especially hockey. So, it’s going to be awesome for him.”

Schaefer, 18, won the Calder Trophy in 2025-26 as the league’s best rookie after he recorded 23 goals and 59 points in 82 games. Being a Toronto native himself, Schaefer can understand what it means to play in a market like that. He said that he has full confidence that his buddy will shine in his rookie season, noting that the environment he’s in will play a big part.

“I think if your teammates and coaches and stuff like that, if they help develop you well and they bring you up. And for me, I started off on the third line, and then I worked my way up, and we’re not the same, obviously, I’m defense, he’s forward,” Schaefer continued. “But I think if you can just get that confidence early and just run with it, then you’ll do good.”

The Maple Leafs’ season gets underway on September 29th when they’ll face off against the Montreal Canadiens on opening night for the eighth year in a row, but Leafs fans will get their first look at McKenna in game action once preseason gets underway in the weeks prior to that.