It would be a massive shock if the Toronto Maple Leafs selected anyone other than Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick on Friday. McKenna is the favourite, and Maple Leafs are already pencilling him on the top line, where he’ll likely spend his rookie year stapled to captain Auston Matthews.

As the 2026 NHL Draft rapidly approaches, McKenna spoke to TSN’s Gino Reda about potentially playing for the Maple Leafs, and what it would be like to suit up alongside Matthews.

It’s clear that McKenna boasts the confidence to become the next face of the franchise.

“My game is a playmaker,” McKenna said, when asked to envision himself with the Maple Leafs. “I can think the game very well and I can find guys in spots where not many people can find them. My game has always been like that so if you put me with a shooter, it could be pretty lethal. I think that’s who Auston Matthews is, he’s a shooter. He’s got experience in the league, and that would give me a lot of confidence. Just having a guy like that, and guys like (John) Tavares, who have been through it, could help me a lot, if that’s the case.”

McKenna has been considered the top prospect in his class for as long as the cohort has been scouted, and it would be a dream come true for him to become the first name called on Friday.

“They’re a team that’s going to be pushing for the playoffs next year. For them to have the first overall pick, and if I get to go there, it would be a great environment to be in. I’d be very lucky.”

Winning the rights to select McKenna has reinvigorated the Maple Leafs’ fan base, as the Penn State winger profiles as an offensive catalyst, who could help Matthews return to the goal-scoring form he displayed in 2023-24. Maple Leafs fans are already dreaming of McKenna in the blue-and-white, and it appears to be a mutual feeling, with the draft just days away.

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