The John Chayka/Mats Sundin era has started off with a bang.

The Toronto Maple Leafs won the NHL Draft Lottery on Tuesday night, entering with just a 8.5% chance of coming out on top. It will be the third time the Leafs kick off a draft selecting first, and while Chayka has yet to host any scouting meetings, there’s a very good chance the organization welcomes Gavin McKenna to the organization on June 26 in Buffalo.

This was such a huge turn of events for the Maple Leafs. Chayka and Sundin went from a reasonable chance of losing the pick to the Boston Bruins, and entering their first draft without a top pick, to now being able to add what many feel is a generational talent. Yes, there’s going to be some debate over the fact there’s Ivar Stenberg on the table as well, a Swedish prospect who projects to be a stronger two-way player than McKenna long term. And yes, considering Sundin’s ties to Swedish hockey, you figure the Leafs will be able to track down any and all information they need to evaluate Stenberg’s game. However, the pick needs to be McKenna for multiple reasons, and if they don’t select McKenna, Leafs Nation will lose their minds.

Adding McKenna will impact the Maple Leafs offseason plans, there’s no doubt about it. With Matthew Knies and Easton Cowan locked in for next season at left wing, and with McKenna entering the fold, players like Nick Robertson and Matias Maccelli mid as well pack their bags. Both are pending restricted free agents, and now with McKenna on route, both Robertson and Maccelli are very expendable considering their size, style of play, and long-term outlook of the Leafs’ roster.

There’s a few different routes these two players could take for leaving the organization, so it will be curious to see how qualifying offers are sorted, or if there’s a contract in place just for a trade to then be facilitated. If Robertson and Maccelli end up being dealt by Chayka, he should certainly try to zone in on adding a third-line center with some bite, or a puck-moving mobile defenceman. Regardless of what transactions are to come, there’s a very good chance the Maple Leafs start next season with McKenna in the top six, and without Robertson and Maccelli. What a time to be alive.

McKenna has played a little centre in the past, but there’s little chance at his age, and with his strength, that Craig Berube or any NHL head coach for that matter would start him down the middle of the ice. The Maple Leafs need a defensive-minded centre with snarl in their game behind Auston Matthews and John Tavares, and while it’s likely Max Domi returns considering the connections to the new management duo, Domi doesn’t slot in ideally in the three hole. He’s better suited for the wing on the third line, so look for Chayka to prioritize a 3C this summer.

Adding McKenna to the Leafs top six does wonders to the Maple Leafs’ offseason plans. The team lands a high-end talent with a very bright future for just an entry-level contract. It gives Chayka and Sundin a ton of financial flexibility, as adding a top six player on the free-agent market would have cost at least $7 million AAV. Now they don’t have to worry about one spot at least and now can shift their focus to finding a right winger to play with Auston Matthews, and perhaps McKenna. Could the Leafs top six start next season like this?

I feel it’s more likely the Maple Leafs add another veteran for their top six, just as a bit of a security blanket, and someone who is versatile and can move throughout their lineup. Regardless, the fact that the Maple Leafs landed the top pick and can add McKenna to their lineup is absolutely mind-blowing, and the absolute perfect start to the Chayka/Sundin era. But frankly, he’s not going to be the only new body up front. There’s some significant changes coming to this Maple Leafs’ lineup.

Adding McKenna on an entry-level deal gives Chayka a chance to reallocate his resources to other areas of the team. And, if he’s able to convince Morgan Rielly it’s time for a change of scenery and can avoid retaining 50% of his remaining contract, the tides could change drastically and Chayka could have all the flexibility he needs to improve the Maple Leafs’ blue line. It feels like with McKenna now projected to be in the mix, that the Leafs’ management duo can spend more energy constructing the perfect shut-down line in their bottom six, and adding two top-four defencemen, and specifically, one that can help run a power play. Draft McKenna doesn’t change the direction of the Leafs retool; it just speeds up the expectations drastically.

Nylander and Matthews were very transparent at their exit meetings, reportedly asking for some more bite among their forward group, and two mobile defencemen. They didn’t ask for McKenna, but he’s on the way.  And, he’s just the beginning. Chayka and Sundin have a roster overhaul coming, and Leafs Nation should be very excited for what the future holds.

It never hurts when your offseason retool starts by adding McKenna to the mix. Whatever else Chayka and Sundin can pull off will be the interesting subplots to follow this summer.