While there was some debate regarding whether he was the right pick to make in the weeks leading up to the pick being made official, it became clear pretty quickly that McKenna was the best player available and the Leafs would be foolish to pass up on his talent. Him being added to the mix gives the team an immediate boost to their top-six while also helping bridge the gap between the present and future.

There is still plenty of work to be done for the team to get to a point where they can feel confident they have a chance to make the playoffs again, but adding McKenna gives them a huge boost regardless. We asked you on social media how you felt now that McKenna is officially a Leaf, and here are the highlights.

Detective Mark Harry (Retired) 👮‍♂️✝️

@DirtyHarry8080

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Replying to @TLNdc

We just drafted a generational talent.

2:24 AM · Jun 27, 2026

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In a shocking turn of events, the consensus among Leafs fans is that they are thrilled to have McKenna added to the ranks. Given how poorly the last season went and how dire things were before the Draft Lottery, things are suddenly looking up, and there is genuine reason for optimism again.

They didn’t galaxy brain it. Thank god. Pretty damn happy with it. 👍

— Matt 🇨🇦 (@mattpark10.bsky.social) 2026-06-27T01:50:39.865Z

There were genuine concerns that the Leafs may choose to overthink this pick and go with someone else, like Ivar Stenberg or Chase Reid. It made sense because GM John Chayka can be unafraid to take risks, while Mats Sundin knew plenty about Stenberg in particular. The fact that they went with the consensus by taking McKenna is a win in a lot of Leafs fans’ minds.

While McKenna being drafted first overall was not entirely a surprise in the end, getting Darren Raddysh well before he hit the market was. The addition of both players should provide a big boost to the Leafs next season, especially on the power play, which struggled for much of the previous year.

Kris

@oiler3535

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Replying to @TLNdc

Good. Wish there was a better top pick available but his floor seems to be a 2nd line PP specialist. Likely 60pt floor after sophomore year. Good. I'd love to see him add 10lbs this summer and just spend all camp skating around hitting people.

1:14 PM · Jun 27, 2026

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For as much as Leafs fans are thrilled to have McKenna become a Leaf, it is true that he was not considered a can’t-miss prospect like a Matthew Schaefer or Macklin Celebrini. That isn’t to say the Leafs picked wrong because McKenna was the best player available in this year’s draft, but it is to highlight that some are tempering expectations going into Year 1 to avoid disappointment.

Some were quick to make the comparison between McKenna and former Leaf Mitch Marner, given that the two have a similar offensive playstyle. It seems that the two will be forever connected based on that comparison, for better or worse, and there are Leafs fans who will have circled on their calendar the first matchup between these two.

artie skimmerhorn

@DunkGwcdunk

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Replying to @TLNdc

Good start but the 3rd and 4th lines have been horrible for years, time for Chayka to address this issue or it will be a challenge making the playoffs

11:29 AM · Jun 27, 2026

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As mentioned earlier, the Leafs getting McKenna and Raddysh provides them a big boost, but also won’t solve all of their problems. They still have some question marks in the crease, the defensive unit is still a work in progress, and they could benefit from adding a middle-six centre. Chayka has his work cut out for him once the draft wraps up, but he has nonetheless gotten a huge boost with the two aforementioned additions.