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NHL teams have a powerful reason for another last-place finish in 2025-26 as a generational talent could be too much to pass up.

The Toronto Maple Leafs may end up getting some awful news about their top target in the 2026 NHL Draft, Gavin McKenna.

The situation, however, doesn’t directly involve the presumptive #1 pick in this year’s draft. It involves one of his family members.

According to reports in The Daily Collegian and Nittany Sports Now, Gavin McKenna’s mother, Krystal, is facing criminal charges stemming from an alleged incident involving furnishing liquor to minors.

Based on the reports, Krystal McKenna has been charged with selling or furnishing liquor to minors during an incident on January 31, 2026. The purported incident took place in State College, PA.

Interestingly, that was the night in which McKenna was supposedly involved in a bar fight. The tussle led to McKenna being arrested and charged with felony aggravated assault, court documents showed.

The charges against Gavin McKenna were later dropped. However, the Penn State star still faces a misdemeanor assault charge.

Meanwhile, Krystal McKenna, as the court docket shows, will have a preliminary hearing on June 3. It remains unclear what will happen from here on in.

If convicted, the presumptive Maple Leafs pick could face from 1 to 5 years in prison and a fine. Toronto will likely want to know how McKenna’s legal situation is holding up as they decide to pick him in this year’s draft.

Maple Leafs May Pass on McKenna Due to Legal Implications

From a legal perspective, Gavin McKenna faces a complicated situation. Even if he’s facing a misdemeanor charge, the possibility of jail time could turn the Maple Leafs off.

It’s not that McKenna is a “criminal.” That’s hardly the case. In fact, anyone can get caught up in criminal charges during a bar brawl. The issue will be the potential incarceration that McKenna could face.

In the worst of cases, say, a two or even three-year sentence could be enough to derail his hockey career.

The Maple Leafs organization and fans will be hoping that charges against the McKennas will go away. Often, investigators uncover evidence to exonerate individuals facing charges.

But if that’s not the case, some serious questions could emerge in Toronto moving forward.

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Toronto Might Pivot to Another Prospect

Perhaps the safest path for the Maple Leafs might be to pivot to another prospect. Ivar Stenberg’s name is gaining quite a bit of momentum. And even if Stenberg isn’t precisely the sexiest prospect in the draft, he could be a solid option for Toronto.

Pundits have called Stenberg a more physical version of Mitch Marner. That’s a fantastic comparison, especially since the Maple Leafs have certainly missed Marner’s play in their lineup.

Furthermore, the Leafs may go against the grain and take a defenseman with the top pick. The name that’s made the most waves has been Chase Reid. Considering just how much the Maple Leafs need a number-one blueliner, it wouldn’t be the craziest idea in the world to take Reid or even Keaton Verhoeff.

Please stay tuned for more information on the McKennas’ legal situation. Here’s hoping this entire ordeal is nothing more than just a misunderstanding, for everyone’s sake.