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ST PAUL, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 05: Gavin McKenna #9 of Canada skates with the puck against Veeti Vaisanen #13 and Lasse Boelius #25 of Finland in the third period of the Bronze medal game during the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship at Grand Casino Arena on January 05, 2026 in St Paul, Minnesota. Canada defeated Finland 6-3. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

It’s not official yet, but many signs are pointing towards the Toronto Maple Leafs selecting Gavin McKenna with the top overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

The 18-year-old McKenna is regarded as the clear-cut top prospect in the draft and has already made his mark in the hockey world, excelling in both the WHL and the collegiate ranks at Penn State. McKenna notched 129 points during the 2024-25 season, was named the WHL’s MVP and set a 21st century mark with a point in 40 consecutive games. He also 51 points in 35 games played with Penn State this past season, winning the Big Ten Scoring title while being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

The Leafs are clearly in reload mode as they look to right the ship after missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Toronto has already brought in former Tampa Bay Lightning star Darren Radysh via trade and traded longtime goalie Joseph Woll to the Philadelphia Flyers.

It wasn’t too long ago that the Leafs were within a game of eliminating the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers from the playoffs. That means McKenna could be the piece that lifts the Leafs back into the playoffs, a franchise that had clinched nine straight playoff appearances.

Brooks Laich Compares Gavin McKenna to Sharks Star Macklin Celebrini

Brooks Laich, a longtime NHL veteran who played for the Leafs during the 2015-16 season, has lofty expectations for McKenna. Laich goes so far as to compare him to Macklin Celebrini, the San Jose Sharks‘ young 20-year-old star who is coming off of a 115-point season in just his second year in the NHL, ranking fourth in the league.

Laich also draws comparisons when it pertains to McKenna’s on-ice traits to other NHL greats such as Connor McDavid, Patrick Kane, Pavel Datsyuk and even Wayne Gretzky.

“He actually reminds me of Macklin Celebrini a little,” said Laich in a one-on-one interview with Heavy Sports while talking about his new business venture, World Playground. “I know Macklin has only been in the league two years, but when I saw highlights of Macklin in college, I thought this is the headiest player, and by heady, just smart and awareness. He never looked down at the puck, he knew where everybody was. When I saw his clips from college, I’m like, ‘This is the headiest player I’ve seen in 15 years,’ and McKenna reminds me of the same.

“He knows how to use space, and he moves to space as good as I see (Connor) McDavid do it,” Laich continued. “You have an element of Patrick Kane in there, because he’s a smaller stature, but he’s got amazing hands. Who else would he remind me of? Just his overall awareness on the ice is very Celebrini-like, and Celebrini’s only 20. It’s weird to say that about a 20-year old kid. He reminds me a lot of Pavel Datsyuk, he’s special in that he knows and finds space in ways that other players don’t, and I think the the best player at that ever was Wayne Gretzky.”

Brooks McKenna Joining Star-Filled Maple Leafs Core

McKenna will be joining a stacked core that features the likes of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and new acquisition, Raddysh, which should mean plenty of opportunities to score points at the beginning of his career.

We’ll see if he lives up to Laich’s billing, but the lofty player comparison gives you an idea of McKenna’s potential. If McKenna can come even close to that level of potential, the Leafs could very well emerge as one of the top teams again in the Eastern Conference in due time.