Overview
- Multiple outlets published a report on Tuesday saying a source at the NHL Scouting Combine told reporter Shawn Hutcheon that the Maple Leafs told Gavin McKenna they intend to select him with the No. 1 overall pick.
- Toronto’s general manager John Chayka has publicly said the club is likely to keep the first pick and the team conducted in-person vetting, including a visit to McKenna in Whitehorse and combine interviews.
- Scouts and executives remain split on McKenna: most praise his elite passing and scoring — he had 15 goals and 36 assists in 35 college games for Penn State — while others warn his size, compete and playoff impact are persistent concerns.
- The draft class is tightly grouped with several prospects close to McKenna on boards, so choices by teams at Nos. 2–5 and any draft-day trades could still change who actually goes first on June 26 in Buffalo.
- What matters next is verification from the Maple Leafs or McKenna, how Toronto’s decision shapes roster planning around Auston Matthews and the coaching search, and whether evaluators’ playoff concerns affect the team’s final choice.