Gavin McKenna’s first nine NHL games have already included a four-game scoring run, a confusing night stapled to the bench, and an immediate vote of confidence from the Toronto Maple Leafs coaching staff. The 2026 first overall pick enters a demanding week with five points, strong skating numbers and a pair of marquee rookie matchups on the schedule.
A wild week in McKenna’s first month
- McKenna reached a new early-season high on Oct. 13 in Utah, scoring his second NHL goal and logging 17:08 in Toronto’s 5-4 defeat of the Mammoth. The point extended his scoring streak to four games, during which he produced two goals and three assists.
- Two nights later, the Leafs lost 5-4 in overtime to the Buffalo Sabres, but McKenna’s usage swung sharply. He played only 6:36, his lowest total of the season, and did not take another shift after the 10:20 mark of the second period.
- Coach Jim Hiller explained that three Toronto penalties over the final 5:25 of the second period disrupted McKenna’s rotation. Hiller said he then lost track of the rookie in the third and decided not to send him back out after such a long stretch on the bench, saying it would not have been fair to him.
- McKenna met with Hiller on Friday and came away reassured. “It had nothing to do with my play, which is obviously nice to know,” McKenna said of the coach’s message.
- The response came immediately against the New York Islanders. Although Toronto fell 4-1, McKenna skated a season-best 17:56, including 8:18 in the third period. He was held off the scoresheet but matched his personal high with four shots on goal.
Through nine games, McKenna has two goals and three assists. His five points are tied for sixth among NHL rookies, while his 17 shots are tied for fourth. Auston Matthews saw a composed player after the rookie rebounded from his Buffalo ice-time dip.
“You can see that not much rattles him,” the Maple Leafs captain said. “He believes in his game, knows what he can do, and he is going to create plays. I thought he showed that tonight.”
San Jose brings draft-pick meeting and familiar face
Toronto begins a stretch of four games in six nights Monday, closing its three-game homestand against the San Jose Sharks at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will give McKenna his first NHL meeting with Sharks captain Macklin Celebrini, one of his offseason training partners.
It also marks the first head-to-head game between the top two selections from the 2026 NHL Draft. San Jose forward Ivar Stenberg, taken second behind McKenna, recorded his first NHL goal Oct. 13 against the Boston Bruins. Stenberg slipped behind Boston’s penalty killers for a backdoor power-play finish, then assisted on a Celebrini power-play goal in the Sharks’ 6-3 loss.
Recent opening meetings between the first two picks have gone the way of the No. 1 choice:
- Matthew Schaefer and the Islanders beat Michael Misa’s Sharks 4-3 on Oct. 21, 2025. Schaefer had a goal and an assist; Misa picked up an assist.
- Celebrini’s Sharks defeated Artyom Levshunov and the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on March 13, 2025. Celebrini registered an assist.
- Connor Bedard and Chicago edged Leo Carlsson’s Anaheim Ducks 1-0 on Dec. 7, 2023, with Bedard collecting an assist.
Road test begins after packed home slate
- After San Jose arrives Monday, the Maple Leafs travel to face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.
- Toronto returns home Thursday for a 7 p.m. ET meeting with the New York Rangers.
- McKenna’s first NHL trip through Western Canada opens Saturday in Edmonton, where the Leafs face the Oilers at 7 p.m. ET.
The Edmonton stop puts McKenna opposite Connor McDavid, the NHL scoring leader and another first overall selection. McDavid, who grew up a Maple Leafs fan in Richmond Hill, Ontario, said McKenna appears equipped to deal with the attention that comes with playing in Toronto.
“He seems like a good kid,” McDavid said. “He will have a lot on his plate in Toronto, but he looks prepared for it. With Auston Matthews there, he will have a strong support group around him. He should be all right.”
McKenna’s speed already showing up
McKenna’s skating has been one of the early markers of his transition to the League. His top recorded speed of 23.34 mph, reached during the third period against the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 8, ranks 10th among NHL forwards this season.
He has also registered 21 bursts between 20 and 22 mph, placing him in the 89th percentile among forwards. Against the Islanders, McKenna fired his hardest shot of the season, a 77.36 mph attempt at 18:16 of the second period. It was his second shot this season to reach at least 75 mph.
