McKenna Projects No. 1 to Maple Leafs in Nhl Draft 2026
Gavin McKenna sits at the top of NHL.com’s nhl draft 2026 mock draft, with the Penn State left wing projected to go No. 1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs after the NHL Scouting Combine ended Saturday. The projection gives Toronto the first pick it won in the NHL Draft Lottery on May 5.
McKenna Heads Toronto’s Pick
Adam Kimelman and Mike G. Morreale put McKenna first in their first-round forecast for the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft. The Maple Leafs hold the No. 1 selection, and the mock sends the draft’s most watched player to the team that landed that pick in the lottery.
McKenna’s season gives the projection weight. He finished tied for fifth with 51 points in 35 games, scoring 15 goals and adding 36 assists. He then posted 33 points in 19 games after the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship and helped Canada win the bronze medal.
Sharks, Canucks, Blackhawks
The next three slots in the mock draft spread the top names across three rebuilding teams. Chase Reid went second to the San Jose Sharks, Caleb Malhotra went third to the Vancouver Canucks, and Ivar Stenberg went fourth to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Kimelman and Morreale said their opinions vary widely starting with the New York Rangers at No. 5, which is where the top of the board stops looking settled. That split begins after the first four picks, where the order stays fixed in their projection and McKenna stays alone at No. 1.
Buffalo Draft Dates
The 2026 NHL Draft will be held at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. Round 1 is scheduled for June 26 at 7 p.m. ET, with Rounds 2-7 set for June 27 at 11 a.m. ET.
The rest of the first-round order already carries extra movement because of the lottery, playoff results, and trades. The Montreal Canadiens were assigned No. 28, the Colorado Avalanche No. 29, the Calgary Flames No. 30, Carolina No. 31, and the Ottawa Senators No. 32, while No. 29 moved from the New York Islanders to the St. Louis Blues and No. 30 belongs to Calgary as part of the Noah Hanifin trade.
