Gavin McKenna went No. 1 overall to the Maple Leafs in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft on Friday in Buffalo. The 18-year-old center arrived as the most talented player in the class and now moves from Penn State to the NHL stage.
He finished this season tied for fifth among college players with 51 points in 35 games, including 15 goals and 36 assists. McKenna also ranked second with 1.46 points per game and was the sixth-youngest player in men’s college hockey, even while shuffling through 11 linemates.
McKenna’s Penn State production
McKenna’s numbers at Penn State explain why the Maple Leafs moved first. A 51-point draft season from an 18-year-old in 35 games is hard to overlook, especially when the scoring split was nearly even between goals and assists.
His 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame did not keep him from driving play. NHL.com described his best qualities as elite hockey IQ and playmaking vision, and said he could push the puck through the neutral zone, create offense off the rush, and finish chances himself.
Maple Leafs choose upside
The Maple Leafs’ front office used the top pick on the player NHL.com called the most talented in the draft. That decision put McKenna ahead of Ivar Stenberg, who also had to be considered for the selection after a strong season in the Swedish Hockey League.
Stenberg was 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds and posted 33 points in 43 games, with 11 goals and 22 assists. Those 33 points were the most by an 18-year-old SHL player since Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin in 1998-99, and he was voted one of Sweden’s three best players at the World Championship. The choice shows the Maple Leafs valued McKenna’s attack-driving traits over another top prospect’s historic league production. Another look at that season can be found in this Penn State scoring breakdown.
What comes next for Maple Leafs
The first round in Buffalo included 32 selections, but the center of this draft was the player taken first. McKenna’s move to the Maple Leafs gives the club a top-line talent with a college track record, a heavy workload, and production against older competition.
How McKenna’s game translates from Penn State to the NHL will now shape the next stage of the pick. The Maple Leafs spent the No. 1 slot on a player who produced, created, and carried offense in college, and they will build around that bet from here.
