Maple Leafs Own No. 1 as NHL Draft Opens in Buffalo

Sport

By lines

June 25, 2026

Comic pop-art hockey draft podium illustration for 2026 NHL Draft

The Toronto Maple Leafs hold the No. 1 pick entering the 2026 NHL Draft on June 26. The 2026 NHL Draft opens at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. Gavin McKenna, a Penn State winger, leads the 2026 NHL Draft class.

Why Gavin McKenna Headlines the Maple Leafs Pick

The Toronto Maple Leafs won the 2026 NHL Draft lottery for the No. 1 selection. The San Jose Sharks own the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The Vancouver Canucks hold No. 3, their highest slot since 1999. Round 1 runs June 26, with rounds 2 through 7 on June 27.

Gavin McKenna won the Big Ten scoring title in his Penn State freshman season. Gavin McKenna posted 38 conference points on 11 goals and 27 assists. Gavin McKenna became the first Penn State freshman to reach 50 points in a season. Gavin McKenna scored eight points against Ohio State on February 20, a program record.

Gavin McKenna dominated junior hockey before the Penn State move. Gavin McKenna led the WHL with 129 points on 41 goals and 88 assists. Gavin McKenna posted a plus-60 rating, the best mark in the WHL that season. Scouts rate Gavin McKenna the No. 1 prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft.

A Gavin McKenna selection would reshape the Toronto Maple Leafs forward core. The Vancouver Canucks last held No. 3 when Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin arrived in 1999. The Toronto Maple Leafs entered the lottery without a guaranteed top pick. The Toronto Maple Leafs now control the consensus No. 1 prospect, Gavin McKenna.

Gavin McKenna also set a modern CHL record with a 54-game point streak. Gavin McKenna totaled 173 points across 76 junior games last season. The San Jose Sharks won the second lottery drawing for the No. 2 pick. An Original Six franchise, the Toronto Maple Leafs, now owns the top pick.

Round 1 of the 2026 NHL Draft begins June 26 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Rounds 2 through 7 of the 2026 NHL Draft follow on June 27. The Toronto Maple Leafs could trade the No. 1 pick or draft Gavin McKenna. Watch whether Gavin McKenna lands with the Toronto Maple Leafs on June 26.