New Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka was gifted with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft Tuesday night on his just second official day on the job.
While the hockey world widely expects the Maple Leafs to use the pick on Penn State winger Gavin McKenna, Chayka didn’t tip his hand on the Leafs’ plans after winning Tuesday’s lottery.
“We haven’t’ had scouting meetings yet. Second day on the job,” he said.
However, that didn’t stop Chayka from singing McKenna’s praises.
“He’s an exciting player,” Chayka said. “The skill level, the creativity, his puck ability and his shot release is all pretty special. It’s a good package, so it will be good to get with the scouts and talk through it all.”
The Leafs entered the evening with the fifth-best odds to win the top pick at 8.5 per cent, and leapfrogged the Vancouver Canucks (25.5 per cent), Chicago Blackhawks (13.5), New York Rangers (11.5) and Calgary Flames (9.5). It’s the second time in a row the Leafs have won the top pick when eligible, 10 years after they selected Auston Matthews No. 1 overall in 2016.
Chayka and the Leafs were no doubt thankful for their good fortune.
“You need some luck and we got it tonight,” Chayka said. “It’s a long road ahead, of course, and lots of work to do still, but when you get a first-overall pick, it’s a monumental type of opportunity. I think it’s a really good draft, and a lot of good players. It’s an honour to pick one overall.”
New executive senior advisor Mats Sundin agreed.
“I’m extremely happy for the Toronto Maple Leafs fanbase, of course,” he said. “It’s great to get the first pick. Great night, great lottery.”
McKenna, 18, had 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points in 35 games last season for Penn State in the NCAA, and won the WHL title the season before while tallying a whopping 129 points in 56 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers.
“I think he is the best player in the draft,” said TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button as part of his latest mock draft, which has the Leafs selecting McKenna at No. 1. “Now we start to think about the Toronto Maple Leafs and what was the biggest absence for Auston Matthews last year? It was the playmaking winger when Mitch Marner left to go to the Vegas Golden Knights. Well Gavin McKenna is a playmaking winger.
“For Gavin McKenna, this could be a really good fit for him to come in and to be able to play with somebody as significant as Auston, that can carry play like Auston and take some of the burden off.”
Toronto wasn’t the only team coming away from Tuesday’s lottery feeling fortunate.
The San Jose Sharks have the No. 2 pick after winning the lottery draw for the second pick. San Jose had just a 5.5 per cent chance of winning the second draw behind seven other teams.
The Sharks narrowly missed out on the postseason and now will have the opportunity to add another key young piece alongside superstar Macklin Celebrini.
“I’m shocked, really,” Sharks GM Mike Grier said via NHL.com. “You never know what’s going to happen and how the balls are going to bounce. It’s kind of happy and excited. It’s a good day for the organization. I’m sure the scouts have been doing the work. There’s lots of options there. There’s centres, there’s defence, there’s wingers ... so to have the opportunity to add another very talented player to our young core is very exciting.”
If the Sharks hold onto their pick, it will be the fourth consecutive year they’ve picked in the top four.
