Connor McDavid spoke about Toronto Maple Leafs' new No. 1 pick, Gavin McKenna, on Monday, July 27. He shared his thoughts at Zach Hyman's annual charity golf tournament just weeks after the Maple Leafs drafted McKenna first overall in 2026.

McKenna arrived in Toronto with high expectations around him. He scored 51 points in 35 games at Penn State last season. After that, he even led Canada's offense at the 2026 World Junior Championship. He then signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Leafs. McDavid admitted he hasn't followed McKenna closely. Still, he gave his opinion on the rookie's future.

"I don't know much about him. I haven't paid attention all that much, to be honest," McDavid said as per TSN. "Seems like he's a good kid."

McDavid's take on McKenna, as posted by TSN on July 27, comes as a big boost for the Maple Leafs.

Toronto also needs a comeback after finishing 32-36-14 last season and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016. So, the new general manager John Chayka added more experienced players to reshape the roster around the team's young core.

McDavid, too, entered the league as a first overall pick, so he understands how the hockey market works. Because of that, he believes McKenna has a good environment to progress and succeed.

"He'll have his hands full in Toronto, but he seems like he's prepared for it," McDavid said. "He'll have a good support system there too, obviously with Auston [Matthews], and he'll have lots of support around him, so he should be fine."

Auston Matthews also joined Toronto as a first overall pick, back in 2016. Since then, he has carried the franchise on his back for most of it. That experience could help McKenna guide him as he settles into the team. 

Toronto expects him to play more offense directly. Meanwhile, McKenna has enough motivation within the camp to push himself.

How Matthews' peak performance sets an example for McKenna

Matthews is still Toronto's cornerstone and captain. He reached his career peak in 2023-24, scoring a league-high 69 goals and 107 points in 81 games. That performance from that season marked him as one of the NHL's top goal scorers.

However, his injuries have slowed him ever since then. In 2025-26, Matthews recorded 27 goals and 26 assists for 53 points in 60 games. A Grade 3 MCL tear closed his season early, and he underwent knee surgery.

"I think for Gavin, the belief is that he can be ready for the NHL, but now having the opportunity to have people around him that can help him navigate what the NHL looks like in Toronto, I think is just a really tremendous benefit," said Craig Button on the June 30 episode of the NHL Draft Class podcast.

Having Matthews as a teammate can give McKenna an example of how to handle Toronto's spotlight and balance the expectations. 

What do you think McKenna's rookie season will look like with Matthews as a mentor? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar