The Toronto Maple Leafs won the first overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery. With the top pick, the team selected Penn State forward Gavin McKenna. While he is aware of the pressure that Toronto is going through after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 10 years, he is happy with the result.

He said he feels lucky to begin his NHL career with a team that wants to win now instead of a team that is rebuilding.

“You see what (John) Chayka is doing, you see the players he's bringing in, I think we obviously want to go on a run this year,” McKenna said to ESPN on July 30. “So it's very fortunate for me to go to a team like that who's hungry and in that winning environment.”

As per the report by ESPN, McKenna also made an honest comment that some fans may see as a small message to NHL teams that stay near the bottom of the standings for years to get top draft picks.

“It's pretty common that players who get drafted first overall go to a team who's tanking, and it's not the case for me. I know I've gotten lucky," added McKenna.

His words also show why Toronto's lottery win is different. Most No. 1 picks join rebuilding teams. But McKenna joins a Maple Leafs team that expects to fight for a playoff spot right away. Because of that, many people expect big things from both McKenna and the team in the 2026-27 season.

Gavin McKenna already has Calder Trophy and playoff success in his sights

In the same ESPN article, McKenna also talked about his goals for his rookie season. The 18-year-old said winning with the team is more important than personal records. After that, he spoke about his own goals.

“For sure, make the playoffs,” McKenna said when outlining his objectives. “Hopefully go on a run there with the team that we got and of course you want to win a Calder Trophy in your rookie season. I think if that happens, that's a pretty good year.”

Toronto made many big changes during the offseason. The Maple Leafs replaced general manager Brad Treliving with John Chayka. They also hired Jim Hiller as the new head coach.

The team added veteran goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and forward Nick Paul. At the same time, Toronto moved on from Joseph Woll and Brandon Carlo.

These moves make McKenna believe the Maple Leafs want to win now, not rebuild. Because of that, many fans expect a lot from the rookie.

McKenna has accepted the pressure from the start. He believes Toronto is the right place to begin his NHL career. Now, fans will watch to see if he can help the team reach the playoffs and become a strong Calder Trophy candidate. 

What do you think? Can Toronto's young star live up to the high expectations in his first NHL season? Let us know in the comments. 

Read more at the NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Kapil Manghnani brings over 4.5 years of experience in sports journalism, covering a wide range of sports, including Soccer, NHL, Tennis, Gymnastics, NASCAR, Swimming, and more. He has written for leading sports platforms, producing everything from breaking news and features to in-depth analysis, opinion pieces, long-form stories, and short-form content. Beyond articles, he has also scripted long-form storytelling videos for YouTube channels. His work focuses on delivering well-researched, engaging, and reader-first sports content across multiple formats.

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Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar