The Toronto Maple Leafs have selected Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. One of the most dynamic playmakers in this draft class, McKenna should give the Maple Leafs an offensive boost immediately.
McKenna just wrapped up his freshman season at Penn State, and the transition from junior hockey to the collegiate level wasn't a smooth one initially. However, after a slow start, McKenna found his groove and finished the season with 15 goals and 36 assists 35 games. His 51 points ranked third in the Big Ten, and McKenna led the Nittany Lions to the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to Minnesota-Duluth in the first round.
Prior to his career at Penn State, McKenna posted gaudy numbers with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL. In 2024-25, McKenna tallied 41 goals and 88 points in 56 games while helping the Tigers capture a WHL title. McKenna and Medicine Hat fell just shy of a Memorial Cup title, losing to the London Knights in the championship game.
It might be a bit much to ask McKenna to ride shotgun alongside Auston Matthews right out of the gate, but he has the skill to make an instant impact. Can McKenna land among the best No. 1 picks of this century? If he can, that would be a huge boost to a Toronto offense that finished in the middle of the league last year.
With the No. 2 overall pick, the San Jose Sharks took Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg, who pushed McKenna to be the top selection in this draft. San Jose adds yet another elite offensive weapon to its arsenal with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith already there. Stenberg will help replace William Eklund, who was recent traded to the Ottawa Senators.
After trading defenseman Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks for the No. 4 overall pick, the hometown Buffalo Sabres replaced Byram with Daxon Rudolph, one of the best playmaking defensemen in this class. Those moves will be analyzed for years to come.
Stay tuned here with CBS Sports as the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft continues. We'll have the full results and analysis once the opening round concludes.
Round 1
1. Toronto Maple Leafs -- Gavin McKenna (LW, Penn Sate, NCAA)
2. San Jose Sharks -- Ivar Stenberg (RW, Frölunda, SweHL)
3. Vancouver Canucks -- Caleb Malholtra (C, Brantford, OHL)
4. Buffalo Sabres -- Daxon Rudolph (D, Prince Albert, WHL)
5. New York Rangers -- Alberts Šmits (D, Jukurit, Liiga)
6. Calgary Flames -- Carson Carels (D, Prince George, WHL)
7. Seattle Kraken -- Chase Reid (D, Sault Ste. Marie, OHL)
8. Winnipeg Jets -- Viggo Björck (C, Djurgården, SweHL)
9. San Jose Sharks (via Florida, Ottawa)
10. Nashville Predators
11. St. Louis Blues
12. New Jersey Devils
13. New York Islanders
14. Columbus Blue Jackets
15. St. Louis Blues (via Detroit)
16. St. Louis Blues (via Washington)
17. Los Angeles Kings
18. Washington Capitals (via Anaheim)
19. Utah Mammoth
20. Buffalo Sabres (via Edmonton, San Jose)
21. Philadelphia Flyers
22. Pittsburgh Penguins
23. Utah Mammoth (via Boston)
24. Vancouver Canucks (via Minnesota)
25. Ottawa Senators (via Tampa Bay, Seattle, Florida)
26. Vegas Golden Knights (via Dallas, Carolina, New York Rangers)
27. San Jose Sharks (via Buffalo)
28. Montreal Canadiens
29. St. Louis Blues (via Colorado, New York Islanders)
30. Calgary Flames (via Vegas)
31. Carolina Hurricanes
32. Ottawa Senators
