Craig Button, TSN director of scouting and an NHL analyst, believes Gavin McKenna is in good hands with the Toronto Maple Leafs since he'll have several great resources to lean on as an NHL rookie.
McKenna, a left wing from Penn State University, was chosen by the Maple Leafs with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Friday.
"He's got (senior executive advisor) Mats Sundin, who's in the front office, who was a first overall pick (1989 NHL Draft, Quebec Nordiques), and knows all too well what it means to come into a market like Toronto," Button said on the latest episode of the "NHL Draft Class" podcast. "You also have Wendel Clark, a first overall pick (1985 NHL Draft, Maple Leafs), who's a Toronto Maple Leafs icon. He's somebody that Gavin can lean on. And then you have Auston Matthews, who was the first overall pick (by the Maple Leafs at the 2016 NHL Draft), who's been a brilliant player for the Maple Leafs. So for Gavin to be able to come into that scenario, I think it's just simply fantastic. Not all players get that luxury when you're drafted first overall.
"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."
Button also offered insight into the top defensemen taken in the draft, starting with the Buffalo Sabres selecting Daxon Rudolph with the No. 4 pick, and listed a few of his favorite choices in the first and second rounds.
"NHL Draft Class" co-hosts Adam Kimelman and Mike G. Morreale also asked Button to provide his initial thoughts on the group of prospects eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft, including defenseman Landon DuPont who will make the jump from Everett of the Western Hockey League to the University of Michigan next season.
Kimelman and Morreale also recapped and provided their favorite stories coming out of the 2026 draft.
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