Leach talks No. 1 pick, planning for Draft with Maple Leafs on 'NHL Draft Class' podcast

The Toronto Maple Leafs certainly have done their homework on Gavin McKenna, including a trip by general manager John Chayka to McKenna's home in Whitehorse, Yukon, for a meeting.

McKenna, the projected No. 1 pick of the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft, also will meet with the Maple Leafs in Toronto following the NHL Scouting Combine presented by Fanatics, which runs through Saturday.

"Chayka, he ended up coming up to Whitehorse," McKenna said on a recent episode of the "NHL Draft Class" podcast. "So I got to meet with him and had a really good conversation with him. I think they've got their combine after this, so go meet with them there, and we'll see where things go."

The extended time with McKenna is all part of Maple Leafs determining which player they will select with the No. 1 pick when the draft is held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

A major step in that process is taking place at the combine, where Toronto has interviews scheduled with 51 prospects, among them McKenna and forward Ivar Stenberg of Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League.

However, that's just one step in the process, according to Maple Leafs director of amateur scouting Mark Leach. There's a lot more time to discuss things.

"It won't be locked in (after combine)," Leach said on "NHL Draft Class." "We will be discussing it after this week, we'll be rehashing it. I think in this situation we want to be able to take the time. We have the time, so why not take it? Dig back in and keep going over and making sure you're making the right decision for the organization."

McKenna (5-foot-11, 170 pounds), No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, finished tied for fifth among NCAA players with 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 35 games as a freshman at Penn State, and his average of 1.45 points per game was second. McKenna was named freshman of the year in the Big Ten and was a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top men's NCAA hockey player.

Stenberg, No. 1 on Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters, had 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 43 SHL games. He also helped Sweden win the gold medal at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship and was voted one of Sweden's three best players at the 2026 IIHF World Championship.

The 2026 draft will be a pivotal moment for the Maple Leafs, who have the No. 1 selection for the first time since 2016, when they picked center Auston Matthews.

A decade later, Matthews has cemented himself as a foundational player for Toronto. 

The hope is they can repeat that level of success this time around, especially after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season for the first time since 2015-16.

"I think anytime you get the No. 1 pick, you have an opportunity to really help change your team," Leach said. "Those picks don't come along the way every year, obviously. I've been in this business 32 years, first time I ever had the No. 1 pick. ... But it does immediately help your organization take a step."

To listen to the full interviews with McKenna, Stenberg and Leach, you can find "NHL Draft Class" on all podcast platforms, including iTunes and Spotify. It's free to download and subscribe, and the podcast also is available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.