Gavin McKenna is all we're going to think about until Toronto Maple Leafs training camp opens up in September. The possibility of the 2026 first-overall draft pick bursting onto the scene with an impressive rookie campaign that takes the Leafs from misery to competing for a playoff spot, is all we're dreaming of.
So when current best player in the world Connor McDavid, shares his thoughts on McKenna and what he might bring as he heads to Toronto, we listen.
Connor McDavid shares his thoughts on Gavin McKenna and the Leafs
While at Zach Hyman's annual golf tournament in Toronto, McDavid spoke with the various media members who were there. During this late-July pseudo press conference, to get his thoughts on whatever is on people's minds during the dead period of the NHL, McKenna's name was brought up. So, McDavid gave his brief opinion on the player and how he could handle playing on the biggest team in the hockey world.
“He’ll have his hands full in Toronto”
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 27, 2026
Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman speak on their first impressions of Gavin McKenna. pic.twitter.com/C4Fo5xhAZT
“I don’t know much about him. I haven’t paid attention all that much, to be honest. Seems like he’s a good kid," McDavid said.
"He’ll have his hands full in Toronto, but he seems like he’s prepared for it. He’ll have a good support system there too, obviously with Auston, and he’ll have lots of support around him, so he should be fine.”
It makes sense that McDavid is scouring all the tape from Medicine Hat during McKenna's 2024-25 season, or seeing what he's doing at Penn State last year. He is trying to win the Stanley Cup, after all. But it is good to see how highly he thinks of the player from the outside looking in. Seeing that he is a person that can handle all the stuff that comes along with playing in the centre of the hockey universe.
Namely, McDavid is good friends with Auston Matthews and knows that he can take McKenna under his wing, along with legendary veterans like John Tavares to really guide the winger with limitless potential.
Maybe in a not-so-distant future, McDavid and McKenna could be teammates, too. Since the Oilers captain is slated to be an unrestricted free agent in 2028, it's certainly not impossible for these two to share a locker room in Toronto.
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