The Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks face off for the first time this season tonight, which means Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg will also meet for the first time. McKenna was selected first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, while Stenberg went second overall to San Jose.
Whenever the first two picks in a draft end up playing each other, there will be some extra attention. This was the same thing that happened with Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine played each other, or even Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel. Both players have plenty of expectations to live up to, and tonight gives them their first chance to go head-to-head in their NHL careers.
McKenna and Stenberg face off for the first time
McKenna was the first overall pick for a reason, and the Maple Leafs will be hoping he continues to show why they selected him. Being the top pick comes with plenty of pressure, especially in a city like Toronto. However, it also gives him the opportunity to become one of the most important players on Toronto's roster for years to come.
Stenberg, meanwhile, was the second overall pick by the Sharks. Despite not being selected first, that doesn't mean he has any less to prove. The Sharks team is going to the team to be beat, they’ve built a team with a great young core. He will be looking to make an impact for San Jose and show that he can be just as significant to his team as McKenna is to Toronto.
Tonight’s game is drawing even more eyeballs due to Stenberg sharing his draft interview experience with the Maple Leafs. He recently sat down with Curtis Pashelka of Bay Area News Group, and shared “I was pretty sure I would not go first overall,” He would later go on to share more about his interviews with Toronto.
"“I had met with (the Maple Leafs) during the year, but I don’t know,” Stenberg said. “They wanted another guy, and I accept that. But I’m super happy I’m with the Sharks. You kind of feel when a team wants you or not, or how interested they are. You get a feeling, and I think that feeling was pretty (accurate)”"Ivar Stenberg
There is obviously a long way to go before anyone can compare their careers, but this is the kind of matchup that will be interesting to follow over the coming years. Both players are still working to establish themselves in the NHL, and every time they face each other, there will be another opportunity to see how they stack up.
The exciting part is that these two will likely be compared throughout their careers because of where they were selected. McKenna will always have the first overall pick attached to his name, while Stenberg will be looking to prove that not only did the San Jose pick the right player at second overall, but that Toronto made a mistake.
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