Maple Leafs plan to play Gavin McKenna with Auston Matthews immediately

The Toronto Maple Leafs appear to have decided on Gavin McKenna's role with the team next season.

Insider Elliotte Friedman appeared on the "Donnie and Dhali" podcast on Monday and discussed the Maple Leafs' plans for several roster decisions.

Toronto selected Penn State University forward McKenna with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. McKenna previously expressed his excitement about the possibility of playing alongside captain Auston Matthews.

According to Friedman, the Maple Leafs want McKenna to become an important part of the team immediately.

Maple Leafs believe Gavin McKenna is ready to play, Elliotte Friedman says

"Like, tomorrow? Or yesterday? Yesterday?" Friedman said, when asked about when the Leafs expect McKenna to start contributing to the team in a significant way.

He added, "Well, I mean, obviously he's gonna make the team. Barring something really strange happening, he's gonna make the team. And I think he's gonna play. And I think they want him to play with Auston Matthews as quickly as they can, to give it a shot and see how it looks."

While the organization understands that McKenna, 18, will go through the normal adjustment and development process expected of any rookie, Friedman said that he will play and added that he sees him as a first-unit power-play player right away.

"I think he could be a first-power-play guy right away. You know, seeing him up close, he's still a really young guy. There's still a lot of frame to fill out. He's gonna be a lot bigger, and he's gonna be like every other rookie; he's gonna have his growing pains. But he's gonna play, and he's a talent."

During the 2025-26 season, McKenna appeared in 35 games for Penn State University, recording 15 goals and 36 assists for a total of 51 points.