McKenna Joins Leafs' Top Six With Tavares, Nylander
The first pick of the 2026 draft skated on Toronto's second line at Jim Hiller's opening camp practice Thursday.
Gavin McKenna's first official Maple Leafs practice came with a top-six job attached.
The 18-year-old winger, first overall in the 2026 draft, skated Thursday on the left side of John Tavares and William Nylander at Ford Performance Centre, in Jim Hiller's opening session as Toronto's head coach. Tavares was the Leafs' leading goal scorer last season; Nylander led the team in points.
What caught Hiller's eye was a small thing in a battle drill. Chris Tanev had McKenna pinned toward the corner, and the teenager slipped out of it.
"I saw him dance away and just do a nice little backhand sauce pass into space. That jumps out at you," Hiller said. "That's what he's going to have to do against veteran NHL defencemen when the real games start."
Or, as Hiller put it another way: "I'm not looking for Gavin, but I see Gavin, if that makes any sense."
Nothing is locked in, but Hiller's opening arrangement had Auston Matthews centring Matthew Knies and Jack Roslovic on the first line, with McKenna's unit behind it. Hiller said he paired the rookie with Tavares in part because of the veteran's habit of walking young players through the details. McKenna is also billeting with Tavares, so the shop talk continues on the drive to the rink.
"It's super awesome that they've got confidence in me to play with those type of players," McKenna said. "Being in this environment with guys who are going 100 miles an hour every single shift, I think it kind of just rubs off on you."
The defensive zone is where the growing pains are expected, and Hiller will lean on his two veterans there. McKenna also wore a neckguard, now mandatory for NHL rookies, which made him easy to pick out of the pack.
