The Maple Leafs are still favored by most to take Gavin McKenna with the first pick. Malhotra himself has been most linked to the Vancouver Canucks, because their new head coach Manny Malhotra is his father. Manny was promoted from the AHL gig in their organization to lead the NHL squad now.

If you’re a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, you’ve probably spent the better part of the past month watching Gavin McKenna highlights. That’s not a sentence anybody expected to be published in 2026, but that’s the hand that the hockey gods have dealt the Leafs.

The top NHL prospect made his feelings clear about what it'd mean to land in a Canadian market, with Toronto holding the No. 1 pick.

The Toronto Maple Leafs won the NHL draft lottery Tuesday, handing newly hired general manager John Chayka and incoming senior executive adviser of hockey operations Mats Sundin immediate control of the No.

The NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo is officially underway. One interesting note involving the projected first overall pick has already started making the rounds. According to a report from Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now,

The Vancouver Canucks reportedly scheduled a dinner meeting with top draft prospect Gavin McKenna during the NHL Scouting Combine. The meeting became a talking point as teams finalized prospect evaluations ahead of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

When teams pursue a player—whether via trade or free agency—they’re often searching for a “unique selling point,” something that sets them apart from the rest of the league.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks have a lot more in common than being Canadian NHL franchises. Both teams are going through rough patches this year, with plenty of questions surrounding both clubs. While the Canucks have embraced a rebuild ...