The Canucks are taking Gavin McKenna to dinner: Why it’s not a big deal for Maple Leafs
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. After missing the playoffs for the first time in ten years, the Leafs were awarded the first overall pick following the draft lottery, leaving them the opportunity to select any of McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, or Chase Reid among others.
Most Leafs fans have already mentally committed to McKenna being selected by the Leafs on draft day, and if you’re one of those fans, you probably felt a shiver run down your spine upon reading the tweet below.
Gavin McKenna is having dinner with just the Canucks this week at the Combine.
No Maple Leafs or #SJSharks. I doubt that means anything for his draft stock, but it’s interesting
Sheng Peng, who covers the San Jose Sharks for NBC Sports Sharks and San Jose Hockey Now, reported on Wednesday that Gavin McKenna met with the Vancouver Canucks, who are set to pick third in the draft, but not with the Maple Leafs, who pick first, or the Sharks, who pick second.
“I have heard that some people from the Leafs’ staff have made a trip up to Whitehorse, which is where Gavin McKenna is from, and have done some visiting up there…the industry sense that I get is that it’s likely going to be McKenna for the Leafs, but they still have a few weeks to work through that decision.”
So, make of this what you will. This piece isn’t meant to be a guarantee that McKenna ends up with the Maple Leafs, but it’s worth a reminder that teams meeting prospects for dinner doesn’t mean a ton in the grand scheme of things.
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