Maple Leafs get underwhelming Gavin McKenna comparison from The Athletic originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Not all No. 1 overall picks are created equal.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have the first pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and most assume that they’ll take the Canadian winger, Gavin McKenna.
Which kind of top pick is McKenna, though?
Is he a generational superstar like Sidney Crosby? Or is he a really good but not great player?
It’s hard to see McKenna failing, but some don’t believe he’ll ever ascend into the argument for best player on the planet, either.
One anonymous scout had this comparison to share with The Athletic in a new article:
“He’s like Artemi Panarin. He’ll get his accolades, but he’ll also be on 3-4 teams and never make real noise in the playoffs.”
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Panarin has had a long, successful NHL career with plenty of points. But he’s never been one of the top players in the world.
McKenna certainly has scoring talent, and a lot of that should translate. He was an immense offensive player in the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers, and he came on strong in the second half of the season with Penn State, too.
Especially on a Maple Leafs roster that already has skilled forwards in place, McKenna should get plenty of opportunities right from the outset.
If McKenna turns into Panarin, it can still be a solid pick for the Leafs. They may not have a better choice, anyway.
But they’ll still be hoping that he turns into someone better than that.
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