Maple Leafs GM John Chayka reveals takeaways from Gavin McKenna hometown visit appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Leafs’ biggest need is on defence, but centre-ice isn’t far behind — if it’s behind at all. Could Dylan Larkin be the answer?

The Toronto Maple Leafs own the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NHL Draft, but general manager John Chayka seems open to exploring options. Speaking at the NHL Scouting Combine, Chayka responded to rumors about moving the top pick.

Gavin McKenna grew up as a hockey phenom in Canada. Generally, you'd think that would make him excited about the fact that he could be drafted No. 1 overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs. You'd be right. McKenna spoke with reporters at the NHL Combine on Friday in Buffalo, and he had a lot of good to say about the Maple Leafs.

Gavin McKenna left his family and friends behind in Whitehorse, Yukon, some six years ago to pursue his NHL dream. Now, the NHL is traveling to one of Canada’s most remote regions to meet with McKenna — the 18-year-old forward projected to be the No.

Toronto Maple Leafs John Chayka met with the media ahead of the final of the NHL's scouting combine. He discussed his intentions with the first-overall pick, the overall 2026 draft class, and how impressed he is with Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg.

If Elliotte Friedman’s right and Patrick Roy’s interview went “really good,” the bigger story isn’t whether he gets the job — it’s what hiring him would say about the kind of team Toronto wants to become.