Toronto's Gavin McKenna headlines a talent-heavy, exciting NHL rookie class

Gavin McKenna enters the NHL as this year's top draft pick, joining the Toronto Maple Leafs in what current and former top picks call the league's most demanding market. San Jose's Macklin Celebrini, the 2024 No. 1 pick, said Toronto fans celebrate success but scrutinize every mistake. McKenna plays left wing, grew up in the Yukon and played college hockey at Penn State before the draft lottery sent him to Toronto; he turns 19 in December. He is living this season with Maple Leafs center John Tavares and his family, and Tavares said he hopes that arrangement lets McKenna decompress from the attention surrounding him. New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the unanimous Calder Trophy winner as top rookie last season, said McKenna should expect high expectations but can learn from veteran teammates. McKenna joins a Leafs core built around captain Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Matthew Knies and Tavares, a season after Toronto missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade and overhauled its coaching staff and roster, according to ABC News.

McKenna is part of a talented rookie class. San Jose took Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg with the second overall pick, adding him to a group with Celebrini, Will Smith and Michael Misa; general manager Mike Grier also traded William Eklund to Ottawa for the pick that became defenseman Keaton Verhoeff. In Philadelphia, Martone, last year's sixth overall pick out of Michigan State, joined the Flyers in March and helped them reach the playoffs and the second round.

Summarized by PolitiKool from ABC News’s reporting. Read the full story at ABC News →