Toronto Maple Leafs sign 2026 top draft pick Gavin McKenna to three-year contract

Eighteen‑year‑old forward Gavin McKenna, the first‑overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, has signed a three‑year entry‑level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The deal pays $1.025 million in the first year, $1.075 million in the second and $1.125 million in the third, and includes up to $1 million in Schedule A bonuses and $2.5 million in Schedule B bonuses each season. By signing, McKenna forfeits his remaining college eligibility and moves directly to the professional ranks.

McKenna, a Whitehorse native, spent a year at Pennsylvania State University where he set the school’s points‑per‑game record (15 goals, 36 assists in 35 games). He previously posted 34 goals and 97 points in 61 WHL games in 2023‑24 and improved to 41 goals and 129 points in 56 games in 2024‑25. The Maple Leafs, who lost winger Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights, expect McKenna to join a top‑line group with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. He will also need a new jersey number after giving up #72 to goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.