BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 pick of the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday night.Long projected to be the top pick, McKenna brings a much-needed boost of skill, creativity and long-term upside to the Leafs at a time when the franchise is undergoing a major renovation under the new front office led by general manager John Chayka and adviser Mats Sundin.McKenna, chosen ahead of other potential top-pick candidates Ivar Stenberg and Chase Reid, is the first draft pick by the new regime. Canadian pop star Justin Bieber announced the selection.The 18-year-old McKenna played for Penn State last season, putting up 51 points in 35 games, the second-best per-game mark in the NCAA. He finished second in WHL scoring the season before that with 129 points for Medicine Hat and then added another 38 points in 16 games during the Tigers’ run to the WHL championship.McKenna vs. Stenberg: Who’s No. 1?Corey Pronman, Scott Wheeler and moreA tremendous passer and playmaker with elite vision, including on the power play, McKenna’s upside has been compared to superstar wingers Artemi Panarin and Nikita Kucherov. He has the potential to become a long-term replacement at wing for Mitch Marner, who decamped for the Vegas Golden Knights last summer.The Leafs opted for McKenna’s superstar ceiling over Stenberg, another skilled winger from Sweden who might be more NHL-ready, and Reid, a right-shooting American defenseman with top-pairing potential.In the lead-up to his first draft as GM, Chayka said the Leafs would take the player they deemed to be the best available regardless of position.