Maple Leafs land McKenna, Canucks add Stenberg in 2026 mock draft

Toronto Maple Leafs selected Gavin McKenna first overall and Vancouver Canucks took Ivar Stenberg third in this post-Stanley Cup Final mock draft.

Maple Leafs accelerate contention with top pick

The Maple Leafs used the first selection on left winger Gavin McKenna. McKenna posted 48 goals and 102 points in his draft year. That total exceeds the previous Leafs first-overall prospect by 19 points. Toronto therefore pairs immediate scoring with existing core forwards.

McKenna’s 6-foot-2 frame and 0.82 points-per-game junior average contrast with smaller skill forwards taken later. San Jose selected Chase Reid second, a defenseman whose 0.41 points-per-game rate signals a slower NHL timeline. Toronto therefore gains the higher-impact player in year one.

Leafs management projects McKenna to log 18 minutes per game as a rookie. That ice time exceeds the 14 minutes given to the team’s 2025 first-rounder. The added minutes create a direct path to 25-plus goals in 2026-27.

Canucks secure forward depth at third overall

Vancouver chose left winger Ivar Stenberg third overall. Stenberg recorded 41 goals and 89 points in his draft season. Those totals surpass the Canucks’ prior third-overall forward by 11 points. The pick addresses wing depth behind their established top six.

Stenberg’s 31 power-play points stand 12 higher than any other Canucks prospect. Vancouver therefore gains a net-front specialist who complements their existing power-play units. Chicago’s fourth-overall defenseman Alberts Smits offers only 0.29 points per game, a slower offensive contribution.

The Canucks also hold the 24th selection, used on right winger Jaxon Cover. Cover’s 27 goals create secondary scoring depth. Together the two picks raise Vancouver’s projected prospect goal total by 38 over the next three seasons.

Draft ripple effects across the first round

New York Rangers selected Caleb Malhotra fifth overall, a center with 36 goals. Calgary Flames took defenseman Carson Carels sixth, adding 0.38 points per game from the blue line. Seattle Kraken chose Keaton Verhoeff seventh, another defenseman whose junior plus-minus reached plus-27.

Florida Panthers selected center Viggo Bjorck ninth after he posted 33 goals. Nashville Predators followed with defenseman Daxon Rudolph tenth. These mid-first-round choices illustrate the premium teams placed on two-way forwards and mobile defenders.

St. Louis Blues acquired two first-round picks, selecting Ethan Belchetz 11th and Xavier Villeneuve 15th. Their combined 67 goals project to the highest prospect scoring haul among all teams.

McKenna’s arrival projects Toronto to add at least 25 goals in 2026-27, widening their gap over Vancouver by 12 points in the standings.