BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Toronto Maple Leafs and their new general manager, John Chayka, hold the top spot in Friday night’s NHL draft, with Penn State forward Gavin McKenna widely considered the best player available.
For Chayka, who was recently brought on board, the first overall pick represents another chance to help revamp one of hockey’s most storied franchises. Toronto finished last in the Atlantic Division, signaling a period of change for the organization. Chayka has already brought in Jim Hiller as the team’s new head coach and last week added defenseman Darren Raddysh through a sign-and-trade agreement with Tampa Bay.
The focus now turns to adding young talent — fittingly in the same downtown Buffalo arena where Toronto used the first pick in the 2016 draft to select star forward Auston Matthews.
McKenna, a right winger known for his playmaking ability, hails from Whitehorse, Yukon. Other highly regarded prospects in this year’s class include Swedish left winger Ivar Stenberg, center Caleb Malhotra, and a group of defensemen: Latvia’s Alberts Smits, North Dakota’s Keaton Verhoeff, and Chase Reid, who is considered the top American-born prospect in the draft.
Assuming no trades shake things up, the next four selections are expected to go to San Jose at No. 2, followed by Vancouver, Buffalo, and the New York Rangers rounding out the top five.
