- Gavin McKenna says lining up with Auston Matthews “could be pretty lethal”
- The Leafs hold the first overall pick and McKenna is the heavy favorite to go No. 1 on Friday
- Read below for McKenna’s full take on the potential pairing
Gavin McKenna already sounds like he’s picturing himself in blue and white.
The projected No. 1 pick talked to TSN’s Gino Reda about what it would be like to play next to Auston Matthews in Toronto, and he didn’t downplay it.
“My game is a playmaker. I can think the game very well and I can find guys in spots where not many people can find them,” McKenna said. “My game has always been like that, so if you put me with a shooter, it could be pretty lethal.”
He pointed right at Matthews when he said it. “I think that’s who Auston Matthews is, he’s a shooter,” McKenna said. “He’s got experience in the league, and that would give me a lot of confidence.”
Here’s McKenna on the potential pairing:
Toronto owns the first overall pick, and the draft goes Friday in Buffalo. McKenna has been the consensus top prospect in this class for years, so it would be a stunner if the Leafs called anyone else.
He likes where the team is headed, too. McKenna pointed to a roster built to push for the playoffs, with veterans like John Tavares around to lean on as a rookie.
The countdown is already on in Toronto:
A kid out of Whitehorse, Yukon has carried that hometown story all the way to the top of the draft board.
The Leafs are on the clock Friday, and McKenna already has the top line mapped out.
