Sunday Overreactions: Should Maple Leafs just play McKenna with Matthews right away?

Sep 20, 2026, 10:04 AM ET|Comments (0)

from Sportsnet,

If not for a ping-pong ball bouncing in the perfect spot, it would’ve been a bitter off-season for the Toronto Maple Leafs .

Instead, it’s been a summer full of anticipation thanks to first-overall pick Gavin McKenna falling into their laps. McKenna has been a lifeline of sorts for an organization that was staring down a crossroads at the conclusion of the 2025-26 campaign. Should they rebuild? Does Auston Matthews want out? The chatter around those topics that were once increasing in volume is barely audible at this point.

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