Gavin McKenna Signs with the Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs officially signed first-overall pick Gavin McKenna to a three-year entry-level contract, securing the franchise’s top prospect just one week after selecting him at the 2026 NHL Draft.
The 18-year-old from Whitehorse, Yukon, received the maximum salary permitted under the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement. His contract pays $1.025 million in Year 1, $1.075 million in Year 2 and $1.125 million in Year 3. McKenna is also eligible for up to $1 million in Schedule A bonuses and $2.5 million in Schedule B bonuses each season based on performance and league awards.
McKenna enters the organization after an outstanding freshman season at Penn State, where he recorded 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points in 35 games. Before joining the NCAA, he starred with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers and was named the Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year. He also helped Canada earn a bronze medal at the 2026 World Junior Championship with 14 points in seven games.
At the conclusion of development camp on July 4, McKenna also announced that he will wear No. 92 with the Maple Leafs after voluntarily giving up his familiar No. 72 to veteran goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.
McKenna is expected to compete for a roster spot in training camp and is widely viewed as a cornerstone of the Maple Leafs’ future alongside Auston Matthews and the club’s young core.
Also the Toronto Maple Leafs continued to strengthen their roster on Saturday by signing defenceman Emil Andrae to a two-year contract worth a reported $3.1 million ($1.55 million average annual value).
Andrae, 24, was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers in June as part of the trade that also brought goaltender Samuel Ersson to Toronto. The smooth-skating left-shot defenceman appeared in 61 NHL games last season, recording two goals and 11 assists for 13 points. The Maple Leafs are expected to give him an opportunity to compete for a regular role on the blue line during training camp.
The signing continues an active week for Toronto. Earlier in free agency, the Maple Leafs added forwards Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, Brandon Duhaime, Teddy Blueger, and Zack MacEwen, while also signing first-overall draft pick Gavin McKenna to his three-year entry-level contract.
With most of their major free-agent work complete, general manager John Chayka is expected to shift his focus toward rounding out the roster and preparing for training camp as Toronto looks to rebound after missing the playoffs last season
