BUFFALO — Luke Schenn doesn't have to search far to recall his first impression of Gavin McKenna, the highly touted prospect expected to be selected first overall in the 2026 NHL draft.
Schenn, now a defenceman for the Buffalo Sabres, first saw McKenna during a casual skate in Kelowna, British Columbia, a few summers ago. The session featured numerous current and former NHL players who reside in the area during the off-season.
"Someone said: 'This kid is going to be the first overall pick a few years from now,'" Schenn recalled on Thursday. "I look over and he's probably about 140 pounds, and I was like …"
Schenn made a skeptical face. However, watching McKenna's skill quickly changed his mind.
"And then you see his skill and competing against all the pro guys we had out there, you knew there was a very bright future," Schenn said. "Confidence. Swagger. Skating. He has so much skill and deception, poise, hands. He has proven it at every level. He's going to get bigger and stronger too."
Schenn, 36, has been in the NHL for nearly two decades. After being scratched for the Sabres' first 10 playoff games, he returned to the lineup for a 3-2 victory against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference second round.
Drafted fifth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2008 out of the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League, Schenn made his NHL debut that October and played 70 games in his rookie season. He was traded to Philadelphia in June 2012 for James van Riemsdyk and later returned to Toronto in 2023, helping the Leafs win a playoff round before signing with Nashville as a free agent.
Now, with the Leafs holding the first overall pick in the 2026 draft, they are expected to select McKenna. Schenn knows what awaits the young winger in Toronto.
"They're going to love him," Schenn said. "They're going to love whoever they get there. That's just what that fan base is.
"I've been through the ups and downs in Toronto, but I loved every bit of my time there. Some of my greatest memories are being a Toronto Maple Leaf. Whoever gets drafted there is going to be fortunate."
McKenna's talent has drawn comparisons to generational players, and his stock has only risen since Schenn first saw him. The Leafs' faithful are already buzzing about the potential addition.
