Leafs reportedly skipping McKenna and the alternative is turning heads
Mats Sundin's voice in the Maple Leafs front office could shape the team's first-round pick toward Swedish phenom Stenberg in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The buzz around Stenberg picked up Saturday on social media, with multiple draft analysts pushing for deeper analysis on a player they think Toronto would be wise to grab.
Chris McCluskey laid out the resume on X. U18 hockey at age 13. U20 hockey at 14. WHL stats from ages 14 to 17. Made the jump to the NCAA at 17. Top of every league he's played in, every step of the way.
That's the kind of progression that doesn't happen by accident. Strength is the part of the game still developing, but the offensive game is what scouts have been calling NHL-ready for two years.
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Daddy KB on X put it bluntly. Defensive structure and strength can be taught. The other stuff cannot.
The kid is legit, and Toronto would be smart not to overthink it.
For Mats Sundin, currently serving as senior executive advisor of hockey operations, this is exactly the kind of pick where his voice carries weight. Sweden produces a different style of player than North America, and Sundin knows the development path inside out.
The Maple Leafs finished 32-36-14 with 78 points and missed the playoffs entirely. The team is heading into the offseason without a Stanley Cup hangover, just a long list of structural problems and a first-round pick to build with.
Why a Swedish franchise winger would land harder than another safe pick
Toronto's recent draft history has leaned safe. Defensive defencemen. Two-way centres. Predictable picks that fill the bottom of the depth chart without ever cracking the top six.
Stenberg is a different bet. Higher ceiling. More skill. The kind of swing that either becomes a building block or a teaching moment, but rarely lands as a bottom-six grinder five years from now.
That ceiling matters for a team that gave up 299 goals against this season. Toronto doesn't need another safe role player.
Toronto needs a top-line winger or centre who can grow with whoever else gets drafted around him over the next three years.
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The Sundin angle is the differentiator.
Hall of Fame Swedes don't just pick names off a board, they call old contacts in Sweden, watch tape with people who know the kid, and flag the cultural fit pieces no analytics model captures.
Gavin McKenna will go first overall to whichever team holds the top pick. That conversation is settled.
The interesting board action happens after that, when teams with strong scouting departments separate themselves.
Toronto is not in that top group historically. Adding a Sundin-shaped voice on a Swedish prospect changes the math on at least one pick.
If the Leafs land Stenberg, the year-three roster looks different than it does today.
If they don't, the front office reset Toronto kicked off this spring will have to deliver elsewhere.
Whether the front office actually pulls the trigger when the call comes is the question. Toronto has been talking about going for upside for years. The Stenberg pick would tell you they finally meant it.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 9, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Jackson Blake | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Brock Faber | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Kirill Kaprizov | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Taylor Hall | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Quinn Hughes | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Mats Zuccarello | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Matthew Boldy | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Alex Bump | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Tyson Foerster | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Ryan Hartman | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nathan MacKinnon | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Logan Stankoven | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Christian Dvorak | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nazem Kadri | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Travis Konecny | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Gabriel Landeskog | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Porter Martone | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Michael McCarron | - | 1 | 1 | |
| K'Andre Miller | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jaccob Slavin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||