Toronto’s prospect pool improved dramatically this summer, but one weakness still stands out: there is no obvious young finisher behind Gavin McKenna.
Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis raised the same concern in his latest breakdown. Before that, he made it clear that general manager John Chayka did a good job. The Maple Leafs selected Gavin McKenna first overall, a player Ellis believes is the best prospect in hockey. Yet he also feels the organization is still missing a goal-scorer who can eventually supplement Auston Matthews.
The big club has long struggled whenever Matthews is not at full health. Looking at the system, it is difficult to identify anyone capable of putting up more than 15 goals a season at the NHL level. That outcome is unsurprising for a franchise that has not picked high often and has historically valued trade-deadline deals more than selections in the top 75. Goal-scoring remains the most important element of any successful team—and the hardest commodity to find.
Finding NHL goal scorers is the most difficult task in the draft, and it is simply something the Leafs were not able to address this summer. Toronto added prospect depth without adding another natural goal scorer.
When you examine the organization’s system more closely, the concern becomes easy to understand. Most of the top prospects project as playmakers, two-way forwards, defencemen or goaltenders rather than pure finishers.
Ellis views McKenna as a franchise-changing talent. He sat at the top of draft boards for months, and 2026 was widely regarded as a year in which securing the number-one selection was essential. That said, McKenna is a playmaker first and a goal-scorer second. In 35 NCAA games he recorded 36 assists against just 15 goals—a stark illustration of his skill set.
The rest of the system follows a similar pattern. Ben Danford is a defensive defenceman who still has considerable development ahead of him. Tinus-Luc Koblar is an intriguing two-way centre whose NHL point-producing ability remains to be proven. Alexander Bilecki and Ethan MacKenzie are projected as depth defencemen and will not solve the goal-scoring shortfall. Artur Akhtyamov offers the possibility of one day becoming an NHL starter in net.
Collectively these players represent useful organizational depth that can serve the Leafs well for years. What the system currently lacks is an obvious prospect who projects as a future high-end NHL goal scorer.
McKenna may actually make Toronto’s need for a future finisher even more important. According to Daily Faceoff, he draws comparisons to Patrick Kane and Nikita Kucherov—players who create high-danger opportunities and feed teammates the puck. Ellis sees McKenna topping out in the 20-to-30-goal range. He will make his mark by generating offence rather than finishing it.
For the moment that is not a problem; the Leafs still have Auston Matthews on the roster. Four or five years from now, however, the organization will need someone ready to take that mantle and convert the chances McKenna creates. Simply put, Chayka must continue building through the draft while also searching for young talent around the league.
Steven Ellis is clear on the bottom line: the Leafs have meaningfully improved their prospect pool, yet one critical weakness remains unaddressed. McKenna has the potential to drive Toronto’s next offensive core, but elite playmakers deliver their greatest value when true finishers surround them. The next challenge for John Chayka is ensuring the Maple Leafs eventually develop or acquire a player capable of turning McKenna’s creation into goals.