The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: Steven Ellis on Why Gavin McKenna is the Clear Cut Number 1

Episode Date: May 6, 2026

Steven Ellis joins to preview the upcoming NHL Draft, discuss top prospect Gavin McKenna, who could go first overall, and how the rest of the draft could shake out.#TheSheet #NHL #MapleLeafs #LeafsNation #NHLDraft #NHLDraftLottery #StanleyCupPlayoffs #Avalanche #GoAvsGo #Hurricanes #TakeWarning #GavinMcKenna #Hockey #SportsTalkSHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS!!👍🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼 Ninja: https://www.sharkninja.ca/ninja-crispi-pro-6-in-1-countertop-glass-air-fryer-rose-quartz/AS101CRS.html?utm_source=Meta&utm_medium=Paid+Social&utm_campaign=H1NinjaCrispi&utm_content=NinjaEN&dwvar_AS101CRS_color=cdb9b8Reach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us!If you liked this, check out:🚨 OTT - Coming in Hot Sens | https://www.youtube.com/c/thewallyandmethotshow🚨 TOR - LeafsNation | https://www.youtube.com/@theleafsnation401🚨 EDM - OilersNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Oilersnationdotcom🚨 VAN - CanucksArmy | https://www.youtube.com/@Canucks_Army🚨 CGY - FlamesNation | https://www.youtube.com/@FNBarnBurner🚨 Daily Faceoff Fantasy & Betting | www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasyandBetting____________________________________________________________________________________________Connect with us on ⬇️Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/daily_faceoff💻 Website: https://www.dailyfaceoff.com🐦 Follow on twitter: https://x.com/DailyFaceoff💻 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailyfaceoffDaily Faceoff Merch:https://nationgear.ca/collections/daily-faceoffReach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Okay, let's get to Stephen Ellis from Daily Faceoff. Well, his mock draft is up. I'm curious, first of all, Stephen, thanks so much for stopping by. Before we get to your mock, I do want to ask you about your thoughts on what we saw from the very cold, Dylan Smoskowitz, and Kashan Acheson. Now, there have been weird things that have happened. There were weird things that happened at pressers this week between these two teams. Smoskowitz handing a play $100 bill, believed to be, oh, he mentioned ownership.

So if you mentioned ownership, you're going to get. at 100. It's just like weird things happen in pressers. And then I've never seen anything like that, like we saw after game seven. And mind you, I'm old enough to remember and follow and watch all of the 2000 Barry Colts with Bill Stewart, right? And Mike Danton and that crew and David Frost. But I never saw a press conference like that.

$15,000 fine from the league. Brian Crawford, not messing around your thoughts. Stephen Ellis. Yeah, not a good look. I think that's basically the best way of putting it. Is there not a good luck for anyone involved? Like from getting to know, Kashan Ayesin, like, you can tell that wasn't really his decision there.

And I'm glad that, like, that's one of the great dudes in junior hockey, a guy that, like, could go out there and kill you, and then he'll try to become friends with you after the game. Like, that's, like, the ultimate beer league mentality of, like, we're all just here to play a game, right? But also, I'm trying to be the best at it. So, like, I, I, I was talking to people who were in that press room. They were mad.

They were like, you know, of course. They're not expecting mind-blowing quotes from a junior hockey player. You know, if this happened January 24th, I don't think anyone's talking about it. The context of it being in the playoffs streamed online for free, that probably didn't help Barry's case. But that's something where it's just like, it's a bad look for everyone involved. And that's too bad because there are a lot of people who are not going to have positive opinions on a player like Gajasin when it's like, yeah, again, that wasn't him. That's not the type of that he is. No, don't. Whatever you do, don't hold that one against Kishon.

They are going to love him with the Allanders. It's going to be him and Schaefer for the next 15 years with the Allenders, so don't pin that one on him. Meanwhile, pin number one on Gavin McKenna for the draft for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Let's start with your mock here for all the teams that had some lottery luck and maybe some lottery misery yesterday, Vancouver looking your direction, although they could come up with the beauty here. Starting with Gavin McKenna, why is he? the obvious choice for first overall. By the way, I mentioned to Zach at the top of the show. My kid was skating this morning

and there was a senior's beer league afterwards and already there was someone who had put, mind you in white tape, McKenna on the back of his blue Toronto Maple Leafs sweater. See, there was the video the Leafs put out of Chika and Sundin finding out that they got the first overall pick and then one of the

final shots was of them walking into a beer league game to tell people on the bench. Like in my mind, I'm just assuming after they get this exciting news, franchise change a move, they went and coached a beer league game. That's that before. I know for all the hate to take it. By the way, Walter Gretzky used to do that in Brantford.

My buddy had, I was like there's an 11 o'clock beer league game and they were getting pumped. And Walter, true story, Walter Gretzky walks on the bench and says, they're getting pumped like six to one at the end of 20 minutes. And he walks in the bench and goes, you guys stink. You need a coach. And then Walter Gretzky coached. They still lost. But Walter Gretzky coached my buddy's beer league team in Brantford so many years ago before he passed. He's like, this is the coolest thing in the world.

Walter Greskes, he's coaching our team. Anyhow, I digress. Final thoughts there on, and why Gavin McKenna? Well, so here's the other thing.

So all the hate for John Chaka and whether or not he was the right guy to become the GM. Has anybody turned a franchise around that quickly? Like a day after gets announced, all of a sudden they're like, oh yeah,

by the way, we're also going to get them. Take that, Steve Simmons at the sun. Take that. What do you say now, Steve Simmons? Clearly rigged.

So rigged for John, Jacob. But yeah. McKenna just, you know, you look at the way he plays, how smart he is. And there'll be some knocks against his game. Like he's not overly physical.

He's not great defensively. He's six foot. He's 170 pounds. Do you know he's also kind of around that same size bracket? You're looking at Patrick Kane and Nikita Kutrov. I'm not saying he's a one-to-one comparison to either guy, but he's a high-end playmaker who sees the game at such a high-level, quick hands.

Does that start to sound a bit familiar? So, like, that's something here where he's not going to be Mitch Marner. He's not a one-to-one Mitch Marner. place me either because Marner had that defensive game and we could still see McKenna add that element to his game but he's the playmaker that Austin Matthews desperately needed this year and he comes at a much cheaper price for the next couple years now by the time he needs his new contract the seller cap will go up more they'll have more space to work with and Toronto will have a better idea on what the future of the Austin Matthews William Nealander era in Toronto looks like john tveris again

who knows where his career is going to be at that point so I think it comes at the right time but the Leafs got to make the playoffs like pretty much immediately with this because they don't have a good prospect pool they don't have the first round pick next couple years like this is the time to be like okay you're going all in right now trade some assets not a single prospect should be um should be like taking off the board here like you could trade ben Danford you could trade east and count when you could trade all those guys do whatever it takes to make you competitive immediately that would save john jacca's future in toronto that would save the you know all the people wondering what's the future like for austin matthews you

You guys got a gift, make the most of it. So this is based on the assumption that Gavin McKenna can play in the NHL next season. Now I know we generally live in the universe where the first overall pick goes right into the NHL. Don't look over here because that's Owen Power standing there. Do we just assume that he goes right in? Or is there any chance he goes back to Penn State for another year? I would be surprised if he did. I know there's reasons to do so, but I think his second half in Penn State really showed what he's capable of.

And I'm not sure if spending another year, like no disrespect to the players he plays with the Penn State. But I think he needs to be where everyone's hockey IQ is at a much higher low. He needs to go somewhere where he can go and play that first year in the NHL and he can go play with an Austin Matthews or a John Tavares and learn from those guys. Two veterans, both have been first overall picks. They both know how to handle the pressure. And I feel like that would be much more beneficial. You look at a guy like Connor Bedard or Jack Hughes, two guys that had all that high. went to the NHL, you know, solid starts, more solid for Bader than Hughes, but nothing

too spectacular. But then look at the guys they were playing with. Like, Badaar was playing a lot of his first year with, you know, it was supposed to be Corey Perry, didn't last long. They were supposed to be, there was Nick Falino, you know, Tyler Bertuzi in the last couple of years. That's cool and all, but, you know, that's not John Tavares. That's not Austin Matthews.

You're not playing of one of the best goalscores of the generation. So I think that would be very beneficial. and the fact that McKenna's not a center means there's less responsibility for him as a two-way player and he can go out there and focus on just getting comfortable, getting stronger, being part of that grind. So I actually do think the NHL

is the right move and not just because he's the best prospect in the league. I think you can also make an argument that Ivers Stenberg could probably play in the NHL next year. You can make an argument that Albert Smith could play in the NHL next year and he's got a lower ceiling. I do think McKenna should be top six Toronto Maple Leafs right away.

I don't mean any disrespect to to Kadooski on this one, but have you heard the Dale Hunter theory with Gavin McKenna? Have you heard this one? I don't. No, I've not. Things turned around for Gavin McKenna after he went through Dale Hunter. I don't know if it's too harsh to say Dale Hunter broke him at the juniors and turned him into a different player. But after the world juniors, he was a different player.

You mentioned the second half. Bang on. We saw that. You nailed it. He was a look like a different player for Penn State after the world juniors than before. Do you think there's anything to the Dale Hunter broke him and reset him conspiracy theory or thought? You look at that second half of the year and it's hard to disagree. Like he became much more aggressive.

Yes. He punched his old line mate, Caden Lichten, Lichten, Lisholm in the face. Like this is a guy that all of a sudden was no longer afraid of going into the corners. Is he going to knock guys down in the NHL? No, that's not his game. But can he handle himself physically? I think he's in a better spot than he was before. And, you know, we always talk about,

is there too small to be a star player in the NHL? And I think with Jack Hughes, you look at a lot of injuries. If he was six foot two, a bit stronger, would he be fine, potentially? But at the same time, like, at his best with the puck when he's healthy, he's actually fantastic. So, yeah, I'm not looking at this being concerned at all. And I do think, yeah, actually, the way you kind of explain Dale Hunter, yeah. You watch him play November, and then you watch him play.

played in February. Totally different play. Different guys. You've got Evers Stenberg going second to the San Jose Sharks. Why not a defenseman there? This is the, and we look at a sort of positional need for the San Jose sharks and Minnie would scream like, come on. You have like your Verhofs and your Carson Carrels and like so many. You just mentioned Albert Smits a couple of seconds ago, Chase Reed. Why not San Jose grabbing a D? It makes almost sense. And in 100% makes the most sense picking a defenseman. But you got to be convinced if you're picking a number two that the guy you're getting has top pairing potential.

And I think make a huge argument for Chase Reed. I want, if you're drafting a defenseman in number two in this year's draft, and not picking Ivers Stenberg, who some scouts still think could be the best player in this draft, potentially a first overall pick. You've got to be convinced that that defenseman is worth it in number two. The idea of potentially trading down is interesting. but I think if you look back to the start of the seller cap era, I think in the top 10, that's happened like 11 times.

It just doesn't happen often. I think if you look like in the last decade, the top five, I think has only had two picks traded. So it's something where it's very rare that that happens, which is why I'm a little hesitant to suggest that's the move. But it's almost like that's a team that didn't really need to pick second overall because it makes it more complicated. Do you pick best player available or do you pick for need?

And I always say pick best. player available because your needs going to change over the next couple of years. You start adding all those players. But then also adding another winger, like that opens up the ability to trade someone like Eklick and maybe get a defenseman who's already in the NHL and could be an impact. Like maybe, you know, obviously there was rumors of both Palvin Chukov, maybe leaving the ducks or Olin Zell Wigger. Like could that be a deal that works out?

Obviously, to California teams trading, kind of hard to see. But like there's something where it opens up a trade avenue where, where. you're still getting the best player available, but then you're using your other assets to address your needs. That's where it feels like is the right move. That's why I think Stenberg is the right thing. I've been talking so much about Caleb Malhotra this year. You'd swear that I have a part-time job with Cortex,

but I just love them. You have them going third to the Vancouver Canucks, which makes an absolute ton of sense, and not just because Father Mani is there with Abbotsford. but that is both satisfying need and best player available. I know that may be controversial to some people who still have Caleb Mahocha towards the bottom of the top 10. But to me, you're getting a fantastic two-way player, second generation guy.

And I always, you know, Stephen, I always look at guys that teams will point at and say we're proud to have him in our organization. Like there's a real, like look at like Matt Sundin, for example, to Maple Leafy. There's always a real sort of pride that, Matt Sundin was on the Toronto Maple's, and they really took pride in that. I see the same thing with Caleb Malhotra. Do you want to gush for a couple more minutes here on the Bulldog Center? And the point that I would always make is Jet Lucenko is his winger.

Malhotra is not Jetluchenko's winger. Anyhow, go ahead. That's the thing. You look at the depth that Bulldogs team had. And I think if you looked at the beginning of the season and you look at what Mahalcha did last year in the BCHL, knowing the Bulldogs were going to go all in this year, it wouldn't have been surprising if all of a sudden we're seeing Mahaljah play fourth line heading into the playoffs

or gets traded for a current asset. But he was like one of the best players every single game this year. Outstanding numbers in the regular season was lights out in the playoffs. You put that all together. You've got a guy that's just so smart, so skilled and productive at every level. You look at the CHL USA Top Prospects Challenge. he was unbelievable in that. You look at the OHL top prospect game.

Unbelievable on that, too. Anytime the spotlight's been on him, he's been fantastic. So I think do you find guys going from the BCHL to potential top three pick off? No, it really doesn't happen that often, especially given like the BCHL is, Tier 2 hockey's just been kind of hit hard by everything going out of the NCAA the last couple of years. But I do think that this is a guy that normally fits the positional need. But like you said, like there's a lot of runway, a lot of upside here. And there's a reason why, yeah, the OHL, maybe not as deep as it once was,

but why was nobody in the playoffs putting up the numbers that Mahaltra was doing? Like, why was nobody coming close to the production, the value, the two-way game? This guy was on another planet throughout the playoffs. And it's a shock the Bulldogs are not still playing for a championship at this point. But Mahaltra so good on a great team. I think that deserves a lot of attention and why I think Canucks fans are excited. And when I put him in number three, it had nothing to do with his family ties.

It was just, this is a good fit. It just happens to be good family ties too. Okay, we've got a couple of minutes here. Sort out the D for us here. And you rank them. Reed to Chicago, Verhoff to the Rangers,

carols to the Calgary Flames. You got Albert Smiths going to the Winnipeg Jets. This was supposed to be the draft for the D and you got forwards going one, two, three. But sort out the defenseman for us here, Stephen. Yeah, I think, you know, depending on which team, like if the sharks were taking pick at number three, I think no matter what they're taking a defenseman, like easy pick. Blackhawks are the one that's very interesting

because they've got a couple good right-handed defensemen, but those are coveted, especially guys of size. And if you can get a guy like Reed or you get a guy like Bearhole. I can shoot like Reed. Exactly. You get one of those two guys. All of a sudden, that opens up opportunities here because, by the way, teams do make trades of prospects. They will trade prospects away in deals to get guys who are more valuable. At some point, the Blackhawks actually need to be serious about moving up in the standings. Having a bunch of right-handed defensemen who could shoot and move, those are very valuable assets to have regardless of what happens.

I like Chase Reed a lot, very smart, not many flaws in his game. You look at Keaton Verhoff, 17 years old, goes to the NCAA, played close to 18 minutes a night every night. Yeah, did he have some growing pains at the end of the season? Sure. But was it a 17-year-old going, pushing himself hard, playing on a top team? learning from quality players and taking time away from older, more experienced guys.

Yeah. So there's a lot of value there too. I'm a big Albert Smith fan. I know that at this point, probably more of a second pairing defenseman, but a guy that's just going to be really difficult to play games. I also love his sense of humor when he was asked at the world juniors, who he likes to model his game after.

He's like, nobody. I don't like anybody. I'm like, you know what? Sure. I like it. That's a refreshing answer. And then there's Carson Carl's. Dude, like,

like picks up cows in his free time. Like, this guy is built like a tank. If he learned how to use his pure strength to his advantage, kind of like someone like a Verhoff or a Smith, he'd be terrifying. So I really like the D in this class because there's also Daxon Rudolph, another guy that's been very good about to play WHL championship. Very, I would say very likely,

but has a very good chance of battling for the Memorial Cup. And he's been a key player all season long for print propper on a contending team. It's a really good year for to grab a defenseman. Well, one of them go in the top three. That's the big million-gillion dollar question. Remains to be seen. You can read Stephen Ellis's mock at daily faceoff.com. You're the best, pal.

We'll catch up soon. And you're going to be very, very busy now that Toronto has the first pick and Vancouver has the third. Prepare yourself for a lot of radio hits, pal. This is my 11th show of the day and I got four more. So don't work. It's been a good day. You're earning your pillow at the end of the night.

Thanks, pal. You'd be good. Thanks so much.