The NHL Draft is quickly approaching, and Penn State's Gavin McKenna is expected to be the first overall pick on Friday night. If that happens, history is going to have a chance to repeat itself and McKenna is excited about that possibility.
The last time the Maple Leafs had the first overall pick was in 2016, which coincidentally was the last time the NHL Draft was held in Buffalo. That year, the Maple Leafs would select Auston Matthews, and for most of the past decade, he has gotten the better of the Sabres with 23 goals and 15 assists in 32 games.
The parallels are not lost on McKenna, and he was asked his thoughts on potentially being the next villain in the rivalry with the Buffalo Sabres.
"If I am not drafted here [by the Buffalo Sabres], I want to be a villain wherever I go," McKenna said. "If that is how it goes, that is how it goes."
"If I'm not drafted [by the Sabres], I want to be a villain wherever I go."
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 25, 2026
Gavin McKenna on the idea of becoming a villain in Buffalo. pic.twitter.com/rSVsvJAWZV
Gavin McKenna won't have it as easy as Auston Matthews against the Buffalo Sabres
There is no question that Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs have gotten the better of the Sabres over the past decade. However, this past season, momentum swung back in the Sabres' favor as they ended a 14-season playoff drought and made it to the second round of the NHL Playoffs.
The Sabres are trying their best not to have this be a one-time thing and remain competitive in a very tough Atlantic Division. They have already traded Michael Kesselring, Bowen Byram, and Alex Tuch, but it feels like Jarmo Kekäläinen is prepared to use those draft picks to bring back players who can help them now on the NHL roster.
Gavin McKenna is expected to be an excellent player in the NHL, and Auston Matthews should be back early in the upcoming season after suffering a knee injury last year, while also adding Darren Raddysh this offseason. The Maple Leafs have the pieces to be competitive, and the rivalry should be much more competitive moving forward.
McKenna will have his chance to be that villain for the Buffalo Sabres and their fanbase, but he won't be able to do it as easily as Auston Matthews was able to early in his career.
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