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Maple Leafs' McKenna On Training With Celebrini: 'I Got Better'
Toronto Maple Leafs number-one pick Gavin McKenna has been busy of late training for the upcoming NHL season in western Canada. While McKenna is expected to make a successful jump to the NHL in his first season, he feels it's not necessarily the training hours he's putting in, but who exactly they're with that's going to make the difference. McKenna has been busy training with superstar Macklin Celebrini, and the two have been putting in major work. "He's a pretty intense guy when it comes to his off-ice and on-ice stuff," McKenna said of Celebrini, per NHL.com's Tracey Myers . "To be in that environment and get into a routine, it felt good. I had a lot of fun, and I felt like I got better." McKenna added, "My trainers probably won't like to hear this, but there was a week where we were on the ice for like 17 hours. So, yeah, max crazy but every skate out there, you're getting better and it's a competitive group. So I've had a lot of fun with it." Celebrini is a great role model and has taken the league by storm these past couple of seasons. McKenna admitted there's been weeks where they were on the ice for 17 hours, as the two aren't shy about going the extra mile. McKenna feels the added intensity to his training and surrounding himself with some of the NHL's finest are going to give him an edge to start the year. McKenna knows Toronto's going to be an adjustment, but he's ready for the bright lights of the big smoke. "Everyone talks about the Toronto market, but at the end of the day, I'm just out there playing hockey," he said. "To have that opportunity to get drafted to a market like that is pretty special. But for me, I just try not to think about it, try to block out all the noise and play the game I love playing." McKenna is hopeful he can have the same impact on the NHL as Celebrini has. The Sharks star just signed to be the highest paid player in the league at $18.8 million, and meanwhile, McKenna is focused on playing with Auston Matthews at Maple Leafs' training camp.
The Maple Leafs may already have an unexpected answer beside Auston Matthews
Jack Roslovic may have been signed as forward depth but his first opportunity with the Maple Leafs could be bigger than expected.
The Brad Boyes signing didn’t change the Maple Leafs, but it showed a rebuilding team finally understood how to create value.
The Brad Boyes signing didn’t change the Maple Leafs, but it showed a rebuilding team finally understood how to create value.
Joshua Clipperton discusses covering Gavin McKenna at World Juniors: ‘I think he’s pretty ready for it’
Joshua Clipperton discusses covering Gavin McKenna at World Juniors: ‘I think he’s pretty ready for it’
Maple Leafs Steal Two More Scouts From the Wild
That's Wild The Toronto Maple Leafs already took Judd Brackett away from the Minnesota Wild to make him an assistant general manager and the main evaluator of talent over there, but they're not done their ransacking. They took two more scouts from the Wild as they continue to change their ho...
Maple Leafs were crippled by COVID salary cap freeze, says NHL analyst Matthew Cauz
Matthew Cauz says COVID's flat cap crippled the Maple Leafs' championship window.
Friday's FTB: Get ready for a long weekend
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Canadiens Could Have A Backup Plan If Marchenko Talks Collapse
The Montreal Canadiens have spent weeks chasing Kirill Marchenko, but a second name out of Columbus has quietly emerged as a potential fallback option. Kent Johnson. Per Marco Normandin , Canadiens GM Kent Hughes could finalize a major trade in the coming days, but it may not necessarily involve Marchenko at all. "From what I'm hearing, Kent Hughes could very well finalize a major trade in the coming days," Normandin reported. "But it wouldn't necessarily involve Kirill Marchenko. Instead, the Canadiens might finally acquire their second center." When journalist Maxime Truman directly asked Normandin whether he was referring to Johnson, Normandin did not deny it. Why Johnson Makes Sense Johnson offers a much cheaper alternative to Marchenko. The 23-year-old is entering the final year of a three-year, $5.4 million contract, a fraction of the price it would take to pry away Marchenko, who is controlled through 2027 and viewed as a franchise cornerstone in Columbus. There are rumours that Kent Johnson is on the trade block. pic.twitter.com/omR7gWYQ7N — Rono (@RonoAnalyst) June 29, 2026 Johnson would give Montreal the second-line center it has chased for several seasons, projecting to fit beside Ivan Demidov and either Zachary Bolduc or Alex Newhook. Truman reported that Hughes has had recent discussions with at least two teams, the Blue Jackets and the Maple Leafs, as he continues searching for that missing piece down the middle. The Skepticism Not everyone believes Johnson is the answer. NHL insider Marco D'Amico is skeptical Montreal will actually land him, pointing to the inconsistency in Johnson's game as reason for caution. Johnson posted 57 points during the 2024-25 season but stumbled significantly last year, finishing with just 22. Marco D'Amico about the rumors/talks of the #Habs interest in #CBJ Kent Johnson : ''I would be surprised if the Canadiens would try another reclamation project like that.'' #NHL #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/0BYXIcZMzJ — R i N K Y (@RinkyReport) July 28, 2026 D'Amico compared a potential move to past Hughes acquisitions like Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach, both players who flashed offensive skill in Montreal without replicating it consistently. "If you're Columbus, you're selling excessively low if you're trading a guy like Johnson," D'Amico said. "And they've said that they want him to be part of the future because Kent Johnson is one of the few that actually wants to stay in Columbus. Why would you trade that?" Where The Marchenko Talks Stand The Marchenko situation remains very unclear. Some insiders believe a trade is imminent, while reporters closer to Columbus continue to pour cold water on the idea, with Marchenko's own camp indicating the sides have not spoken about a move in weeks. Aaron Portzline has similarly downplayed the likelihood of an imminent Marchenko trade, though he has not ruled out the situation evolving.
Dave Feschuk: Sports can be hard to love, but breaking up isn’t always the answer
Dave Feschuk: Sports can be hard to love, but breaking up isn’t always the answer
How Maple Leafs No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna spent his summer, talking to Auston Matthews but not Justin Bieber
How Maple Leafs No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna spent his summer, talking to Auston Matthews but not Justin Bieber