Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Stenberg vs. McKenna & Lettieri Gets a Chance

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a couple of interesting stories to follow as they try to find their footing early in the season. One takes us back to the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, where Gavin McKenna went first overall to Toronto, and Ivar Stenberg went second to the San Jose Sharks. Stenberg has now offered a little insight into his meetings with the Maple Leafs, and his comments are worth a look. They don’t mean Toronto made the wrong pick, but they do remind us that choosing a player is about more than talent alone.

Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs are looking for more offence from their bottom six and could give Vinni Lettieri an opportunity after his strong run with the Toronto Marlies. Sometimes a team spends too much time looking for answers outside the organization when it already has a player who deserves a look. Whether Lettieri can help is another question, but the move gives Toronto another option while it searches for some consistency.

Ivar Stenberg Says His Maple Leafs Meetings Weren’t a Good Fit

The Maple Leafs chose McKenna first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, with Stenberg going to the San Jose Sharks second overall. Stenberg said his meetings with Toronto hadn’t gone particularly well and that he didn’t feel the organization was the right fit for him. He also made it clear he’s happy to be in San Jose.

That’s an interesting bit of honesty from a young player. We often hear about how teams evaluate prospects, but we don’t hear as much about how the players feel about the organizations evaluating them. A draft meeting works both ways, after all. Toronto liked McKenna better, and Stenberg apparently wasn’t convinced Toronto was the place for him. Sometimes those things simply don’t line up.

Stenberg has made a promising start with the Sharks, collecting six points in eight games and joining a young group that includes Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. McKenna, meanwhile, is beginning his NHL career under the spotlight that comes with being Toronto’s first-overall pick. It’s tempting to compare the two, especially when the Maple Leafs are looking for answers, but we’re much too early into this story to draw any big conclusions. The real test will come over the next few seasons. For now, Stenberg’s comments offer an interesting reminder that fit, opportunity and a player’s comfort with an organization can matter, too.

Vinni Lettieri Could Give the Maple Leafs a Bottom-Six Boost

The Maple Leafs have called up Lettieri as they look for more offence. If he plays, it would give the team another experienced option as it tries to get more production from its bottom six. Lettieri, 31, had a strong season with the American Hockey League‘s (AHL) Marlies last year, recording 14 goals and 42 points in 55 regular-season games. He then added 11 goals and 26 points during their Calder Cup playoff run. He’s also played 155 NHL games with the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks, and Boston Bruins, recording 15 goals and 32 points. He has a good shot and could offer some offensive help, perhaps even getting a look on the second power-play unit.

Other options in the organization include Brendan Brisson and Miles Wood, but Lettieri has been a dependable Marlies contributor and there’s something to be said for giving a veteran a chance after he’s put in the work. He won’t solve every scoring problem by himself, of course. Still, the Maple Leafs need help, and sometimes the sensible move is to see what a player already in the system can do.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

The Stenberg story is worth keeping in perspective. A few games one way or the other won’t answer who Toronto should have drafted, and the player’s comments don’t tell us everything about the team’s decision-making. McKenna deserves time to find his way, just as Stenberg does in San Jose. We’ll know a lot more when both players have had a chance to grow into their NHL careers.

Lettieri’s situation is more immediate. If the Maple Leafs make the call-up official, the question becomes whether he can turn his AHL production into useful minutes at the NHL level. Toronto doesn’t need another grand plan right now as much as it needs players who can succeed in the roles they’re given. Lettieri has earned a chance to show what he can do.