Since the Leafs won the NHL draft lottery on May 5, it has been widely assumed that the team will use that pick to select consensus No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna. However, the Leafs’ offseason thus far has been anything but what fans assumed. The team made a controversial hire, bringing in former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka to replace Brad Treliving, and on Wednesday, the Toronto officially fired now-former head coach Craig Berube.
With these, for the most part, out-of-left-field decisions in mind, can we really say with absolute certainty that the team will select McKenna with the top pick? Perhaps the Leafs could make another shocking move and instead select another potential top-three pick, right-handed defenceman Chase Reid.
Let’s get this out of the way: we’re not arguing that the Leafs should use the top pick on Reid. In fact, some have even theorized a timeline where the team goes full rebuild mode and trades Auston Matthews to San Jose for a package including the No. 2 pick, allowing the Leafs to draft both McKenna and Reid back-to-back.
Keep in mind, this is pure speculation, but there is always a chance that the Leafs somehow end up with Reid come draft day, so let’s look into what the 18-year-old American D-man brings to the table.
Quarterback on ice
Reid doesn’t play with the same flash that McKenna does, but what the young defenceman does offer is strong, consistent, team-centred play. With elite edge-work and speed on the ice, Reid is able to command play at an incredible level, as he’s displayed throughout his young hockey career, most notably last season in the OHL.
With the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds, Reid quickly put the league on notice, showing that he was more than just a strong defender, putting up 33 assists and 40 points in 39 games in 2024–25, 30 assists and 48 points in 45 games this past season, and another six points in 10 games in the 2026 OHL playoffs. But stats aside, Reid became a true quarterback of the Greyhounds’ offence in 2025–26, being a Swiss Army Knife D-man on breakouts and power-play situations.
With the immense skating, defensive and offensive skill that Reid already possesses at just the age of 18, it’s not a stretch to wonder if he could be the next great two-way defenceman at the NHL level, especially if he can add some extra muscle to his 6-foot-2 frame.
Potential Leafs fit
If the Leafs do manage to draft Reid, whether that be with the No. 1 pick or potentially the No. 2 pick if the team opts for a serious rebuild, the fit, on paper, would be perfect.
As we’ve gone over, Reid is a true offensive defenceman, much like a guy the Leafs already employ, Morgan Rielly. But as has been the sentiment among Leafs fans for years, Rielly, while very solid at times, has been largely inconsistent. Having Reid come in might not be an immediate upgrade over Rielly, but it provides the potential for the team to have a core that includes a possible superstar-level defenceman.
Having Reid as the team’s No. 1 defenceman for the future would also likely mean the Leafs would part ways with Rielly, which would be unfortunate given he has spent all of his 13 NHL seasons with the Leafs. But with the team owing him $7.5 million until 2030, and with Rielly already being 32, he just wouldn’t fit with a rebuilding timeline.
The Leafs were hindered for much of the “Core Four” era by their deficiencies on the defensive end, so if Chayka and co. can land Reid, they should seriously consider it. We’re not saying the Leafs should pick Reid over McKenna at the top spot, but at the same time, there is no doubt that Reid would be an optimal fit for the Leafs, especially if a full rebuild is on the horizon.
