What happened: Gavin McKenna's childhood ties to the Montreal Canadiens are back in focus as attention builds around hockey's top young arrival. The conversation also reaches the wider NHL backdrop of trade requests as preseason storylines narrow toward opening night.

Why it matters: That adds another off-ice angle to the spotlight already following Gavin McKenna after he entered the league as the 2026 No. 1 pick. Details around a player of that profile can carry extra weight this close to the start of the 2026-27 season.

What to watch: What to watch now is whether the focus shifts back to deployment and roster decisions as teams move from preseason talk to final opening-night plans.