The Toronto Maple Leafs should be mildly concerned about Gavin McKenna’s ongoing legal situation.
Over the weekend, news broke that McKenna’s mother, Krystal, was facing legal charges. Similarly, the Penn State star remains on the hook for misdemeanor assault charges stemming from an incident earlier this year.
That’s the sort of situation that could get dicey in a hurry. If the Maple Leafs are not careful, they could have an extremely talented first-overall pick with a dark cloud hanging over him.
Now, as context, a report emerged in The Daily Collegian and Nittany Sports Now, discussing that Krystal McKenna faces charges for furnishing alcohol to a minor. The alleged incident occurred on January 31 of this year, the night in which McKenna was arrested and originally charged with felony assault.
The charges were later dropped from a felony to a misdemeanor. That’s not bad, but it’s not good, either. If convicted, McKenna could face jail time. And if that were the outcome, there’s no telling how that situation could affect this standing as the #1 pick in this year’s draft.
Now, one could argue that a legal matter is not reason enough to pass on such a talented young player. Hence, the Maple Leafs should be mildly concerned. If the organization is serious about taking McKenna, it’s likely that its lawyers are looking into the ramifications of the situation.
In fact, it would be surprising to see the Leafs’ legal team step in to support McKenna in some fashion. But could McKenna’s legal situation be enough for Toronto to pass on him?
Maple Leafs may have a legit reason to pass on McKenna
It’s unclear how the events in question involving McKenna unfolded. According to a piece on ESPN, McKenna got into a discussion during a post-hockey event. McKenna’s group got into a bit of a shouting match with another group. McKenna landed a punch in one man’s jaw, fracturing it in two places.
That situation confirms that McKenna is a pretty tough customer. But beyond McKenna’s pugilistic skills, the incident initially landed him in hot water. While he’s not out of the woods, the question would be: Is McKenna’s behavior reason enough for the Leafs to pass on him?
Should Toronto Pass on McKenna?
In short, it does make sense if the Maple Leafs believe he’s going to be a troublemaker. But then again, doesn’t everyone all do stupid things when we were 18? Maybe not something like getting into a bar fight, but everyone has certainly done things they are not particularly proud of. Pretty much everyone could go on and on about the silly stuff they did as teenagers.
As such, if the Leafs feel this was a one-off, one of those crazy things teenagers do, then by all means, Toronto should look at this situation as part of the exuberance that comes with youth.
But until the situation is cleared up, and there’s plenty of reason to believe it will, the Maple Leafs can’t be totally certain that this situation won’t come back to haunt them.
Maple Leafs Must Keep Eye on Potential McKenna Legal Drama