Gavin McKenna’s rookie season in Toronto is off to a rocky start, and it’s not just his personal production that is drawing attention. The 18-year-old has missed multiple optional morning skates in less than a week, and the pattern is raising eyebrows among Maple Leafs fans, the media, and hosts like Sid Seixeiro.
Maple Leafs fans are starting to notice.
#sick #thesidseixeiroshow @Sid_SeixeiroDespite the high praise his teammates have offered and the lofty expectations that come with being a highly-touted rookie, McKenna has struggled through his first three games on the ice, posting underwhelming underlying numbers. That’s arguably to be expected for a teenager adjusting to the speed and physicality of the NHL, though McKenna himself has said he expects more from his own game. The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, have gotten off to a shaky 1-2-0 start, managing just six goals through their opening stretch.
McKenna has zeros across the board with a plus/minus of -3.
McKenna Has Been Skipping Optional Skates
But it’s what’s happening away from game nights that’s suddenly drawing attention. He’s been missing optional skates. After the first, McKenna explained the absence simply: “It wasn’t a swagger thing; I was just trying to keep my body fresh.” Even though he’s a young kid who should have lots of energy, no one seemed to question that explanation.
Since then, he’s sat out two more. McKenna did take part in Tuesday’s optional.
Now, that same explanation isn’t flying. Sportsnet’s Sid Seixeiro, known for blunt and often polarizing commentary, didn’t hold back when addressing the trend. Seixeiro said:
“I do not believe a kid this young should be missing morning skates and practice unless there is something physically wrong. The morning skate on the season opener was really weird. There’s now been three instances of this in less than a week for Gavin McKenna as a Leaf. I think that is super weird. Especially considering he is staying with John Tavares, who can’t wait to tell people that McKenna is at his place. I’ve got a rule: if Matthews is at practice, everyone should be at practice unless you’re hurt. He does not have a point yet in the National Hockey League — you can tell him to be at practice, guys. You can tell him to be at a morning skate.”
For a rookie already facing the pressure of living up to his draft pedigree, optics matter. In a market like Toronto, they’re huge.
Might the Maple Leafs Be Telling Him To Sit?
It’s not confirmed, but there is a chance that the Maple Leafs are the ones telling McKenna to take it easy and stay home. It wasn’t long ago that the Anaheim Ducks forced Leo Carlsson to sit several games in his rookie season. The plan was to avoid overwhelming him, given that he’d never played that many games as a pro in one year. Maybe the Leafs are doing the same.
Missing optional practices while posting modest results early isn’t exactly the look a young player wants heading into his first real test in the league. At the very least, he should be grinding through his struggles and trying to get on the scoresheet because he’s got good practice habits. But if the Leafs worry he’ll get overtired, they might take a cautious approach.
Whether this becomes a real storyline or fades once McKenna starts producing remains to be seen, but for now, it’s clearly on the radar of people who cover the team closely.
Maple Leafs Fans Starting to Question A Troubling Trend With Gavin McKenna