For the first time since 2016, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the NHL Draft Lottery earlier this spring and used the pick on Penn State Nittany Lions forward Gavin McKenna, who was regarded as the consensus first overall selection.
And while there have been some natural growing pains, as is the case with most first-year NHL players, McKenna’s talent has been evident.
And because of some recent injuries, McKenna is earning a major promotion for Wednesday’s contest against the Seattle Kraken.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Are Moving Rookie Gavin McKenna To The First Line
For Wednesday’s contest against the Seattle Kraken, McKenna has been placed on Toronto’s top line alongside captain Auston Matthews and forward Jack Roslovic, something that he wants to make the most of.
“When you see that, I think a little bit of a boost of confidence,” McKenna said Wednesday morning at Climate Pledge Arena via Sportsnet after learning he’d been placed on the top line. “When you’re playing with two guys like that, you’ve got to make sure you’re working. I want to make the most out of this opportunity, so I’m looking forward to it.”
While Matthews has primarily been known for his goal-scoring abilities, McKenna also noted that an underrated part of his game is his playmaking.
“His playmaking is something. I didn’t really know how good he was at making those plays coming into the league. I think he’s made a ton of nice plays not a lot of guys can make. So, when he’s got the puck on his stick, you’ve got to be ready as well,” McKenna noted.
Forward Kirill Marchenko departed Monday’s loss against the Calgary Flames with an injury, which opened the door for McKenna’s promotion. So far in his rookie campaign, he has three goals and five assists in 14 games played.
Maple Leafs Head Coach Jim Hiller Hopes McKenna Feels Comfortable With Matthews
According to head coach Jim Hiller, he hopes that McKenna’s comfort level of playing alongside Matthews is at a normal level.
“I hope he just feels comfortable playing with Auston. Sometimes the first few times it’s, ‘Hey, you’re playing with Auston. What do I got to do? I got to get him the puck.’ I think probably by now he’s played enough with him and enough in the league that he just has to go out and play his game,” Hiller said.
“You know, the league gets ramped up really quickly, so he has to get ramped up really quickly too,” he continued. “I think that both things have happened. I think if you talk to him, he has a healthy respect for the league. He’s understanding some of the things he can get away with offensively, some of the things he can’t. And then the play without the puck, which is always the biggest challenge for every player, is just how important the details of the game without the puck are.”
Gavin McKenna Earns Major Maple Leafs Promotion