Other NHL teams have one fear about drafting Gavin McKenna, but the Maple Leafs don't have that problem
Photo credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Some teams think that Gavin McKenna needs a centre to excel and while other teams would have had some difficulties, the Maple Leafs are perfectly set down the middle.
As the days count down to the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the debate over who should go first between Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg rages on. Toronto holds the first overall pick and can't really go wrong with either, though the fanbase is clamouring for McKenna something fierce.
Stenberg would be a safe option no doubt, but the potential generational talent that McKenna possess is too tempting to pass up, and Toronto will be set for the next decade plus with one of the most hyped up prospects in some time.
Some GMs are concerned Gavin McKenna will only flourish with a proper pivot in the lineup
However, if it were other teams in the Maple Leafs' position, the selection of McKenna may not exactly be a home run and if you were to believe Elliotte Friedman - there's a really good reason why.
Friedman was on The FAN Hockey Show on May 8th and expanded upon the debate about choosing McKenna #1 with him mentioning that several other GMs had some hesitancy over picking him due to his supposed need for a pivot:
I was told by a couple teams, the only reason they were worried about taking McKenna 1st; they are worried that if you don't have a centre who can play with him, is it gonna make it...harder? Toronto doesn't have that problem.
While the teams like San Jose and Chicago have the luxury of having names like Will Smith and Connor Bedard as their pivots, a team like Vancouver has to rely on Elias Pettersson. Not that he's bad, but it seems like the Canucks have no idea what they wanna do with him, so he may not even be in the cards.
McKenna doesn't necessarily need a centre to feed him the puck, but if he did then having Auston Matthews is one heck of player to slot in beside him. Plus if anything, they have John Tavares as a backup and potentially a trade or free agent signing in the future - the depth and support is there.
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Talk about sweet, having the dynamic and intense McKenna alongside the elite yet stoic nature of Matthews is going to feed families for years.
If you were looking for someone to elevate Matthews and bring him back to the 50-60 goal scorer he was in the past, then adding someone who has 187 assists over his last three seasons (152 games) with ridiculously elite vision and hockey IQ and you have a recipe for success.
Plus, Matthews is such a good defensive option that he can cover for any of McKenna's shortcomings during his transition to the NHL, and if the team adds Matthew Knies back into the fold then you've got a serious trio of dangerous players.
The biggest thing though is how this is going to affect the power-play. Toronto has yet to really have the puck movement that elite PP teams have and bringing in McKenna alongside Matthews, Knies, Nylander, and maybe Darren Raddysh - that's a nightmare for opponents.
McKenna will put guys in a blender, then be able to find the open man as two or three guys swarm him and give the other Maple Leafs a chance to succeed. He's as deadly with the puck as he is off it.
To top it all off, we've seen evidence that McKenna has some serious attitude if he doesn't like the opponent's tactics and he'll fight, he'll push, he'll get in your face. He's got that teenage hormonal energy to fuel his aggressive side (at least for now).
To put Matthews and McKenna together would be like peanut butter and jelly, making the perfect combination to satiate the Maple Leafs fanbase hungry for glory.
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