Gavin McKenna's latest Maple Leafs decision has fans fuming at the rookie
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Gavin McKenna was not on the Maple Leafs optional skate list on Oct. 4, and fans online have plenty to say about it.
Gavin McKenna is back in the Toronto spotlight, and this time it has nothing to do with the scoresheet.
The Maple Leafs held an optional skills practice on Sunday, Oct. 4, and the rookie was not on the list of players who showed up.
Auston Matthews, Kirill Marchenko, Jack Roslovic, Dakota Joshua, Easton Cowan, Nick Paul, Teddy Blueger, Bo Groulx, Zack MacEwen, Troy Stecher, Chris Tanev, Nick Blankenburg and Brendan Bonnello all took part, according to this list.
The timing is rough. Toronto has scored just six goals through three games and fell 3-2 to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
McKenna, the first overall pick in the 2026 draft, is still waiting on his first NHL point.
Fans are not holding back
It did not take long for the reaction to pile up, and some of it was harsh.
That is one way to read it, but it is not the whole story.
McKenna also skipped the optional morning skate before his NHL debut last Tuesday.
He later explained that he wanted to be rested for his first back-to-back, and he insisted it had nothing to do with swagger.
Head coach Jim Hiller said he liked the decision, and Tanev pointed to the kid's confidence.
Why this one stings a little more
Optional really does mean optional.
Still, a rookie without a point is going to get watched closely when the Matthews line is out there putting in extra work.
McKenna has been skating with John Tavares and William Nylander, and Hiller has stuck with that group so far.
Eighteen-year-old players are allowed to rest.
They are also allowed to be judged when the team is searching for offence.
Until the points start showing up, every little decision like this one is going to get picked apart, fair or not.
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