Auston Matthews has already seen enough to like what Gavin McKenna is bringing to Maple Leafs training camp.
McKenna has been skating alongside John Tavares and William Nylander, and that second-line look appears to be the spot Toronto is exploring for the rookie right now. It’s the setup that has drawn the most attention in camp, especially after plenty of fans spent the offseason imagining McKenna in a top-line role with Matthews and Matthew Knies.
For the moment, though, the Leafs are keeping McKenna with Tavares and Nylander, and the early signs have been encouraging. Matthews said he’s noticed the way the trio has come together over the past few days, and he’s impressed by how comfortable the rookie already looks.
"That line (McKenna, Tavares, Nylander) seems to have connected pretty well over the last few days… I think he's fitting in really well with those guys and fit in really well with the team so far and seems very comfortable… he knows he's a great player and that he can play at this level too"
That’s a strong endorsement from Matthews, and it fits with the buzz around McKenna since camp opened. The rookie has clearly made a quick impression, not just with his linemates but with one of the team’s biggest voices.
The Leafs will get another look at him this weekend when they face the Montreal Canadiens in split-squad action. Half the roster will play in Toronto, while the other half heads to Montreal, giving the coaching staff a tricky evaluation process as it sorts through players on the bubble.
For McKenna, it’s a clean chance to keep building on what he’s shown so far and prove he can hold up against NHL competition before his rookie season officially begins.
In Other News...
Gavin McKennas First Leafs Game Is Raising An Immediate Concern
Gavin McKenna is about to get his first preseason look with the Maple Leafs, and the early conversation around him has already moved beyond his skating and skill. The detail drawing attention is his listed weight, which comes in about 10 pounds below what was recorded at the NHL Draft Combine, a shift fans noticed right away as they started circling his first game in blue and white.
For Toronto, the question is less about a number on a chart and more about how his frame plays in actual NHL competition. The league has plenty of examples of smaller players finding success by leaning on pace, balance and quick decision-making, and McKenna fits that broader discussion as he begins his Leafs preseason path. There is no official sign of any health issue, but the size talk is going to follow him until he shows what he can do on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Matthews Gave Leafs Fans One Reason To Exhale In Montreal
A split-squad preseason night in Montreal did not provide the kind of clean result the Maple Leafs wanted, with Toronto dropping both games and leaning on a few individual performances to find any real positives. Auston Matthews offered the biggest one, flashing the kind of speed that had been missing at times last season and setting up a goal in a showing that suggested he is starting to look more like himself again.
Darren Raddysh scored Torontos lone goal, while rookie Gavin McKenna gave the club a glimpse of his playmaking touch even if the night included a penalty. For a Leafs team still sorting out its early preseason shape, the game was less about the scoreboard than the different levels of comfort shown by key veterans and younger pieces trying to carve out a role. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Fringe Forward Made An Early Statement In Montreal
Michael Pezzetta wasted little time making his presence felt in Montreal while skating with the Maple Leafs B-team in a game filled with fringe players and prospects. In the kind of preseason setting where jobs are being sorted out one shift at a time, he dropped the gloves with Canadiens forward Lucas Condotta and was ejected shortly after, a reminder that these games can still carry plenty of bite even without the regulars on the ice elsewhere.
The moment fit the tone of a roster battle more than a tune-up, with every involved player trying to leave an impression before camp decisions get tougher. Pezzettas early exit came before teammate Teddy Blueger also fought in the same game, adding another layer of edge to a matchup that had already turned physical and given the Leafs another bit of evidence about who is willing to make noise in a depth role. [Read more 🡒]