Gavin McKenna finally got the first one out of the way Tuesday night, and it came in the middle of a needed Toronto push against the Nashville Predators.
After three games and one period without a point, McKenna broke through on a simple play that turned into a big moment for the rookie. Early in the second period, with the Maple Leafs trailing 3-0 and trying to dig out of a rough opening 25 minutes, McKenna moved the puck quickly to John Tavares. Tavares took it from there, charging down the ice with speed and finishing to get Toronto on the board while giving McKenna his first career NHL point.
It was not a flashy assist, but it counted all the same.
GAVIN MCKENNA HAS HIS FIRST NHL POINT 🙌
McKenna finds John Tavares who finishes it off for his first goal of the season and the rookie's first career point! #Leafs pic.twitter.com/mMVoJyLtDc
- TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 7, 2026
For McKenna, that should take some of the heat off. He had been held without a point through his first three games, and while the concern may have been a little overblown because he was still generating chances, the empty stat line was still drawing attention. The fan base was starting to buzz, and even media members were digging through the record books to compare his start with other first-overall picks.
Now he can stop staring at the zeros.
The play also gave Tavares a chance to flash the kind of finish that made the goal stand out. Earlier in the night, the veteran center had looked a step slow at times, including some struggles on the forecheck and a few moments where he was behind the play without the puck. But once McKenna put the puck on his stick with open ice ahead, Tavares turned it into a clean rush and a goal.
At the time of writing, Toronto was still trailing 3-2 in the second period after William Nylander scored his third goal of the season on the power play.
In Other News...
Oilers Trade Interest In Young Center Suddenly Gets More Complicated
Gavin McKennas early NHL stretch finally turned into a memorable night in Toronto, where the young forward notched his first goal and assist in the same game Tuesday. It was the kind of small but meaningful milestone that can give a newcomer some needed confidence, and it came at a time when the Maple Leafs are still sorting out what they have in their younger pieces.
Elsewhere in the league, Michael Bunting landed with the Flyers on a one-year, $1.2 million deal after staying unsigned into the season, a move Philadelphia hopes will help its offense right away. And for the Oilers, trade talk around a young center from an Eastern Conference team has only gotten murkier, with Matt Poitras still floating as a possible fit but no agreement in sight yet. [Read more 🡒]
Auston Matthews Just Gave Leafs Fans A Reason To Believe Again
Auston Matthews gave the Maple Leafs exactly the kind of night they have been waiting for, driving Toronto to a comeback victory over the Nashville Predators with a performance that felt like a reminder of what he can still mean to this team. He was all over the score sheet, helping fuel the rally and giving the Leafs a lift at a time when any sign of rhythm from their captain is going to draw attention.
Matthews has opened the season with five points in four games, a pace that suggests he is settling in fast after a stretch where his level of play was under the microscope. The bigger picture for Toronto is simple: if this version of Matthews is here to stay, the Leafs suddenly have a much better reason to believe their top player is moving back toward the form that once made him one of the leagues most dominant forces. [Read more 🡒]
Gavin McKennas Breakthrough Came After One Unusual Leafs Twist
Gavin McKennas first few days with the Maple Leafs were already drawing attention, but the real breakthrough arrived in a comeback win that gave the rookie his first NHL goal and his first career point. It came in his fourth game, a milestone moment that fit the kind of early-season spark Toronto has been looking for as it tries to keep building momentum.
What made the day stand out even before the puck dropped was McKenna showing up for the optional morning skate, a small detail that did not go unnoticed by fans or media around the team. Auston Matthews even suggested McKenna could be in line for more after getting that first one, and for a player still settling into his NHL footing, that kind of confidence can matter as much as the box score. [Read more 🡒]