Gavin McKenna Should Start Maple Leafs Tenure on Second Line

With just over a month to go before the puck drops on a new seasons for the Toronto Maple Leafs, speculation and reports are already swirling on where the team and head coach Jim Hiller should start their most recent first overall pick – Gavin McKenna.

While the belief is that the team would like to get a taste of him starting out on Auston Matthews‘ wing right from the go, protecting him in his first few weeks as the NHL’s newest top pick might not be the worst concept for John Chayka’s Maple Leafs.

Easing McKenna Into the NHL

Now, some will argue that given his status as the first overall pick, the Maple Leafs shouldn’t have to protect him by placing him on the second line to start his NHL career. But there’s more to it than just a potential star and developing him properly – something the Maple Leafs struggled with when it came to prospects like Nicholas Robertson.

The transition from the WHL to the NCAA was a well-documented one for McKenna. There were early season struggles, but he eventually figured out the older competition and adapted his game. As he begins his NHL career, the same transition could be avoided if the Maple Leafs hold him on the outskirts of the Toronto spotlight and give him some second line minutes to kick things off.

Similarly, the competition won’t necessarily be easier as a second line player. So McKenna would still get the same level of competition, arguably without the pressure of being a first-line winger alongside Matthews – who has his own pressures this season.

Now this is also not to suggest that McKenna needs any sort of protection. In fact, by his own accounts, he’s ready for the pressure that comes with being a star donning the Maple Leafs’ crest and even welcomes the challenge of making this team competitive.

Matthews-Roslovic Duo Worth Exploring

Given that McKenna has welcomed the challenge, another reason it might be worth looking at him on the second line to start is the history between Matthews and newly acquired Maple Leafs forward Jack Roslovic. The two have previous experience with each other having played at the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2013 to 2015 – their under-17 and under-18 seasons.

Roslovic, who is coming off a 36-point season with the Edmonton Oilers, has had 20 goals the last two seasons and brings another option up front for Hiller and the Maple Leafs. Given that Matthew Knies is a likely linemate for Matthews, the final spot on the top line seemingly comes down to Roslovic and McKenna.

Outside of how his game transitions to the NHL, we know what McKenna brings to the team. Giving Roslovic a chance to play with his former teammate could help him reach an early and consistent ceiling with the Maple Leafs that could build confidence for the remainder of the season – assuming that everyone involved knows that there will be times that McKenna gets on the ice with Matthews during the 84-game season.

Second Line McKenna Offers Balanced Offence

Finally, having McKenna start on the second line allows Hiller and the Maple Leafs to explore the possible rewards of a more balanced offensive approach. Having Matthews and Knies on the first line, the addition of McKenna to a line potentially including John Tavares and William Nylander would benefit the team from on overall offensive approach.

The Maple Leafs have lacked in balanced scoring over the past number of seasons. In fact, last season Matthews, Knies, Tavares and Nylander made up for 111 of the teams 252 goals for – that’s over 44 percent of the team’s overall output.

Adding McKenna to the mix in any spot will ultimately benefit the team, however, starting him on the second line might have more of a trickle-down effect in overall offensive production throughout the lineup and – as mentioned – would benefit McKenna in his transition and early development as an NHL player.