Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Bobrovsky Struggles & McKenna’s Ups and Downs

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a couple of situations worth watching after Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders. One involves a veteran goalie brought in to give the team stability. The other involves a teenager whose development will require patience, even when the games aren’t going Toronto’s way.

Neither situation calls for panic just yet. But with the Maple Leafs trying to find their footing, Sergei Bobrovsky‘s early struggles and Gavin McKenna‘s changing role are two stories worth watching. One is about whether an experienced goalie can find his game with a new team. The other is about how a young player learns to handle the NHL’s ups and downs.

Sergei Bobrovsky’s Early Struggles Raise Questions for the Maple Leafs

Bobrovsky stopped 16 shots against the Islanders, allowing three goals in the 4-1 defeat. The numbers aren’t pretty. He has just one win in six appearances, with a 3.29 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage.

There are reasons to give Bobrovsky some time. He’s adjusting to a new team, and the defensive support he enjoyed with the Florida Panthers isn’t necessarily there in Toronto. A goalie can only do so much when the opposition gets quality chances. His goals saved above expected numbers also suggest there’s more to his performance than the basic statistics tell us. Still, his high-danger save percentage has been below the NHL’s 50th percentile, and some concerns about his game were already showing last season in Florida.

Here’s the question: how much of this is about adjusting, and how much might be Father Time catching up with a veteran goalie? Bobrovsky has built an impressive career on athleticism and reflexes, but those qualities can become harder to maintain. The Maple Leafs need him to settle in, and soon. It’s too early to write him off, but it’s fair to wonder whether he can consistently give Toronto the goaltending it needs.

Gavin McKenna Gets His Ice Time Back After Maple Leafs Bench Him

McKenna’s situation took an interesting turn on Saturday. After sitting for the final 32:54 of Thursday’s overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the rookie played 17:56 against the Islanders. He recorded four shots and finished minus-2, so it wasn’t a night to remember for the teenager or the team.

The benching certainly got people talking. McKenna had been riding a four-game point streak, with two goals and three assists, before the Buffalo game. Head coach Jim Hiller said the decision wasn’t about McKenna’s play away from the puck, which left some questions about what prompted such a long stretch on the bench. Whatever the explanation, it was good to see his ice time return to a more normal level against New York.

Another opportunity exists here, too. With John Tavares sidelined by a lower-body injury, McKenna has taken his spot on the top power-play unit. That could be a useful place for a young player whose offensive creativity is one of his biggest strengths.

Of course, the power play won’t solve everything, and McKenna will still have to learn the details of playing without the puck. But young players need space to make mistakes, learn, and grow. The Maple Leafs need to balance holding him accountable with letting him develop.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

The Bobrovsky situation deserves close attention over the next several games. Toronto didn’t bring him in simply to provide another body in goal. The expectation is that he’ll help the team win games, especially when the defence has an off night. If his numbers begin to improve, the early struggles may look like little more than an adjustment period. If they don’t, the Maple Leafs will have a much bigger question to answer.

McKenna’s path is different. He’s a young player trying to find his place on a team that hasn’t been playing well enough. His ice time, power-play opportunity, and response to the Buffalo benching will all be worth watching. Nobody should expect a teenager to fix the Maple Leafs’ problems on his own. For now, the best approach is probably to give him a clear role, set reasonable expectations, and let him learn.

Toronto has plenty to sort out, but how it handles these two situations could tell us something about where this team is headed.