- Elliotte Friedman says the Maple Leafs want Gavin McKenna playing with Auston Matthews as soon as possible
- Friedman expects the No. 1 pick to make the team out of camp and handle first-unit power-play minutes right away
- Read below for Friedman’s full comments and what McKenna did at Penn State this season
Gavin McKenna won’t be easing into anything in Toronto.
Elliotte Friedman says the Maple Leafs want their new No. 1 pick skating next to Auston Matthews as fast as they can get him there. Friedman laid it out Monday on the Donnie and Dhali podcast, and he didn’t hedge much on the timeline.
Asked when Toronto expects McKenna to start contributing in a real way, Friedman barely let the question finish.
“Like, tomorrow? Or yesterday? Yesterday?”
Toronto grabbed the 18-year-old first overall last week:
Friedman expects McKenna to make the roster out of camp and get a long look in the top six.
“Well, I mean, obviously he’s gonna make the team. Barring something really strange happening, he’s gonna make the team. And I think he’s gonna play. And I think they want him to play with Auston Matthews as quickly as they can, to give it a shot and see how it looks.”
He also sees a spot for McKenna on the top power-play unit from day one, growing pains and all.
“I think he could be a first-power-play guy right away. Seeing him up close, he’s still a really young guy. There’s still a lot of frame to fill out. He’s gonna be a lot bigger, and he’s gonna be like every other rookie. He’s gonna have his growing pains. But he’s gonna play, and he’s a talent.”
The production backs up the hype. McKenna put up 51 points in 35 games at Penn State this past season, with 15 goals and 36 assists as a freshman. Five of those goals came on the power play.
Justin Bieber announced the pick on stage when the Leafs called McKenna’s name:
Watch the moment Toronto landed its franchise centerpiece:
McKenna already made it clear he wants to line up with Matthews. Now Friedman is saying the Leafs feel the same way, and they plan to find out in October.
