- Gavin McKenna is the projected No. 1 pick, but one NHL exec compared him to Artemi Panarin
- The scout told The Athletic McKenna will pile up points yet never make real noise in the playoffs
- Read below for the grit questions trailing McKenna and what they mean for Toronto
Gavin McKenna is the runaway favorite to go first overall this month, but not every scout is sold on his ceiling.
The Athletic dropped its annual draft confidential, and one executive handed McKenna a comparison Maple Leafs fans will not enjoy.
“He’s like Artemi Panarin,” the exec told The Athletic in the piece compiled by Corey Pronman. “He’ll get his accolades, but he’ll also be on 3-4 teams and never make real noise in the playoffs.”
Toronto holds the No. 1 pick after winning the lottery, and McKenna is the heavy favorite to hear his name first in Buffalo. He already said he would be pretty pumped to land there.
The Panarin comp cuts both ways. Panarin has piled up points for a decade across Chicago, Columbus, and New York, but he has never been the best player on a real Cup contender.
Grit questions keep following McKenna around. One scout called him extraordinary but maddening, a guy who can disappear for stretches and still rack up three points without breaking a sweat. McKenna pushed back on that recently, calling his compete level one of the strengths of his game.
When he is locked in, the skill jumps off the screen. Check out what McKenna did this past season:
He shredded the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers before jumping to Penn State, where he closed the year strong down the stretch.
Even with the doubts, Toronto has no better option at No. 1, and passing on that kind of talent would be its own risk. The new front office just needs McKenna to become more than a regular-season highlight reel.
