Should The Maple Leafs Consider Giving Gavin McKenna The Auston Matthews Rookie Treatment?

As the 2026-27 season gets closer, one of the biggest Toronto Maple Leafs storylines to look out for is first overall pick Gavin McKenna making his NHL debut.

There's no doubt that he's a talented hockey player and deserved to be selected first in the 2026 draft. But where does an 18-year-old like McKenna fit in a veteran-filled roster like the Maple Leafs' on opening night?

The Maple Leafs have come across this situation before, 10 years ago. That was when the organization drafted current captain Auston Matthews first overall in the 2016 draft.

So, despite McKenna and Matthews being different players and suitable for different positions, perhaps Toronto should consider giving McKenna the Matthews treatment for opening night and the early stages of this coming season.

Giving McKenna the "Matthews treatment" in his rookie season, specifically in the opening batch of outings to start his career, essentially means not handing him the duties of being a first-line player.

In Matthews' first NHL game, he was slotted as the third-line center for the Maple Leafs, with Tyler Bozak and Nazem Kadri slotted ahead of him in the lineup.

Of course, it's hard to forget how Matthews performed that day. He scored four goals in his debut, which remains a record in the NHL's Modern Era.

It's safe to say, with the results of Matthews' performance, that not starting him on the top line or even in the top six was the right call. He was able to be introduced into the NHL in a somewhat sheltered role, leaving the tough matchups for the veterans and allowing the young Matthews to focus on his game.

Seeing it worked before, why not implement the same idea for McKenna's NHL debut?

In David Alter's projected lines for the Maple Leafs, he suggested having McKenna on the left wing of the third line, with Colton Sissons at center, and Easton Cowan on the right wing.

Having two youngsters in McKenna and Cowan sharing the third line could be risky, but Colton Sissons would provide the responsibility and veteran presence for them. 

It's also worth mentioning that a McKenna, Sissons, Cowan trio would be a safer NHL line than what Matthews played with, which was William Nylander on his right and Zach Hyman on his left. At that time, Nylander had just 22 NHL games under his belt, which is less than Cowan has now, and Hyman had 16 going into the 2016-17 season opener.

Starting McKenna on the third line isn't the recipe for him to score four goals in his debut as Matthews did, and after all, McKenna is more of a playmaker. However, it certainly takes a load off the rookie and puts him in a position to succeed.

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