LAS VEGAS — Gavin McKenna is heading to the third line after a first-star performance.
Hot off his first NHL point and first NHL goal — a beautiful snipe off an Auston Matthews feed — in Tuesday’s wild 5-4 comeback victory over the Nashville Predators, the Toronto Maple Leafs rookie will skate Thursday in Las Vegas on a sheltered third line alongside Nick Paul and Colton Sissons.
Which is the spot McKenna occupied toward the conclusion of Tuesday’s win, as coach Jim Hiller bumped left wing Easton Cowan up with John Tavares and William Nylander.
“We liked how we finished the game, so it’s just kind of easy for us,” Hiller explained at morning skate inside T-Mobile Arena. “It was a good night in the end, so why change it?”
The coach also wants to carve more ice time for the energetic Cowan, who is averaging 14:22. That’s slightly under his rookie rate of 14:43, and the sophomore has been one of the Leafs most impactful players through four games.
Hiller believes the stronger Cowan can be first on the forecheck and loosen up pucks for Tavares and Nylander.
“We all have a vision for Easton. He’s an offensive player for sure, but I think he really can be a guy that provides a little grit on a line, that can forecheck, track, be above, just be one of those all-round players,” Hiller said. “For him to be most effective in the league, that's what he'll turn into.”
Tavares gushes about the 21-year-old’s skill set and determination.
“Tremendously talented. Just makes so many plays,” Tavares said. “He really wants to be someone who can who can drive play, make things happen. Wants to be extremely competitive and hard to play against and loves the game.
“I just love the enthusiasm, the excitement of starting out a long career and just being able to impact the game and continue to grow. And you've seen throughout camp how well he played, and certainly the start of the season here.
“So, got to do my part and play well and feed off each other.”
McKenna the new Marner?
Naturally, as a high-pedigree, pass-first, smallish winger, McKenna has drawn parallels to another recent Leaf of that profile: Mitch Marner. And it feels only a matter of time before McKenna, too, is stapled to Matthews’ flank.
“There’s definitely comparisons, for sure,” former Knights coach Gerard Gallant told Leafs Morning Take.
Interesting, then, that the two creative playmakers spent time training together over the summer in Muskoka.
“The skill. Seems more mature than his age, which was something great to see. It’s what you want. And where he is, you got to just be able to handle yourself and be ready to go. And he looks like it,” Marner told Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas at the Player Media Tour.
“Living with J.T. will be a big thing for him, too, and help him out a lot. And he's got some amazing skill.”
Did Marner speak with McKenna about navigating Leaf life?
“I’m going to keep that between him and I,” Marner said. “He’s got a great head on his shoulders. He’s a great kid, so excited to see what he does.”
Sissons returns to scene of heartbreak
Twice Colton Sissons has played for the Stanley Cup, with the 2017 Predators and 2026 Golden Knights.
Twice his club has come two wins short of glory, leaving him to pick himself up from devastation.
“We always just spend some time with your teammates because, typically, you're never going to have that same crew together ever again. And when you go on a run like that, it creates a pretty special bond,” Sissons said. “So, we spent a few days in Vegas with everybody, and then we went on a little vacation out to Napa Valley to escape the heat for a few days.
“But it’s a tough wound to heal. I’m not sure if it ever fully will. Yeah, it takes a lot of time.”
Forgive the forward if that wound stings a little extra Thursday as Sissons returns to the rink where the Carolina Hurricanes hoisted the Cup.
“I like playing when the stakes are highest,” Sissons said. “I feel comfortable in those games, and I feel like I can be very effective in playoff series and wearing teams out and providing an important role for teams in playoffs.”
The 32-year-old North Vancouver native didn’t know anyone on the Maple Leafs when he opted to sign a two-year, $8.5-million deal shortly after things didn’t work out on the Strip.
A conversation with GM John Chayka about his role in Toronto was convincing.
“He just really seemed like I could help his team get back on track and help out with the depth in the forward lineup,” Sissons said.
“When you have an opportunity to play for an original team like the Leafs in Toronto, of all places, it's a special opportunity. That was an experience I couldn’t really pass up.”
McKenna may have started slow, but he is fast
NHL Edge data shows that McKenna is tied for 13th league-wide in 18-plus-miles-per-hour speed bursts (50) and tied with Kirill Marchenko for the team lead in that category. The rookie has also registered at least one 20-plus-miles-per-hour burst in each of his first four games. McKenna’s maximum skating speed (21.64 mph) ranks in the 69th percentile among all forwards.
Hiller is making a great effort to place McKenna in scoring situations. The winger is in the 93rd percentile in offensive-zone starts percentage at 5-on-5, and his first goal Tuesday came off an O-zone start alongside Matthews.
Despite his PP2 deployment, McKenna also ranks fourth among rookie forwards in average power-play ice time per game (2:16).
One-Timers: Sergei Bobrovsky (0-2) gets the starter’s nod over Anthony Stolarz (2-0) for the best measuring-stick game of this young season…. Jack Eichel is coming in hot off a four-point outing, becoming the first player to 10 points. Eichel (eight assists) can match the mark for fewest games to 10 assists in a season by an active player (Jack Hughes, five games played in 2023-24)…. Nick Blankenburg’s Maple Leafs debut is still on hold.
Maple Leafs projected lineup Thursday in Vegas:
Marchenko – Matthews – Roslovic
Cowan – Tavares – Nylander
McKenna – Paul – Sissons
Duhaime – Blueger – Groulx
McCabe – Tanev
Rielly – Raddysh
Ekman-Larsson – Stecher
Bobrovsky starts
Stolarz
