Overview
- McKenna recorded his first NHL assist and goal in Toronto’s comeback overtime win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday and has since added assists in Las Vegas and Denver to spark a three‑game point streak.
- That streak tied a 42‑year Maple Leafs mark for players 18 or younger after McKenna factored on William Nylander’s goal in the road win over Colorado on Saturday.
- Head coach Jim Hiller says McKenna has earned occasional power‑play and first‑line opportunities and that the club will give him those shifts when he’s playing well.
- The Leafs have deliberately limited McKenna’s 3‑on‑3 overtime deployment for defensive and development reasons, a plan insiders and Hiller described as a phased introduction rather than an oversight.
- Media reaction in Toronto has swung between impatience and calls for patience from former coaches and commentators who note the city’s pressure and point out that measured use could protect McKenna’s long‑term growth and confidence.