Gavin McKenna skated on the Maple Leafs' third line at practice today, according to Mark Masters, and it's raising eyebrows ahead of Utah.
The first overall pick in June has produced from the start, which is why this deployment stands out. The Leafs host the Mammoth on Tuesday, and the lines Jim Hiller's group worked with today will be the first hint of what's coming.
| 1st line | Easton Cowan | Auston Matthews | Jack Roslovic | |||
| 2nd line | Dakota Joshua | Nick Paul | William Nylander | |||
| 3rd line | Gavin McKenna | Colton Sissons | Vinni Lettieri | |||
| 4th line | Brandon Duhaime | Teddy Blueger | Zack MacEwen | |||
| 1st pair | Jake McCabe | Darren Raddysh | ||||
| 2nd pair | Morgan Rielly | Chris Tanev | ||||
| 3rd pair | Oliver Ekman-Larsson | Troy Stecher | ||||
Masters noted that McKenna is working with Sissons and Lettieri, while Joshua sits on the second line next to Paul and Nylander.
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That second-line spot is the part that stings. Joshua has played one game this season. McKenna has played all 16 and has 5 goals and 6 assists, which is 11 points for an 18-year-old.
Fans saw what he can do last week, when Gavin McKenna's three-point game in Seattle made him the youngest Leaf to do it since 1944. Putting him back on a checking-style line after that is a strange message.
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | |
| 2026-27 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 11 | -6 |
| Career | 16 | 5 | 6 | 11 | -6 |
The other side of the argument is the defensive number. McKenna is a -6, and Hiller may want to shelter him with a veteran center rather than throw him into the deep end next to Nylander.
The top line is not up for debate. Cowan has 14 points and a short-handed goal, and he's earned his place beside Matthews, who has 24 points through 16 games.
Why the third line is a tough sell for McKenna
Three of McKenna's five goals have come on the power play. That tells you the Leafs already trust him with offensive minutes, and nothing in the practice lines says how those units will look Tuesday.
Even strength is another matter. Sissons has 5 points and Lettieri has one goal in seven games, so neither is a center who creates easy looks for a young winger.
A scoring winger deserves linemates who can finish what he starts. Pairing him with Sissons and Lettieri asks McKenna to carry the line, and that's a bad use of the player the Leafs picked first.
The Leafs are 8-6-2 and sit 12th in the NHL, and they arrive off a 4-2 win in Vancouver on Saturday. Utah comes in after a 6-3 loss in Philadelphia on Sunday, so the Leafs will find out Tuesday whether this line combination survives to puck drop.
Should Gavin McKenna be playing on the Maple Leafs' top six instead of the third line?
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