Brian Burke steps into the debate over Jim Hiller's decision on Gavin McKenna

Brian Burke just jumped into the Gavin McKenna debate, and he wants the critics to back off ahead of tonight's Maple Leafs game against Utah.

The timing makes sense. McKenna skated on the third line at practice, according to Mark Masters, and Gavin McKenna's move to the third line got plenty of people talking about how Jim Hiller is using the first overall pick.

Daily Faceoff Toronto relayed that Burke defended the young forward and explained why he's been so impressed with his game at 18, saying "People should just leave this kid alone."

-

That's a strong message from a man who has never been shy, and it lands right on Hiller's lineup choices. Burke didn't hide who he was talking about: the noise around McKenna's ice time.

The numbers explain why there's any noise at all. McKenna has 11 points in 16 games, with 5 goals and 6 assists, and three of those goals came on the power play.

He's also a -6, and that's the number critics will point to when they argue about where he belongs in the lineup. A rookie drafted first overall in June is going to be judged on every shift, fair or not.

Why the Hiller and McKenna debate won't go away

Part of it is the expectations that come with the draft slot. Part of it is that McKenna keeps producing in big moments, like the night he became the youngest Leaf with a three-point game since 1944 in Seattle.

Toronto sits 13th in the NHL at 8-6-2 and sixth in the Atlantic Division. That isn't a panic position, but it's tight enough that every lineup decision gets dissected.

The Leafs won their last game 4-2 in Vancouver on Saturday, and their goal differential is +7. Hiller has results he can point to, which makes the third-line placement easier to defend than it looks.

Burke is right on this one. An 18-year-old with 11 points through 16 games doesn't need a public referendum on his minutes, he needs a stable role and a coach who trusts him.

Whether that role stays on the third line is the question Hiller will answer when the lines are posted against Utah tonight.

Also read on Markerzone.com:
Bruins sacrifice two key players to land Dylan Larkin in bold trade proposal