It doesn't appear as though Gavin McKenna will be eased into the NHL.
The first overall pick slotted on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander at training camp on Thursday, Sportsnet's Luke Fox reported, providing the first glimpse of new head coach Jim Hiller's vision for his forward group.
Auston Matthews centred the top line in between Matthew Knies and free-agent addition Jack Roslovic.
Hiller said Wednesday he'd keep the bigger picture in mind with regards to McKenna's deployment.
“Our goal is to put him in the best position to succeed, while accounting for all the other players on the team that we want to put in the best position to succeed as well. It’s a team, and he’s going to be an important part of the team,” the coach said.
“We’ve really been thoughtful about where exactly he starts. But in the end, he’s got to get out there and play hockey.
That’s what he’s done best all his life. And then things just slowly start to reveal themselves.”
McKenna, the 18-year-old from Whitehorse had a few flashy moments Thursday, including the setup of a Tavares goal in the slot and a battle drill against the big-bodied Knies where the youngster ended up with just one glove — and the puck behind goaltender Anthony Stolarz.
Toronto finished last in the Atlantic Division in 2025-26 before beating May's lottery odds for the right to pick McKenna, who's living with Tavares and his family this season, with the top selection in June.
The Maple Leafs begin their pre-season schedule Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens before opening the regular season against their longtime rivals on Sept. 29 (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 7 p.m.
ET / 4 p.m. PT).
--with files from The Canadian Press
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