There’s Something We Might Be Missing About Gavin McKenna

Steve Simmons got me thinking about Gavin McKenna, although probably not in the way he intended. Simmons wrote about Guy Lafleur and the way we talk about McKenna after only a handful of NHL games. Lafleur took time to become the player everybody remembers. His rookie numbers now seem almost irrelevant compared with what came later.

That got me thinking about another young Maple Leafs forward. Easton Cowan. The two players obviously aren’t comparable. McKenna was the first overall pick. Cowan was selected 28th. McKenna arrived in Toronto with enormous expectations. Cowan arrived with more curiosity.

Looking at Both McKenna and Cowan

But here’s what I find interesting. We’re already asking what McKenna’s point total will be. What line should he play on? Should he be on the first power play? What kind of player will he become?

Those are fun questions. I’m not sure they’re the most useful ones. Maybe the better question is: What does McKenna need right now to become the player he’s capable of becoming?

That’s where Cowan becomes interesting. Cowan scored 11 goals and 29 points in 66 games as a rookie. Nobody was asking whether he’d change the Maple Leafs. Nobody was comparing him with Guy Lafleur. He was just trying to figure out the NHL.

Now, three games into this season, he’s one of the Maple Leafs’ most creative forwards. That’s development. It doesn’t always announce itself with a giant headline.