Jim Hiller might be facing a tough decision with the Toronto Maple Leafs' lineup, but that is nothing compared to what he could've been facing on Wednesday morning if his team hadn't rallied from down 3-0 to defeat the Nashville Predators.
So Gavin McKenna finally got his first NHL goal, and naturally, everyone’s already trying to figure out what it means for his career. Here’s the fun part: it actually tells us almost nothing.
The NHL has had an interesting new millennium. It was a league sans a salary cap when the 2000s started… and then the owners locked the players out for an entire season.
Gavin McKenna‘s wait for his first NHL point lasted three games. On Tuesday night, he got two points in one game, and he had a joke ready about who wasn’t there to see it.
The Toronto Maple Leafs had quite a night against Nashville. They fell behind 3-0, came back, and eventually won 5-4 in overtime. That’s the sort of game that can leave a coach with plenty to talk about.
It was a night to remember for Toronto Maple Leafs rookie forward Gavin McKenna on Tuesday. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft lit the lamp for the first time in his NHL career in the second period of Toronto’s game against the visiting Nashville Predators at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
A new season, a somewhat new roster, a new head coach, a new-old assistant coach, a new team in the division. Change is a constant each in the AHL each season, but there was something new from the start of the game.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Gavin McKenna heard all the detractors. He even called his “Welcome to the NHL” moment hearing from the media that he hadn’t registered a point through three games.
That’s more like how many people thought the Toronto Maple Leafs’ offence would look to begin the season. After recording only six goals over their first
People will talk about the “Mount Rushmore” for a franchise, which is to say the four people, usually four players, that most define the franchise. Not always the four-best players, but the four that evoke the essence of the franchise.
Gavin McKenna was glowing in his postgame scrum following the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 5-4 comeback win over the Nashville Predators. And he had all the reason to be – he scored his first NHL goal and added an assist in a game where his team rallied back and won a thriller in overtime.
You could be forgiven if you forgot that the Toronto Maple Leafs once trailed 3-0 to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday evening. Steven Stamkos and Nils Hoglander each scored twice for the Predators, as Nashville raced out to an early lead.
A few moments into Tuesday night, Toronto Maple Leafs fans probably wondered whether this would be one of those games. Toronto fell behind Nashville 3-0.
After the Maple Leafs’ thrilling 5-4 overtime win over Nashville, head coach Jim Hiller discussed Gavin McKenna’s first NHL goal, the decision to shuffle the lines and reunite Auston Matthews with William Nylander, and Matthews’ standout four-point performance.
Gavin McKenna had his first big moment as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Fans and media have been waiting to see what the 18‑year‑old could do, and on Tuesday night, he delivered.
In the hockey capital of the world, nuance often sails out of the window at the first sign of trouble. Gavin McKenna did not register a point during his first three games, creating a vortex of paranoia and concern from all parts of the Toronto hockey ecosystem.
Auston Matthews is back. After the season that he had last season, it is so refreshing to see him back to his old self and putting up points with ease.
Auston Matthews scored with 14 seconds remaining in overtime as the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to defeat the visiting Nashville Predators 5-4 on Tuesday night.
The Toronto Maple Leafs may not have played a game in the same stratosphere of excitement as what went down on Tuesday night. If Gavin McKenna’s first career NHL goal and assist and a four-point game from Auston Matthews weren’t enough, they played a part in what was a comeback 5-4 win over the Nashville Predators.
Through the first few games of the 2026-27 NHL season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have seen some good in their top line and some lack of production from their second unit – leading to questions around the make-up of the roster to start the season.
Kirill Marchenko and Auston Matthews have been among the NHL’s best shot creators through the opening week of the season. Marchenko, Matthews and Jack Roslovic have operated as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first line through three games.
I've been watching Easton Cowan closely this season, partly because I think he’ll be an important player for the Toronto Maple Leafs and partly because young players are just interesting to watch.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are only a few games into the season, so I’ll try not to get too carried away by what I’m seeing. That’s harder to do than it sounds, of course.
John Chayka has not been shy about making big moves since taking over as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason, which has included moving on from several mainstays of the organization in recent years.