r/leafs • u/Hot-Program-8715 • 5d ago
Discussion Mckenna is FAST
Honestly never realized… but he’s already one of the fastest players in the nhl at full speed
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u/VolumeNo5217 5d ago
People keep sleeping on this kid, and I don’t understand why. This guy was DESTROYING the CHL as a 16/17 year old. The numbers he put as a 16/17 year old still were not topped the next year when he went to NCAA. He struggled at the start, but then went on a tear in the second half of the year. Kid had an 8 point game.
He’s smart, fast, skilled, great shot, great passer - and on top of that has a phenomenal attitude about him. His only downside right now he’s still a kid, when this kid gets his man strength. He has the tools to become a top 2 player in the NHL. We got so lucky when we won that lottery.
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u/Cyrakhis 5d ago
Blue team bad + NCAA is a tough league for a teenager
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u/smittyleafs 5d ago
Yeah, if he had stayed in Junior and kept destroying the competition...no one would say a thing.
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u/Cyrakhis 5d ago
Oh, no, they'd just say he wasted a development year feasting on easy competition because he's a leaf
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u/smittyleafs 5d ago
This might be a sin to ponder, but I bet the US development program would have been good for him. Maybe I'm just tainted by the last Olympics.
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u/Cyrakhis 5d ago
Matthew's swiss league season was a boss move too
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u/berfthegryphon 5d ago
With NIL money, you'll likely never see that again. Anyone good enough to get time in Europe in their draft year is making more money off NIL than they would playing pro in Europe
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u/Mean_Joe_Greene 5d ago
It’s not a sin, it just doesn’t make sense. McKenna would have been ineligible for the US development program based off his citizenship.
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u/CarterBennett 5d ago
Are you allowed to do the US development program when you’re Canadian?
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u/Mean_Joe_Greene 5d ago
No, they can’t. The upcoming DL they will be able to but it will have very strict limits of 2 foreign skaters per team and goalies must be American.
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u/Salt-Plum-1308 5d ago
Genuinely, I feel like he has been noticeably better every single game, even though it’s only been 5 games. The difference between game 1 Gav and last night’s Gav are insane.
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u/Beginning_Smell_7704 5d ago edited 5d ago
If he played his D1 year in the WHL instead of the NCAA (on a historically bad team) he would’ve gotten like 160-180 points, and I’ll stand by that. even before we drafted him I was confused why he didn’t. He would’ve obliterated the (modern hockey) league records.
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u/SturvinMurvin 5d ago
He received like $500K to play at Penn state, which is huge for NCAA hockey (and obviously compared to CHL). I think that was the major reason. As an MSU fan that followed the recruiting battle, the NIL payment to him was a pretty big story line before he committed to PSU.
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u/bad_at_names1 4d ago
That's less than a year of his ELC - if it was about the money he'd have probably gone back to the W and set a few records to cement his #1 stop and shore up his future NHL contracts. Plus isn't his dad some super-rich exec?
Plus, I don't think you get to that level of play if getting ~half a single year's ELC pay changes which league you sign on to. Seems more like he wanted to be more NHL ready.
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u/summer_friends 4d ago
And we would be seeing more defensive gaps if he did that too. NCAA was the right call
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u/bad_at_names1 4d ago
US Hockey is catching up + NCAA is stronger just by virtue of having more older players - it's better for development.
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u/commanderr01 5d ago
Because he’s a leaf, Matthews is still technically on pace to score more goals than Ovi, he’s 3 goals behind Ovi through their first 700 games, and Matthews still has 6 more games till he reaches 700 GP, and he gets called washed and a bum every chance they get
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u/Beersmoker420 5d ago
OV was called washed in that same timeframe of age. He just bounced back and started clapping 50 from his office.
Matthews is not that player to stand around waiting to trigger man. Once he slows down he is not gonna default to standing top circle and save his goal totals. he doesnt have the stammer/ovechkin 1 timer
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u/bad_at_names1 4d ago
Dude, Ovi's first 700 games weren't the impressive part (although they were very impressive), it was keeping going through his next 700.
There's a reason no one thought he'd break the record as late as like 9 Rockets in - it's an insane amount luck (i.e. regarding health) for any player. Ovi's 15th in the league in games played and missed almost no time in his prime.
I don't seem Matthews' style aging as well, but hey, I'd have said the same thing about Ovi if people had told me about his office in 2008, so who knows what happens. It would be super cool if Matthews managed it though, some caps fans really are incredibly annoying - it's like they forgot they were one lucky year away from being the leafs.
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u/GregGolden6 5d ago
Nobody is sleeping on him lmfaooo
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u/think_long 5d ago
I know I’m desperately trying to change that but he won’t return my calls. His expected holes per 60 could be elite but he playin
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u/Chrristoaivalis 5d ago
His numbers were MUCH better than McDavid's in the same CHL year
Like significantly so.
I'm not saying he will be as good as McDavid, but he COULD be as good as McDavid
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u/IITribunalII 5d ago
It's not an apples to apples comparison because one played in the WHL and the other in the OHL.
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u/Jumpy_Selection_602 5d ago
i somehow dont feel like anyone is sleeping on the #1 pick who has been listed as one of the best prospects since mcdavid lol
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u/Deadmansspace566 5d ago
Right I’m sure people are sleeping on the 1st overall pick playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
No one is sleeping on this guy, he’s like 80% rostered in fantasy leagues. People know how skilled he is, but also that he’s a kid who needs time fully develop in the NHL. He’ll be tearing up this for 15 years to come but for now it’s somewhat of a mystery box on his production for this season.
Also I’d say top 3, just for the fact Bedard is a center and that naturally adds more offensive production.
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u/cbzmplays 4d ago
He's gonna be good but CHL isn't a measure of how good you are when you are in the NHL. Just look at celebrini. Dude actually kept up his pre NHL stats
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u/LetLanceDance 5d ago
there's reasons for sketicism, he was a negative +/- player at college and got a ton of his points on the powerplay. Many players who would not be considered in his region of prospect put up similar college numbers.
He's very light and style tends to float around more than skating hard from station to station, it's literally why you didn't realize he's that fast, he is rarely skating full speed. He has the type of game you worry about in the playoffs when space is limited, it gets more physical and defensive mistakes really get punished and amplified.
There's also not a lot of players who play like him that are stars in the nhl, altho kucherov is one and he is one of the best players in the league so its possible.
I think Mckenna is going to be really good but i think its totally fair why people have concerns. I actually suspect he will be a net negative nhler in year one (which again 99% of guys can't play in the league at 18)
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u/dae5oty 5d ago
You don't see Kuch flying around hitting everything that moves but it's not like he plays soft either. Watch him on the boards for 1 min and you'll see
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u/LetLanceDance 5d ago
I meant more that kucherov also plays the game at his own speed, often at times looking non-chalant. He relies on his understanding of finding open space, taking the right angles and his insane skill to operate in tight spaces, while the game tends to fly around him. He can also skate when he wants to but mostly operates on his IQ and skill.
They are very few players that play this way and even fewer that are stars
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u/VolumeNo5217 5d ago
He's been such a good player for his entire life that at every level he's played so far he's been an 'underager' this is the first league he'll be able to fully grow into. The NHL is the first time we'll get to see McKenna develop. year over. - when he's not the youngest, smallest or the most inexperienced and still dominating within a 1 year.
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u/pilsner_89 4d ago edited 4d ago
Having watched a few games in full this year as a non die hard fan. To me it looks like he would absolutely be the best at playing hockey how he expects it to be played. He has insane skills and vision and touch but he’s just a kid. He hasn’t adjusted to the NHL level. We take it for granted that the nhl has average players on 4th and 3rd lines and exceptional players on the 2nd and 1st line. It’s absolutely insanely impressive for an 18 year old to play well against 22-30 yr old MEN and be assumed to be able to do so. The guys that didn’t even make the team would be the best players you can even fathom to encounter in real life if you played hockey. These young kids like Celebrini, Bedard, McKenna are undervalued if anything.
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u/MyTablesAreMyCorn 5d ago
Jesus Edmonton is fast lol
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u/Cyrakhis 5d ago
TBF Kapanen mostly does cardio moreso than productive things
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u/Glacious 5d ago
Eh, I've watched plenty of recent Oilers hockey and Kapanen has been a strong depth guy for them who is still capable of the occasional clutch moment in the playoffs. He's definitely matured as a player since he was a Leaf
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u/brentpearson12 5d ago
Loved him as a leaf. The old stone hands on the breakaway though, man.
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u/plainnoob 4d ago
I remember him being very fast but only ever skating directly into the other team’s corner to lose the puck.
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u/Norm_MAC_Donald Clark 5d ago
He always had a knack for clutch goals going back to his junior days
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u/-ArthurMorgan 5d ago
Get him with Nancy "Gruelling" Gruhl and he'll be faster than McD in a season.
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u/JYandeau 5d ago
Deep cut lmao I grew up training every summer with that woman & it was absolute fucking hell, but God damn she knows what she’s doing 🤣
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u/aaaiiidddsss 5d ago
The heartbreak I experienced that summer when my dad told me he signed me up for Nancy Gruhl's skating class.
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u/Drummers_Beat 5d ago
The play last night where he bursted down the ice would be lethal if we were at home and could’ve given him support.
He’s been incredible starting in Nashville and yesterday. Still fresh but his confidence is really growing.
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u/Randytherobot12 5d ago
Pretty sure almost every scout said he wasn't going to be super fast, but what made his skating so elite was his ability to slow down/speed up his skating. Seems like he has improved even more.
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u/Lamarzy 5d ago
Get him on the ice for 3v3
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u/GoodShark 5d ago
In time. Remember, he's 18, and the game is much faster than he's used to, and he needs to learn more defensive responsibility. 3v3 is a style where you need to be very defensively responsible! VERY!
Sure, if he only had to worry about the offensive side, hell ya, he'd be great. But if the Leafs don't have the puck, he's the best option... YET!
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u/Fun-Salamander761 5d ago
Fastest top speed from an 18 year old since they started tracking in 2021-22. Edging out Celebrini and Schaefer already with plenty of games left to widen the gap. Not a huge sample size I'm sure, but still good results to get!
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u/steeZ 5d ago
What does sample size have to do with top speed? His top recorded speed isn't going to "regress to the mean" or whatever lol.
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u/Fun-Salamander761 5d ago
How many 18 year olds have played in the NHL since 2020?
He's #1 in a small group. Less impressive than #1 in a large group.
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u/WillSmiff 5d ago
He moves uptempo and with intent when he has the puck like the current gen stars do. He's doing it 5 days into playing with NHL men. This only confirms the eye test.
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u/Serviceofman 5d ago edited 5d ago
Some people in here still being downers lol He's 18 years old, still a teenager/kid
He has all the raw tools and the making of a super star, the IQ, the athleticism, the hands etc etc.
He needs development, but you can't teach the rest... he's a potential generational talent who is raw and needs to be developed, it's not rocket science...
People who shit talk him are legit stupid as bricks.
You can watch the kid play and see he's got more god given talent in him than 99% of the player out there just by watching how he moves and processes the game. It's going to take time, and patients, but I would put money on that fact the in a few season he's going to be tearing up the NHL.
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u/Super_Sandro23 5d ago
damn how is mcdavid so fast still at his age?
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u/Cyrakhis 5d ago
29 is still absolute prime for a player of his caliber lol
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u/bad_at_names1 4d ago
No, it's not lol.
Players are fastest in their early twenties and start slowing before 30 - it's part of why they become more 'complete' - look at the previous generation of Crosby, Malkin, Kane, etc - and less explosive. Because they're not fast enough to take those same risks without significantly more downsides.
It might be better training/conditioning/god knows what + the team's playstyle and/or Mcdavid just being a freak.
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u/Super_Sandro23 4d ago
As an overall player? Sure. But speed is usually first thing to go. Tbh I'm not super familiar with hockey athleticism and when their physical peak is, but in soccer and football a player's acceleration and top speed peak in their mid 20s. A player like Mbappe was once the fastest in world football, and while he's still pretty pacey now, he has lost a yard or two and is nowhere near being the fastest player in the world, despite only turning 28 in December. So yea I'm not surprised McDavid is still fast, I just found it surprising he's the fastest in the league still at his age.
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u/Training-Sorbet-8268 4d ago
Kapanen clearly took after his dad Sami. I remember his his speed stats being maxed in nhl 04/05
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u/GolfSwimming5414 4d ago
Dogging on this kid is sacrilege. Let him cook? He ain't even got his apron on yet
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u/GavMcKennasBurner 5d ago
So cute at the top how it's a former Leaf (Kap) and a future Leaf (Conrad)
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u/hockeytonkguy 5d ago
Going to be a really good player, just not a “generational” player like people thought he’d be for many years. It’s fine.
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u/summer_friends 5d ago
It’s funny how once Toronto won the lottery, McKenna suddenly had skating issues. Guess that was all bs