Gavin McKenna’s overconfidence is drawing criticism in Toronto

Marc-Olivier Cook
Gavin McKenna’s overconfidence is drawing criticism in Toronto
Credit: Capture d'écran / X

How would you describe Gavin McKenna's start to the season, having tallied 13 points (six goals) in his first 20 games in the National Hockey League?

Good? Respectable?

You can tell the kid has talent, and you can see why the Leafs selected him with the first overall pick in the last draft. But, like almost every other 18-year-old player in (and in the history of) the National Hockey League, McKenna has areas of his game he needs to improve in order to take it to the next level.

His level of commitment isn't always where it needs to be, and that's a major area he needs to work on. But in Nick Kypreos's view, there's another major issue: in his opinion, McKenna is… too confident.

Kypreos points out in a recent article that while McKenna's raw talent, instinct, and creativity are beyond question, his (excessive) self-confidence is starting to cost him dearly on the ice.

Kypreos specifically mentions a costly turnover by McKenna against Cale Makar during a game against the Colorado Avalanche (which led to a goal by Brock Nelson)… and he goes on to say that the young player sometimes needs to prioritize a simpler, more patient style of play rather than looking for the spectacular play.

I don't know about you, but I've never seen a young player get criticized for being too confident. 

And it's funny, but… this isn't the first time it's happened this season with McKenna: remember that he decided to skip his team's first optional practices because he felt ready to play, and that whole situation caused quite a stir in Toronto.

Anyway.

I mentioned it earlier in my post and I'll say it again: kids that age aren't perfect. McKenna has been told his whole life that he's the best—it's only natural that he'd arrive in the NHL with a huge dose of confidence.

At this point, you have to take it with a grain of salt.


In a Nutshell

– Great performance by Taylor Hall.

– Solid.

– Well done.

– Interesting.

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