Quick Shifts: What could be Gavin McKenna’s biggest problem

A fast mixture of the issues we gleaned from the week of hockey, severe and fewer so, and rolling 4 strains deep. I obtained adverts in my head they usually received’t go, promos in my head they usually received’t go…

1. As the 2026 NHL Draft looms 4 weeks away, The McKenna Project is obligatory viewing, notably for followers of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The TNT documentary drills into the event of 2026’s probably first-overall choose, following the phenom’s game-changing determination to go away the CHL and play out his turbulent draft yr with Penn State.

We received’t spoil the quick flick, which is value watching in full. 

We will, nonetheless, level to a standard thread, figuring out the flashy ahead might nicely be becoming a member of essentially the most adopted and scrutinized hockey staff: the perils of on-line criticism.

Here’s McKenna throughout his underwhelming begin to his NCAA marketing campaign: “All these fans, the hype, I was gripping my stick tight. Not as confident. It’s tough to get out of. I was trying to block out that noise and play the game you’ve played your whole life.” 

Here’s his response to the adverse response to his efficiency throughout Canada’s bronze-medal end on the world juniors: “It’s all over TikTok or Instagram or whatever it is. They got nothing better to do than sit in their basement and type up some hate comment.”

And McKenna’s response to his arrest on assault costs in February: “It was the craziest two days of my life. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. I was, like, glued to my phone. People were like, ‘This guy’s done.’”

A parallel is drawn between McKenna’s late-season on-ice surge — eight factors in a single evening! — and the net noise flipping constructive: This man is harder than we thought.

It’s troublesome for these of us born B.C. (Before Cellphones) to know simply how related/distracted youngsters as of late are to the opinions of strangers. 

Your harshest critic is nuzzled proper there in your pocket, chirping at you to peek at one thing imply. 

To McKenna’s credit score, the child is sincere concerning the adverse results of on-line backlash, which coincided with {the teenager}’s transfer to a brand new nation, into his personal place, away from his household.

When McKenna’s grandfather, Joe Mason, was younger, he survived life in a residential faculty. That provides McKenna a invaluable perspective as he navigates life below the microscope.

“Knowing he can go through all that stuff and still get to where he’s at today, I can’t take anything for granted,” McKenna says. “If I got something going on in my life that’s hard, I know it’s nothing compared to what he’s gone through. It’s been a huge motivator for me.”

Teasing the draft previous to Toronto’s beautiful lottery win, the doc wraps with Blackhawks scout Colin Fraser trekking to the Yukon to fulfill the McKennas. Leafs reps have since executed the identical.

During McKenna’s chat with Fraser, he doesn’t solely state making the NHL in 2026-27 as his objective. He needs to see the 2027 Calder Trophy on his shelf and to make the playoffs in Year 1.

Confident child. He needs the identical issues Toronto does.

Here’s to not studying the feedback, no matter your technology.

2. McKenna turned down a possibility to play for Team Canada on the world championships to concentrate on subsequent week’s NHL Combine.

Meanwhile, in Switzerland, Macklin Celebrini and Sidney Crosby and the lads are 8-0, two wins shy of gold. Interesting how a event dubbed second-tier and even meaningless by some in North America can have such a wildly various impression.

There’s Crosby, who can’t assist however play extra hockey — even with zero to show.

Or Canada’s Jet Greaves, who risked damage and repute with no contract in place with Columbus for 2026-27. The beginning goalie has been very good, shutting out Team USA within the quarters and assured to play for a medal, thus boosting his confidence and inventory heading into crucial negotiation of his profession.

Then there’s Evan Bouchard, who obtained knocked out of the event with a nasty hit from Ryan Lindgren and whose season ends on an (unnecessarily?) painful notice. How do the Oilers really feel about Bouchard including to his concussion historical past in a recreation that didn’t profit Edmonton a lick?

Or take Matthew Tkachuk, the Americans’ uncommon gold medallist who selected to increase his season in an try to affix the Triple Gold Club.

Tkachuk was blunt Thursday after getting despatched dwelling from Switzerland with no medal: “I never want to be back in this tournament. I want to be playing in the playoffs.”

Even worse, due to the IIHF’s new ref camera-slash-microphone footage, Tkachuk went viral when the stripes referred to as him out for diving: “Matt! Matt! No. You’re better than this. You’re better than this.”

3. The Vegas Golden Knights’ historical past is affected by detours into uncharted territory. Even in Season 9.

First, the staff fires its head coach whereas in playoff place and with simply eight video games remaining within the common season. Then it prohibits the coach it didn’t need from interviewing with L.A. and Edmonton, a few opponents curious about paying Cassidy’s 2026-27 wage for the Knights. (The Maple Leafs are additionally stated to be up for a chat, however to our information haven’t formally requested permission but.)

Had Vegas relented between playoff sequence, we could have been spared this week’s sideshow. With no different approach to leverage his manner out of the desert, Cassidy went public on Spittin’ Chiclets, telling the world the way it’s “upsetting” that the Golden Knights are stopping him from pursuing work.

GM Kelly McCrimmon shot again on a Toronto radio station, explaining that the Cassidy conundrum is “only news because Edmonton leaked it.”

The pillows are getting swapped for stones.

Reading between the strains of the McCrimmon interview, we suspect Vegas’s actions listed below are being pushed from the very high: proprietor Bill Foley, who may simply be a extra cussed competitor than Mark Stone.

The Golden Knights are inside their rights to carry Cassidy off the market; their cheques nonetheless clear. But that doesn’t make their spitefulness proper.

4. The ruthlessness of the Golden Knights’ operations may lead a person to surprise if karma is actual. Or why their favorite hockey staff can’t be so cutthroat, why the opposite 31 golf equipment can’t prioritize profitable over every thing, too.

Be it a thinning expertise pool or a restrictive wage cap, a dearth of free brokers or the conservative nature of most hockey managers, we frequently hear how troublesome it’s to make significant roster adjustments with out rebuilding via the draft.

Well, in lower than 11 months, McCrimmon and his employees acquired (a) the playoffs’ main scorer; (b) a beginning playoff goalie with 12 wins and .924 save proportion; (c) a top-four, right-shot defenceman; (d) a Cup-winning head coach who earned fast buy-in; and now (e) a visit to the Stanley Cup Final.

Change can occur sooner than you assume — in the event you don’t sit in your fingers and look ahead to it.

“It’s not fun to hear that. But they’re not wrong.” —Martin St. Louis, on Montreal Canadiens followers’ chants of “Shoot the puck!” as his staff obtained outshot 83-31 over seven intervals at dwelling of their Round 3 blowout.

6. As upset because the A-Z Eventz are by their beautiful sweep within the Western Conference Final, it’s not clear how the runaway Presidents’ Trophy winners get a lot better — and even a lot totally different — for subsequent season.

The Avs’ Jennings-winning goalie tandem is locked up for an affordable fee, as are 11 of their greatest forwards and 4 of their greatest defencemen. (Brent Burns, 41, and Brett Kulak, 32, are heading to UFA standing.) 

Ironically, their solely difference-maker with out commerce safety, Cale Makar, is the final man they’d dare commerce.

Colorado already spent its first-round picks in 2026, 2027, and 2028 to win final week. The Avs don’t have a choose till Round 4 this June and Round 3 in 2028. They’re working out of futures to deal, even when they needed to make extra strikes.

Which is why Jared Bednar — the longest-tenured head coach within the West and among the best within the biz — now finds himself below no less than some uncertainty. A end result that wasn’t completely his fault might be his downside.

The A-Z Eventz obtained eradicated on Tuesday, but administration’s end-of-season press convention received’t be held till this coming Monday or Tuesday. GM Chris MacFarland can be in a precarious place, with the Nashville Predators .

The most secure transfer can be to easily run all of it again, hope for well being and higher outcomes.

But on the off-chance Colorado does one thing drastic behind the bench, coach-seeking Toronto, Edmonton, and L.A. — to not point out Denver-based NCAA candidate David Carle — would all be sensible to attend yet one more week earlier than signing something. 

7. Until Evgeni Malkin re-signed in Pittsburgh this week, the 39-year-old owned the best points-per-game common (1.09) in 2025-26 of all impending unrestricted free brokers.

That concurrently speaks volumes about each the participant and the UFA class.

Even in his age-40 season, Malkin must be value each penny of his $5.5 million base wage, which might swell to $9 million with efficiency bonuses: $250,000 for 42 video games performed; $250,000 for 63 video games performed; $1 million for making playoffs; and $500,000 for every sequence victory.

Good luck discovering an impression centre on the open market now.

The subject is a mixture of past-prime veterans, winger-centre hybrids, and bottom-six checkers. Names like Boone Jenner, Claude Giroux, Jack Roslovic, Marcus Johansson, Scott Laughton, Jonathan Toews, Jason Dickinson, and Teddy Blueger.

Does this jolt commerce curiosity in pivots like Vincent Trochek, Shane Wright, Elias Pettersson, Mason McTavish and Robert Thomas? It ought to.

8. The Maple Leafs didn’t rent the famous person from Sweden to lose the famous person from Sweden.

“Mats (Sundin) knows what it’s about playing in Toronto and being such a leader for this team and being an amazing captain here. He will bring that to the table and help our club a lot,” William Nylander stated in a really Maple Leafs–affirming episode of his sporadic YouTube sequence.

“Every time I see him, we talk. So, I’m excited to talk to him in this aspect where he’s a big part of our organization and our process to getting to where we want to be.”

The participant with the richest contract in membership historical past, a full no-movement clause, and 5 years of pledged service shouldn’t have to restate his dedication. But the way in which issues are going for Leafs followers these days, they respect their main scorer’s reassurance.

“I don’t want to go anywhere. I love Toronto. This has been home for me for so long, and nothing would make me happier than to win here,” Nylander says. “So, I hope that one day that dream comes true.”

Saying it’s one factor. But the scenes of Nylander rooting on the Raptors and celebrating Toronto’s draft lottery victory alongside Matthew Knies whereas rooting on brother Alex at a Marlies playoff recreation ought to assist drill dwelling his consolation in T.O.

Nylander echoes Leafs Nation when he says, “I’m always fired up for next season. I’m more curious to see what happens this summer with our team.”

9. What might occur in Toronto this summer time is a goalie commerce.

Joseph Woll, Anthony Stolarz, and Dennis Hildeby will all be on one-way contracts come fall. They will all require waivers to play within the AHL.

Joining that group in 2027-28 is prospect Artur Akhtyamov, who has been phenomenal within the Marlies’ run to the ultimate 4, posting an 8-4 document and a .924 save proportion.

Rivals have taken discover not solely of Akhtyamov’s thriving below larger stakes but in addition his modest $900,000 cap hit via 2028-29 (a pleasant parting reward from Brad Treliving).

Sure, the Leafs will entertain buying and selling from a place of power. The problem right here is that a number of groups seem prepared to debate a goalie commerce. 

When commerce motion picks up subsequent month, count on to listen to names like Jordan Binnington, Filip Gustavsson, Jesper Wallstedt, Devon Levi, and Adin Hill within the hearsay mill.

Where does the Leafs’ goalie commerce bait — Too unproven? Too injury-prone? — slot into this summer time’s market? Would John Chayka be wiser to slow-play issues in his crease?

10. One factor appears sure: If Chayka does have a goaltending technique, he received’t be broadcasting it.

Be it via the brand new GM’s first three press conferences, the restricted and contradicting studies on his coach search, or the membership’s purposely obscure assertion on Max Domi’s well being — What surgical procedure? What issues? And why was Domi taking part in damage in a misplaced season? — the Chayka regime seems tight-lipped by design.

The govt says a bunch of phrases with out revealing plans, and that could be the sensible play right here. You can’t break a promise in the event you don’t make a promise, proper?

Provided Chayka’s actions are profitable — hit on the No. 1 choose and subsequent head coach, for starters; discover some youthful and extra cell defencemen, for seconds — he’ll rating factors with followers.

A memo was issued leaguewide. If you don’t commerce the participant’s negotiating rights, these conversations are thought of tampering.

The incident jogged my memory of a column I wrote 10 years in the past on the NHL’s pre-free company interview interval, through which pending UFAs might legally do the rounds and converse with groups.

In common, the GMs most popular the courting interval; the gamers’ union found it labored towards their greatest pursuits.

Player-hunting managers might kind an ordered want record and kick tires at no cost. If a cope with the specified UFA No. 1 couldn’t be reached throughout the window, the staff might methodically make affords to UFA No. 2 or 3 with out concern of them already committing to the competitors — a really actual menace below the unique (and present once more) free company guidelines, which prohibit contact till July 1.

“I’ve had teams offer five years, $20 million, and 10 minutes later say, ‘OK, six years, $28 million’ in the old days. Panic, desperation, a little bit of paranoia. These guys would be falling all over each other, one team outbidding another,” participant agent Allan Walsh defined, throughout the short-lived period of early UFA negotiation. 

“Now, there is no panic. There is no desperation. Teams are going into July 1 with their deals in hand. The players are pretty much signed by the end of the interview period, and July 1 is pretty much a formality now as opposed to a frenzy. And the word frenzy is a great description of what used to happen on July 1.”

Chaos on Canada Day helps gamers (and brokers) get (over)paid, which is why the NHLPA will argue towards a return to the courtship mannequin.

12. Rest in peace, Claude Lemieux. Condolences to your entire household.

Just a harrowing and unsuspecting loss whose biggest victories have been at playoff time.

If you need assistance, please name 9-8-8.