Gavin McKenna hasn't played a single NHL game yet, and Toronto fans are already debating what his second contract looks like.
That's not really a joke. It's just how fast the market has moved for elite young talent this offseason.
Ivan Demidov just locked in eight years and $73,200,000 with Montreal, betting the house on his rookie deal being his one shot at full term.
Macklin Celebrini reportedly left roughly $2,000,000 on the table just to get his extension done fast, and he's still set to be one of the highest paid players in the league by his mid-20s.
None of these numbers looked possible a couple years ago. Now they're the new baseline for anyone drafted in that same generational tier.
Why the bridge deal might already be dead for McKenna
That's exactly why Toronto fans are already speculating about McKenna's next deal before he's played a preseason game.
If he has anything close to the season Celebrini or Bedard just had, Toronto and Rogers will have no choice but to open the pocketbook fast.
The old model of a modest bridge contract feels dead in this environment. Teams are locking in elite young talent to long term deals almost immediately now.
McKenna still has to prove himself first, and the transition won't be simple. Learning the pro game while adjusting to a much bigger media market is a lot at once.
He impressed at the last two World Juniors, showing up to answer questions every single day, win or lose, a good early sign for handling Toronto's spotlight.
His second half performance improved noticeably as he got stronger and more prepared for a pro-style game, exactly the trajectory teams want to see before a rookie season.
He likely won't be Bedard or Celebrini immediately, but he projects as a genuinely effective player capable of setting up players like Auston Matthews or William Nylander on the power play.
Matthews carries a $13,250,000 cap hit after posting 27 goals and 26 assists for 53 points in an injury shortened 60 game season.
Nylander sits at $11,500,000 after delivering 30 goals and 49 assists for 79 points in 65 games, the kind of finishing touch McKenna could feed early in his career.
Head coach Jim Hiller will have plenty of line combination options, and most expect McKenna to get an early look on Matthews' wing.
This fan base has never asked for much beyond hard work and effort, and by most accounts, that won't be an issue with McKenna.
The real conversation about his next contract probably starts for real this time next year, once one full NHL season actually exists to point to.
Will Gavin McKenna's rookie season justify a record breaking extension down the road?
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