One scout calls Gavin McKenna a future star, and the Maple Leafs rookie gave Toronto a reason to believe it Tuesday night.
The 18-year-old picked up the first point of his career on a John Tavares goal, then scored his first with under five minutes left in the second period.
The Leafs needed both. They beat the Nashville Predators 5-4 in overtime at Scotiabank Arena.
"Teams don't draft because of what you're capable of in your rookie season," one scout said. "They draft due to long-term projection, and McKenna's a future star."
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That verdict lands after a week of noise. Through three games, the reigning first overall pick had no points, and some fans were already pushing for the bottom six or the AHL.
That panic was ridiculous. Judging an 18-year-old after three NHL games is like reviewing a restaurant off the bread basket.
Steven Stamkos needed eight games to get going, and his career turned out fine. Slow starts for elite prospects come with the territory.
Vegas hands McKenna his first road test tonight
The Leafs opened with four straight at home and went 2-2-0. Tonight's game in Las Vegas is the first road game of the rookie's career.
Vegas arrives at 3-1-0 and has already scored 17 goals. Is there a tougher room to find out whether Tuesday was a breakthrough or a blip?
What the scouts love shows up in the details. Daily Faceoff Toronto's Arun Srinivasan sees the same hockey IQ that pushed him to the top of the draft.
"Somewhat similar to Connor Bedard's rookie season, you can tell it's a function of his hockey intelligence, where he's always keeping his feet moving," Srinivasan said.
The flaws are real too. His off-puck play draws criticism, scouts questioned his urgency for years, and he isn't overpowering anyone along the boards.
Jim Hiller even slid him down alongside Nick Paul and Colton Sissons at one point Tuesday, pulling him away from Tavares and William Nylander.
His numbers through four games sit at one goal, one assist and a -2 rating. Future stars rarely announce themselves in the first week of October.
He has been here before. His start at Penn State drew the same doubts.
After the World Juniors, he closed out the college year with 33 points in 18 games.
"At the end of the day, I've been on many streaks where I've put up no points," McKenna said.
The work behind it is constant. He lives with Tavares, breaks down every game with the veteran, and logs one-on-one sessions with the video staff.
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At $1,075,000 against the cap, Toronto is paying a bargain price for a player one evaluator already projects as a star.
But the Leafs can't win on projection. Sergei Bobrovsky sits at an .887 save percentage through three appearances, and the crease needs answers faster than the kid does.
Scouts get to think in years. Hiller doesn't have that luxury, and the pressure will follow McKenna from Vegas to Colorado and Utah.
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Will Gavin McKenna become a bigger star than Auston Matthews in Toronto?
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