Gavin McKenna already sparking big concern in Toronto over lastest off-ice moves

Gavin McKenna is already drawing heat in Toronto, leaving Jim Hiller with an early-season question around his rookie's practice habits.

McKenna missed another optional Maple Leafs practice Sunday, reportedly his third such absence of the young season. For an 18-year-old rookie, the pattern is already attracting attention around Toronto.

The timing makes it harder to ignore. McKenna has opened his NHL career with no points through 3 games and carries a -3 rating.

There's no listed injury attached to the rookie either. McKenna's current status is healthy, which puts more focus on why he hasn't been taking part in those optional sessions.

Sid Seixeiro raised the issue publicly after Sunday's absence, adding another layer of scrutiny to a player already carrying massive expectations as the first overall pick from the 2026 draft.

"Gavin McKenna missed another optional practice Sunday.

Maple Leafs fans are starting to notice."

McKenna previously explained that he skipped a skate before facing Montreal because he wanted to preserve energy ahead of a back-to-back. That explanation hasn't stopped the questions.

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Jim Hiller now has an early McKenna issue

Optional practices are exactly that: optional. Veterans regularly use those days to recover, manage workloads and get ready for the next game.

But McKenna isn't an established veteran managing years of NHL mileage. He's a rookie trying to find his footing while adjusting to the demands surrounding one of hockey's most visible teams.

That changes the optics. When the production hasn't arrived yet, every decision away from game action becomes easier to examine.

Hiller now has to manage that attention without turning a routine workload decision into a bigger locker-room story. The Maple Leafs hired him in June, and this is already a delicate early-season situation.

For McKenna, the cleanest response comes on the ice. More involvement, stronger shifts and his first NHL production would quickly move the conversation away from optional skates.

Until then, each missed session will carry extra weight. In Toronto, especially with a rookie carrying McKenna's profile, very little stays quiet for long.

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