Mark Masters of TSN reported this morning that John Tavares is back on the top power-play unit at Maple Leafs practice, with Gavin McKenna moved down to the second group.
It's the latest chapter in a debate that has followed head coach Jim Hiller all week. McKenna, the first overall pick in June, is 18 and has been under a microscope since the loss to Utah on Tuesday.
Masters put it plainly in his post:
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The timing matters. Tavares is listed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, expected to be out until at least Nov. 7, so his place on PP1 comes with the Maple Leafs hosting Montreal on Saturday.
Hiller already had to answer questions about Gavin McKenna's third period against Utah, and he didn't dodge them. Brian Burke even stepped in to tell critics to back off.
Now the coach has made another move involving the kid, and people will read it however they want.
Is the McKenna demotion fair or a message?
Start with what the numbers say. McKenna has 11 points in 17 games, and three of his five goals have come on the power play. That's not a player who was hurting the top unit.
He also sits at -6, which is the other side of the ledger and probably part of Hiller's thinking.
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | |
| 2026-27 | 17 | 5 | 6 | 11 | -6 |
| Career | 17 | 5 | 6 | 11 | -6 |
Tavares is a different case. The 36-year-old has 1 power-play goal and 3 power-play assists in seven games this season, and he has 527 goals over his career. Hiller trusts him there, and that's easy to understand.
But the timing is what stings. A rookie producing with the man advantage gets bumped the moment a veteran returns, and the coach is on record having already defended his handling of McKenna this week. I don't love it. Moving McKenna down when he's been one of the more productive pieces on the unit feels like punishing a teenager for the roster getting healthier.
The Maple Leafs are 8-7-2 and sit 17th in the NHL, sixth in the Atlantic. With a team that average, you don't mess with what produces.
Hiller had already left John Tavares' return unclear earlier in the week, so the practice lines are the first real answer. Whether the top unit looks the same once the puck drops against Montreal on Saturday is the next thing to watch.
Should Gavin McKenna stay on the Maple Leafs' top power-play unit over John Tavares?
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