Is Gavin McKenna Becoming a Problem? Leafs Fans Sound the Alarm After Multiple No‑Shows

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ start to the season hasn’t entirely gone to plan. With a team experiencing so much turnover, it makes sense there would be some growing pains, especially as a new coach brings new systems. Sergei Bobrovsky has been okay in net, but the team in front of him has struggled to score goals and defend properly.

The Leafs are 1‑2‑0 to start the year and have only managed to score six goals. Gavin McKenna has struggled, posting very poor analytics — but this is to be expected from a fresh 18‑year‑old, especially one of his stature. However, it’s some of the things happening outside of games that Leafs fans are starting to notice.

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Missing Optional Skates

McKenna made headlines before the Leafs played their second game when he missed an optional morning skate. He later explained that he was resting because the team was playing a back‑to‑back. Everyone brushed this off, thinking it made complete sense, and moved on. McKenna said:

“It wasn’t a swagger thing, I was just trying to keep my body fresh.”

However, on Sunday, the Leafs held an optional skills practice. Most of the team was there, including the big guns — Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Kirill Marchenko, and John Tavares. Even the other young Leaf, Easton Cowan, was on the ice. These are perfect opportunities for a young rookie to build his talent and develop chemistry with his older teammates. The problem? McKenna was not on the ice.

Why McKenna missed another optional skate is unclear, but Leafs fans and media are definitely starting to notice. The pressure in Toronto is immense, and things like this get magnified. If he were in, say, San Jose, nobody would mention it. Unfortunately, he’s not — and it’s starting to become a storyline.

Sid Seixeiro Weighs In

Sid Seixeiro is known for extreme takes and rage‑bait content. However, when he speaks, people watch and listen — especially Leafs fans. Here’s what Seixeiro had to say:

“I do not believe a kid this young should be missing morning skates and practice unless there is something physically wrong. The morning skate on the season opener was really weird. There’s now been three instances of this in less than a week for Gavin McKenna as a Leaf. I think that is super weird. Especially considering he is staying with John Tavares, who can’t wait to tell people that McKenna is at his place. I’ve got a rule: if Matthews is at practice, everyone should be at practice unless you’re hurt. He does not have a point yet in the National Hockey League — you can tell him to be at practice, guys. You can tell him to be at a morning skate.”

Seixeiro often has wild takes, but this one does make some sense. Why is a young rookie — one who is 18 and struggling in the NHL at the beginning of his career — not doing everything possible to improve? It comes across poorly, whether there’s anything to it or not. Players are praised, fairly or unfairly, for staying out late after practice or being the first one on the ice in the morning. Not being there at all? That’s when it starts to become a problem.

Gavin McKenna missed another optional practice Sunday.

Maple Leafs fans are starting to notice.#sick #thesidseixeiroshow @Sid_Seixeiro pic.twitter.com/3JvaEks79R

— The Sid Seixeiro Show (@sidseixeiroshow) October 5, 2026

McKenna’s Struggles

McKenna is having a tough initial go in the league. The NHL is a very difficult place to play, and McKenna is finding that out. He’s struggling with the size and pace of the game, especially being right around 170 pounds. He does not have a point yet, although he has set up his teammates in good spots on a few occasions.

Points aren’t everything, but McKenna’s underlying analytics are ugly. He’s struggling defensively, and his line is currently one of the worst in the NHL. The pressures in Toronto are difficult, but situations like this do not help. Fans and media are quick to jump on players for anything — especially if it looks like the player does not care.

It will be interesting to watch this moving forward, and you have to wonder if the team will have a discussion with McKenna. Whether he likes morning skates and optionals or not, it would be in his best interest to attend them. Be a sponge, soak up everything you can, and keep the media and fans on your side. Right now, the table is already starting to turn regarding perceptions of this player.

It has only been three games, and it is extremely early for this to be a major concern. The one problem? Toronto doesn’t care about “too early.” You don’t get extra leeway in the Toronto market, and McKenna is quickly beginning to find that out.

Next: Maple Leafs Land Kirill Marchenko in Stunning Six‑Player Blockbuster for Matthew Knies