McDavid’s McKenna Comments Hint He’ll Never Join the Maple Leafs

Speaking at the Zach Hyman Celebrity Classic at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto on Monday, Connor McDavid garnered some reaction with his, frankly, very tame comments about Gavin McKenna. The Oilers’ captain shared his thoughts on the No. 1 overall pick joining the Maple Leafs and playing in Toronto. There was no intent to stir up trouble by McDavid, but more often than not, what he says generates buzz, even when it isn’t designed to.

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McDavid admitted he hasn’t followed McKenna closely, but believes from the little he knows, the rookie has a great future ahead of him. “Seems like he’s a good kid,” McDavid said. Then came the part that was more an empathetic gesture than a dig, but not to all Toronto fans.

“He’ll have his hands full in Toronto, but he seems like he’s prepared for it. He’ll have a good support system there too with, obviously, Auston (Matthews). He’ll have lots of support around him, so he should be fine.”

What McDavid was likely trying to say is that Toronto is the center of the hockey universe, and playing there comes with a level of attention unlike most, if not all, other markets. It’s not a great environment for every player, especially stars, who are expected to carry the weight of the pressure that is the team succeeding.

McDavid knows a thing or two about pressure. Edmonton is as passionate as Toronto about its hockey, maybe more. In Toronto, however, comes a hoard of media attention that even outdoes Edmonton’s because games and interviews are broadcast on a national scale. Every move, decision, play, success or failure is dissected. Not everyone can handle it.

McDavid knows the pressure of the spotlight. Some of it he’s placed on himself because he’s just that dominant. But had he grown up in the NHL while in Toronto, it would have brought with it an extra sense of pressure. One would assume he’d have been just fine, but it’s hard to know for sure.

Is McDavid Hinting at No Future in Toronto?

For Toronto fans who didn’t love McDavid’s comments, it’s likely because they know what they know about their own market. It’s a pressure cooker. If you do well, you’re beloved. If you don’t, you get chased out of town like Mitch Marner.

One has to wonder if McDavid was giving a subtle hint that Toronto isn’t in his future, even though the subject of his comments was about McKenna and trying to find a level of comfort by leaning on Auston Matthews, who has also felt the pressure. McDavid was complimenting both Matthews and McKenna. At the same time, he might have been suggesting playing there is not something he’d openly embrace at this stage of his NHL career.

McDavid’s pressure and McKenna’s are different. No one is expecting McKenna to be the savior for the Maple Leafs. If they don’t win the Cup this season, it’s not on him. However, if the Oilers fail to do so, it’s McDavid’s problem, and he’ll be praised as the reason they do or blamed as the scapegoat if they don’t. He’s feeling a different kind of pressure to win because he’s done everything but.

Now, imagine he doesn’t win in Edmonton. As he looks around the league in free agency, he needs to make a choice. The Maple Leafs would be all in, but McDavid would have to try and find a way to bring a Cup to Toronto while overcoming his own personal Mount Everest.

Don’t expect McDavid to ever paint himself into that corner.

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