You have to remember, McKenna was a superior talent in junior. He decided to go to the NCAA because he wanted to play against players older than him, that were more polished. He started slow, but turned it on in the second half. He still averaged more than 2 points a game, in a league that’s known for low scoring games. He had an 8 point game in the NCAA, a record that will be hard to break. There’s a reason that many in the know, across the NHL, pick him to be the first overall pick. This is one of these times that you take a player like him and he explodes into a top 10 NHL player going forward. He could also be a 75 point player, which is fine, but not a first overall. A big issue is, do you want to be the GM that passed on this guy and he goes on to set records in points production and wins an Art Ross and the Hart Trophy or the Conn Smythe? It’s a conundrum, but it sure is a good one to have. The alternative was Boston picking at #6. If you watched the final balls dropping at the draft, there was a ball that would have put Winnipeg into the #1 spot but just missed, before #12 ended up in the hopper. If that had happened, Boston would be drafting at #6. It was pure luck and maybe it’s Karma that’s telling them to make that pick. Of course, getting a deal from Vancouver that nets you #3 plus a top end defensive prospect, or another 1st isn’t bad either.
Alexis Lafreniere scored a lot of points in junior. He was 1st overall. Where are the Rangers now? A high scoring junior, small, one-way winger doesn’t change a franchise.
Small, weak, doesn’t play defense, not a generational talent. He’s not winning any Art Ross, Hart or Conn Smythe trophies. Not happening with McDavid, MacKinnon, Celebrini and many other much better, more elite offensive players in the league for the next 10 years. Even if he does score like crazy, his lack of a two-way game and position of being a winger will always hurt his team just like how Tavares and Nylander score but absolutely suck defensively. McKenna is way more likely to be another Nylander than to be any kind of MVP. Nylander is fine as a one-way winger but we’ve seen that movie before in Toronto and it doesn’t end with a Stanley Cup.
Stenberg is a better overall player at #1 and trading down for another 1st and getting a solid RHD top 5 pick is better too. McKenna isn’t the guy that fixes the Leafs franchise. The Leafs need to draft and build a team with winning a Cup in mind. The days of drafting whoever scores the most but loses when it matters should be over.