Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
McKenna moved away from home when he was 14, first to B.C and then to Alberta. And I don’t know why the adjustment would be harder for him than other kids from Canada and Europe who play college hockey.
The complaints from professional scouts about McKenna’s play so far this season are specific: A) He doesn’t seem to have put any effort into improving his play without the puck, and B) His production hasn’t been impressive enough to make up for A.
If McKenna is going to be a one-dimensional player with zero interest in rounding out his game, that will affect his ceiling in the NHL.
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Yeah, I’m not sure why so many excuses are being made for this player in particular vs the countless others who have endured the same thing. The knocks on McKenna are not new, they’re just far more apparent right now when he’s not wildly outscoring them. If all the issues with his game emerged only after going the NCAA route, or if he had quickly addressed them, it might be different.
And, all that said, it’s not like McKenna’s abilities are being completely discounted here. It’s become a conversation over whether he’s the defacto 1OA or if he slips to 2/3 and/or needs another year of development. He’s going to be a top pick regardless because of that talent.