The New Jersey Devils won the 2019 offseason. They started by winning the NHL Draft Lottery and the rights to select Jack Hughes (we now know how crazy it is anyone even brought up Kaapo Kakko as a possibility). Then, they added superstar defenseman P.K. Subban on Day 2 of the draft. Eventually, they signed Wayne Simmonds in free agency and traded for Russian superstar Nikita Gusev. This was on top of former NHL MVP Taylor Hall going into his contract year and fellow first-overall pick Nico Hischier growing into a star himself.
On paper, the situation was perfect for Jack Hughes to grow into a star. Eventually, he did grow into a star, but his immediate production was awful. And this is where Gavin McKenna can learn a lesson.
Hughes was at NHL Media Day on Wednesday, and he discussed Gavin McKenna’s situation with the Maple Leafs. He said it “might be in the best spot because they should have a good team.” He went on to talk about how Auston Matthews and John Tavares can help McKenna learn in Year 1 because they both had experience as number-one overall picks.
Which is interesting because Hughes himself joined a team with two number-one overall picks. We mentioned Hischier, but he was still playing on his entry-level contract when Hughes joined the squad. However, Taylor Hall was a guy who knew about the ups and downs of the league, so he should have informed Hughes of what to expect.
While it seems like forever ago, but Hughes was awful his rookie season. He often looked lost on the ice. The speed and physicality of the NHL got to him on every shift, and his numbers suffered. Hughes finished his rookie season with seven goals, 21 points, and a -26.
He started growing from there. Hughes was better in his sophomore season, and he was a point-per-game player in his third year. In his fourth year, he put up 99 points and was legitimately in the MVP conversation.
But what if Hughes could have fast forwarded that first year? McKenna can do that, but he needs to learn from the lessons of those who come before him.
Auston Matthews and John Tavares is what Jack Hughes didn’t have in his rookie season
There will be lessons that McKenna has to learn himself, but Matthews and Tavares allow him to always have someone to bounce frustrations off of. Even if the Maple Leafs don’t make the playoffs this season, the hype isn’t as high as it was for the Devils in 2019. The Leafs already made their changes, and the likes of Sergei Bobrovsky and Darren Raddysh will help the team stay competitive in the Eastern Conference.
However, McKenna himself just has to grow. That’s what is most important to Toronto. If he builds himself little by little and avoids the disaster first season, call it a win for the Maple Leafs. The Devils would have called it a win for Jack Hughes if that was the focus of his rookie season.
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