Three optional sessions, one 18-year-old first-overall pick, and a debate that has already become very Toronto. Gavin McKenna has reportedly passed on three optional Maple Leafs skates early in his NHL career — but the context matters.

Gavin McKenna is only a few games into his NHL career, and one of the first debates surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs rookie has little to do with what happened during a game.

It is about what happened before them.

McKenna has reportedly missed three optional skating sessions since the start of the season, including Toronto’s optional skills session on Sunday, October 4.

That has created plenty of discussion around the 18-year-old. Some see it as a young player managing his body. Others believe a rookie should be taking every opportunity to get on the ice with NHL teammates.

Before the conversation goes any further, one distinction is important:

These were optional sessions. McKenna has not been reported as skipping mandatory Maple Leafs practices.

What happened with McKenna’s optional skates?

The conversation began before McKenna’s NHL debut against the Montreal Canadiens.

Toronto held an optional morning skate ahead of the game, and McKenna chose not to participate. That decision stood out because it came before the first NHL game of his career.

Veteran defenceman Chris Tanev joked that the rookie had some “swag” for making the decision, while head coach Jim Hiller did not appear concerned.

Hiller said he thought the decision was a positive sign because the skate was optional and players were expected to decide for themselves whether they needed it to prepare.

McKenna later explained that the choice was about recovery rather than confidence.

“It wasn’t a swagger thing.”

Gavin McKenna, explaining the decision

McKenna said he usually takes morning skates, but with his first NHL game beginning a back-to-back set, he wanted to keep his body fresh.

Why the third absence changed the conversation

One optional skate before a back-to-back is easy to explain.

Three optional sessions in a short period naturally attract more attention — especially in Toronto, where almost every decision involving a high-profile rookie is going to be examined.

McKenna was not listed among the players who participated in Toronto’s optional skills work on October 4. Auston Matthews, Easton Cowan, Chris Tanev and several other Maple Leafs were among those who did take part.

That does not automatically mean McKenna did anything wrong. The entire point of an optional session is that participation is left to the player.

But the optics are different for an 18-year-old rookie than they are for a veteran with hundreds of NHL games behind him.

McKenna is already under the Toronto microscope

The timing has also helped fuel the discussion.

Through his first three NHL games, McKenna was still searching for his first point. That is hardly alarming for a teenager adjusting to the best league in the world, but it gives critics an easy connection to make between his early results and his decision to pass on optional work.

That connection should be treated carefully.

There is no public evidence that McKenna’s early offensive numbers are the result of missing optional skates. There is also no indication from Hiller that the Maple Leafs are unhappy with the rookie’s preparation.

Still, the situation has become a talking point because McKenna arrived in Toronto with enormous expectations. The No. 1 overall pick is not being treated like an ordinary rookie, and almost everything he does will become part of a larger conversation.

The most important word is still “optional”

There is a major difference between saying McKenna has “skipped practice” and saying he has passed on optional skating sessions.

The first description suggests a player failed to meet a team obligation.

The second describes what has actually been reported: McKenna used an option made available to players by the coaching staff.

That distinction matters, especially when discussing a player’s professionalism or work ethic.

There may be a fair debate over whether a young player should attend every optional skate possible. There is not enough evidence to turn that debate into a claim that McKenna is refusing to practise or ignoring team requirements.

Should Leafs fans be concerned?

Right now, this looks more like something to watch than something to panic about.

McKenna has given a reasonable explanation for at least one of the absences, and his head coach publicly supported the decision. NHL players are increasingly careful about recovery, workload and how they prepare their bodies over an 82-game season.

At the same time, it is understandable why some Leafs fans would rather see an 18-year-old rookie on the ice whenever veteran teammates are taking extra work.

If McKenna begins producing and continues earning the trust of Toronto’s coaching staff, this conversation will probably disappear quickly.

If his struggles continue and the optional absences keep piling up, the questions will only get louder.

For now, the fairest description is simple: McKenna has reportedly missed three optional sessions. That is noteworthy — but it is not the same thing as skipping mandatory practice.

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Sources & reporting

• The Hockey News — McKenna explains why he missed the optional morning skate
• House of Hockey — Toronto’s October 4 optional-skate participation
• Yahoo Sports — Debate grows over McKenna’s three optional-skate absences

HockeyGamedayTV analysis combines publicly reported developments with original context and commentary.