Gavin McKenna's rookie goals place immediate pressure on the Maple Leafs' lineup plan

Gavin McKenna has his sights set on the Calder Trophy which immediately puts pressure on Jim Hiller to prioritize his minutes in the best way for the Maple Leafs.

McKenna comes into this season with a lot of expectations and pressure to succeed immediately. That's not a guarantee and fans need to temper their hopes a little as he takes his time to make the jump from the NCAA to the NHL.

But he's also got high hopes for himself as he talked about what he wants to accomplish this year, so some of that pressure is internal. McKenna was at the NHLPA Rookie Showcase in Chicago and discussed what he wants to achieve this year and isn't shying away from trying to be the #1 rookie:

For sure, make the playoffs. Hopefully go on a run there with the team that we got, and of course you want to win a Calder Trophy in your rookie season. I think if that happens, that's a pretty good year.

For McKenna to accomplish that, he'll need to have a pretty outstanding offensive season and while his efforts play a part - so too does Jim Hiller's lineup construction.

McKenna's Calder aspirations can't dictate how Hiller builds his lineup

It's going to be up to Hiller to give McKenna every chance to succeed and accomplish his goals but he needs to toe the line between over-exposing his rookie and allowing him to experience high-pressure situations.

Hiller has to give McKenna meaningful time to contribute but has to take lineup needs, matchups and performance into account.

Throwing McKenna on the first line won't immediately guarantee success and he might be better suited in a lesser role, but that doesn't mean sticking him on the bottom-six.

If Hiller wants to ease McKenna in a bit while also giving him premium chances then he can put him alongside John Tavares and William Nylander, but also allow him a stint on the power-play where he has a little more freedom.

Toronto wants to avoid reacting rashly if McKenna gets into a slump because not only are you taking away precious ice time but it also prevents him from working his way through any tough situations. Often rookies need a reset, but you can't jeopardize too much time away.

Toronto must decide whether McKenna belongs in the top-six or earns his way there

Toronto has established lineup options already with Matthews, Tavares, Nylander, Knies, and potentially now; McKenna. That's five of the six forward spots locked up with names like Easton Cowan and Jack Roslovic also fighting for top-six minutes.

Cowan would be a likely candidate because he's able to slide into a third-line energy role easier than McKenna and his skillset as a highly aggressive and tenacious player makes him an option for Hiller to move down. It also won't stunt his growth as he would have offensive options still like Nick Paul, and he can still earn second unit PP time.

Roslovic may also be a casualty, especially if Hiller wants to see McKenna's ability to build chemistry quickly. But he's also a player who has played alongside Auston Matthews before in the US National Team Development Program so there could be change Hiller wants to unlock some old chemistry as well - he may have a smoother transition back to the top-six than Cowan.

It's likely that Cowan starts on the third line initially but will have more than his fair share of chances to play his way up the lineup and there's still chances for him to add offence despite not being in a featured role.

Hiller has to make sure he balances McKenna's progress with his aspirations. McKenna may want to win the Calder, but Hiller may want to let him get comfortable first. Toronto doesn't have to choose between rushing him or easing him into the NHL, but his aspirations does raise the pressure a bit - though it's ultimately up to him to follow through.

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