William Nylander is the best reason not to panic about Gavin McKenna's size

William Nylander added over 30 pounds since being drafted, which gives Gavin McKenna a precedent that should he reach - will silence all his critics.

One of the biggest critiques that scouts and analysts pointed to when it came to McKenna was that his size was a bit of an issue. He's listed at only 170 pounds, and while he's only 18 years old, there are concerns he gets pushed off the puck too easily, or can't win tougher puck battles.

His size has been one of the few recurring questions around his NHL projection, but the Maple Leafs already have an example of how dramatically a skilled teenager's body can change after the draft: William Nylander.

Nylander's 30-pound increase gives Gavin McKenna a pathway to get bigger

Big Head Hockey posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) the growth that Nylander had since coming into the league's he was listed on his draft combine at 5-foot-9, 169 pounds back in 2014. Fast forward 12 years later and he's now listed at 6-foot-0 and 200 pounds.

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Listed measurements aren't a perfect record of how a player's body changed, but the comparison is still useful. Nylander entered his draft year as a much lighter teenager than the player Toronto has today, showing why McKenna's current weight shouldn't be treated as his finished NHL frame.

Andy O'Brien and his staff will be crucial in giving McKenna programs and routines that will continue to build his strength and add that weight on. Toronto's priority will be functional strength, giving him more stability and power without taking away the skating, agility and creativity that made him the first overall pick.

While not exactly huge, it's a size that allows him to still be deft on his feet but control the puck with more strength, and is pretty much the exact weight that Connor McDavid sits at now - so there's even more evidence that adding weight isn't a hindrance.

McKenna needs functional strength more than an arbitrary target weight

But this size conversation could be put to bed almost as soon as it came up if McKenna can prove that his lack of size isn't a problem.

Proving that he can stay steady on his feet, not get pushed off by bigger players, and use his quick hands and smaller size to squeeze into tinier areas - it's going to be a solid stepping stone to becoming a better overall player.

McKenna also wouldn't necessarily be asked to provide the physical element himself. If he earns time with bigger forwards such as Auston Matthews or Matthew Knies, Toronto can put him in situations where his puck skill and playmaking are the priority while his body continues to mature.

If McKenna can be that playmaker Toronto needs, keeping possession, using his creativity and deft hands to enhance their scoring chances then his size isn't going to be as much of a concern. If he gets pushed off a puck, but manages to come back with a goal or assist - it evens out.

Being a bigger player in the NHL certainly has its benefits but it doesn't mean that it guarantees success. But as we've seen with Nylander, adding some muscle on top of raw talent can only lead to good things.

Besides, if McKenna is as dangerous as he is ar only 170 pounds, how much more damage could he do once bigger, stronger, and faster?

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