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The Official 2026 Off-Season Thread: Revenge of the Nerds

As for Matthews, I mean he's probably not gonna re-sign if they suck ass next year or if they show no hope, which is understandable. The report that he won't be a Leaf by this fall was a bit insane though. He's under contract, does this mean he's going to hold out and just not get paid? Seems like a wild claim.
 
McKenna's late december birthday makes these comps complicated.

So McDavid and McKenna were born less than a month apart, but mcdavid is a january baby and mckenna a december baby so the age comps can get confused. Best just to use the draft year cutoff for the ages.

(Season + Playoffs)

Pre-Draft 3:

McKenna (WHL): 66gms, 36gls, 103pts (45gl/128pt pace)
McDavid (OHL): 63gms, 25gls, 66pts (33gl/86pt pace)

Pre-Draft 2:

McKenna (WHL): 72gms, 50gls, 167pts (57gl/190pt pace)
McDavid (OHL): 70gms, 32gls, 118pts (38gl/138pt pace)

Pre-Draft 1:

McKenna (NCAA): 35gms, 15gls, 51pts (35gl/120pt pace)
McDavid (OHL): 67gms, 65gls, 169pts (80gl/207pt pace)


wait a sec is this right or did I screw it up? was mckenna really that far ahead of mcdavid before going to college?
 
As for Matthews, I mean he's probably not gonna re-sign if they suck ass next year or if they show no hope, which is understandable. The report that he won't be a Leaf by this fall was a bit insane though. He's under contract, does this mean he's going to hold out and just not get paid? Seems like a wild claim.
Seemed possible if trevling stayed
 
McKenna's late december birthday makes these comps complicated.

So McDavid and McKenna were born less than a month apart, but mcdavid is a january baby and mckenna a december baby so the age comps can get confused. Best just to use the draft year cutoff for the ages.

(Season + Playoffs)

Pre-Draft 3:

McKenna (WHL): 66gms, 36gls, 103pts (45gl/128pt pace)
McDavid (OHL): 63gms, 25gls, 66pts (33gl/86pt pace)

Pre-Draft 2:

McKenna (WHL): 72gms, 50gls, 167pts (57gl/190pt pace)
McDavid (OHL): 70gms, 32gls, 118pts (38gl/138pt pace)

Pre-Draft 1:

McKenna (NCAA): 35gms, 15gls, 51pts (35gl/120pt pace)
McDavid (OHL): 67gms, 65gls, 169pts (80gl/207pt pace)


wait a sec is this right or did I screw it up? was mckenna really that far ahead of mcdavid before going to college?

That is correct
 
As for Matthews, I mean he's probably not gonna re-sign if they suck ass next year or if they show no hope, which is understandable. The report that he won't be a Leaf by this fall was a bit insane though. He's under contract, does this mean he's going to hold out and just not get paid? Seems like a wild claim.


I mean, no one with a contract in place ever actually holds out. The last guy who did it was Yashin 25+ years ago.

In the worst-case hypothetical scenario, Matthews makes it clear he won’t re-sign here and demands a trade. But if the team doesn’t find a deal they like by the start of training camp, he sucks it up, shows up and plays. Because any paycheque he forfeits out of his $13.25M salary is money he’s never getting back and adds up quick.
 
McKenna's late december birthday makes these comps complicated.

So McDavid and McKenna were born less than a month apart, but mcdavid is a january baby and mckenna a december baby so the age comps can get confused. Best just to use the draft year cutoff for the ages.

(Season + Playoffs)

Pre-Draft 3:

McKenna (WHL): 66gms, 36gls, 103pts (45gl/128pt pace)
McDavid (OHL): 63gms, 25gls, 66pts (33gl/86pt pace)

Pre-Draft 2:

McKenna (WHL): 72gms, 50gls, 167pts (57gl/190pt pace)
McDavid (OHL): 70gms, 32gls, 118pts (38gl/138pt pace)

Pre-Draft 1:

McKenna (NCAA): 35gms, 15gls, 51pts (35gl/120pt pace)
McDavid (OHL): 67gms, 65gls, 169pts (80gl/207pt pace)


wait a sec is this right or did I screw it up? was mckenna really that far ahead of mcdavid before going to college?


It’s probably correct.

Isn’t the Dub typically a lot more high-scoring than the OHL, though?
 
McKenna's late december birthday makes these comps complicated.

So McDavid and McKenna were born less than a month apart, but mcdavid is a january baby and mckenna a december baby so the age comps can get confused. Best just to use the draft year cutoff for the ages.

(Season + Playoffs)

Pre-Draft 3:

McKenna (WHL): 66gms, 36gls, 103pts (45gl/128pt pace)
McDavid (OHL): 63gms, 25gls, 66pts (33gl/86pt pace)

Pre-Draft 2:

McKenna (WHL): 72gms, 50gls, 167pts (57gl/190pt pace)
McDavid (OHL): 70gms, 32gls, 118pts (38gl/138pt pace)

Pre-Draft 1:

McKenna (NCAA): 35gms, 15gls, 51pts (35gl/120pt pace)
McDavid (OHL): 67gms, 65gls, 169pts (80gl/207pt pace)


wait a sec is this right or did I screw it up? was mckenna really that far ahead of mcdavid before going to college?
McKenna was ppg at 14

Not sure what those numbers are but McKenna had 129 points in 56 games in his last season of whl (16 years old)
 
It’s probably correct.

Isn’t the Dub typically a lot more high-scoring than the OHL, though?
It's more that younger players have taken over the CHL now
Shane wright was also McDavid level draft 2 (16 year old). But that was his peak.
 
If McKenna played another year in the WHL we wouldn't be having this conversation. College took some time for him to adapt, in addition to exposing some of his flaws that the WHL was never gonna do.

Yup. Bedard had a hell of a hype train coming out of junior into the draft. Had he left to play NCAA in his draft year there would have been more naysayers definitely.
 
Yup. Bedard had a hell of a hype train coming out of junior into the draft. Had he left to play NCAA in his draft year there would have been more naysayers definitely.
The tldr is likely that he's in that Jack Hughes/Bedard offensive tier of pretty damn likely being a ppg+ player with 100 point upside. Hard to know how his game will adapt vs the others but he's right there.

Just perhaps behind them overall due to being a winger tho.

Regardless tho, you've gotta pick the guy I think. Adding a potential 90+ point guy for free is nice.
 
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