Gavin McKenna's dream city refuses to die after Toronto draft twist

Toronto winning the 1st overall pick should have closed the door on Calgary talk.

It didn't.

The Flames are still the emotional center of this story because McKenna's reported preference points straight at Western Canada.

So even if McKenna can't get Calgary, he'd likely be open to Edmonton, Winnipeg, or Vancouver, seeing as they make up part of Canada's West.

Pat Steinberg's note matters here: McKenna is viewed as a Yukon kid who would love to play in Calgary.

That is not draft leverage. But it is market leverage, and Calgary fans know the difference.

The Flames finished 34-39-9, with 77 points and a -47 rating. That is exactly why this connection has legs.

Calgary needs a true offensive centerpiece, not another patch on the top six.

Craig Conroy has built pieces, but the Flames scored 212 goals. McKenna would change the entire direction of the room.

Toronto owns the pick. Calgary owns the fit.

That is the tension now.

Huska's club went 23-13-5 at home, which shows the Saddledome can still give this team a real base.

The road game was the problem, with Calgary going 11-26-4 away from home.

McKenna would not fix all of that alone. But a player with his ceiling gives a rebuilding team a clear identity before puck drop.

This is why the Flames angle should not disappear just because Toronto won.

If anything, the lottery made it sharper.

McKenna wanting Calgary turns this from a normal 1st overall story into a pressure story. The Maple Leafs can make the pick, but the Flames are the team he reportedly wants.