LAS VEGAS — There were times when it all felt like too much for John Tavares, when the expectations felt more like a burden, when the attention felt suffocating, when success felt so far out of reach. The 2009-10 New York Islanders finished dead last in the league, and impressive as he was, there were nights when Tavares looked like, well, an 18-year-old just trying to keep his head above water in the world’s toughest hockey league.

But instead of leaving the rink for an empty condo with only his own thoughts to keep him company, Tavares went to a home — Doug Weight’s, to be exact. And that surrogate family, with all the support and love and desperately needed distractions it provided, made all the difference.

So for Tavares and his wife, Aryne, it was a no-brainer to offer up their home to Gavin McKenna, the top pick in this year’s NHL draft.

“You want him to go out and enjoy all the great things about being a Maple Leaf, and living his dream, playing in the NHL, and the opportunity to play for an unbelievable fanbase that’s going to love him and support him,” Tavares said at the NHL/NHLPA player media tour on Tuesday night. “And when it does feel heavy at times, or when it is a lot, going through it for the first time, he has that ability to just be in a family environment.”

Gavin McKenna at The National

Craig Custance

After talking it over with Aryne, Tavares told new Toronto general manager John Chayka that they were willing — eager, even — to take in McKenna. It’s a common practice in the NHL. In recent years, Chicago’s Connor Bedard lived with Nick Foligno, San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini lived with retired Sharks star Joe Thornton, and the Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer lives with former player and current executive Matt Martin.

Tavares knows that what he faced as an 18-year-old No. 1 pick pales in comparison with what McKenna faces. Tavares broke in before the age of social media, and in the relative obscurity of the Long Island market.

McKenna is the No. 1 pick in Toronto. In 2026. That’s going to be… a lot. And Tavares, his wife and three small children might be able to make it all a little easier to handle. To, in Tavares’ words, “decompress and disconnect.”

“It’s definitely different than what I had experienced,” Tavares said. “That’s why even more I felt like offering up the opportunity if it made sense for him and the organization. Just being able to come home and disconnect from it all — the attention can be a lot at times, especially just being 18 years old and from a small town in a more remote place out in the Yukon (Whitehorse). That can be really positive for him.”

Tavares, 11 days shy of his 36th birthday, hopes to reap some benefits from the living arrangement, too. He’s been rejuvenated in recent seasons by playing alongside young standouts such as Matthew Knies and Easton Cowan, and has been “impressed” with McKenna’s skill and maturity this summer.

Tavares said it’s been fun to “see through his eyes a little bit,” and relive the excitement that only a rookie season can bring.

“I think I’m going to get a tremendous benefit, as well,” Tavares said. “I’m excited about it.”

Nearly five months after ending a miserable season in miserable fashion, a whirlwind offseason has dramatically changed the Leafs organization and the vibes around it. With a new GM in Chayka, a new exec in Mats Sundin, a new head coach in Jim Hiller, a new goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky, a new top-pairing defenseman in Darryn Raddysh, and new depth players in Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, Brandon Duhaime and Teddy Blueger, things are suddenly looking up in Toronto.

While acknowledging the incredible depth and difficulty of the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference as a whole, Tavares said he believes the Leafs are closer to Stanley Cup contention after the offseason makeover.

“It’s been amazing,” he said. “It’s pretty impressive what’s gone on. Gotta give the organization a lot of credit. … (They’ve) created an amazing environment and an amazing experience and opportunity to do something special that hasn’t been done in Toronto in a long time.”

Winning the draft lottery and a potential generational wing didn’t hurt, either. Putting McKenna in a position to succeed is now priority No. 1 for pick No. 1.

“There’s a reason why he is who he is, and (in) the position he’s in,” Tavares said. “He doesn’t have to come in and look to change or do a number of different things. I think just come in and try to soak it in. You’re a rookie once in the NHL and have this amazing opportunity to just enjoy it, be driven, compete your ass off and have fun with it. You’re going to have a tremendous amount of resources, influences, mentors, people in the organization (and) on the team that are going to do everything they can to help you along the way. There’s going to be ups and downs, but that’s part of the journey, part of the learning. You get to live your dream. You’ve been thinking about this for as long as you can remember. You’ve really got to enjoy it and have fun with it. I’m excited to be there along with him as a teammate.”

A landlord, too.