Before the next season, McKechnie was traded to the Washington Capitals. He got off to a poor start in Washington and was traded to the Cleveland Barons in December 1977. McKechnie became the property of the Minnesota North Stars when the Barons and North Stars franchises were merged following the 1977–78 season. He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs prior to the 1978–79 season, where he scored 25 goals. His goal production dropped the next year, and McKechnie was traded to the Colorado Rockies, where he continued to struggle. He was signed as a free agent by the Red Wings in 1981 and rebounded with an 18-goal season, followed by 14 goals in 1982–83. McKechnie spent the 1983–84 season in the Central Hockey League (CHL) with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles and then retired at age 37. In 955 career NHL games, he scored 214 goals and 392 assists for 606 points.