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Antoine Mathieu Rabid Habs

Published on Tuesday, June 21, 2016

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With The Ninth Pick: Michael McCleod

MICHAEL MCLEOD
CENTER
6’2 & 185 LBS
RIGHT HANDED

MISSISSAUGA STEELHEADS, OHL
57 GP, 21 GOALS AND 40 ASSISTS

FINAL RANKING ON NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING – 13 (NORTH AMERICAN SKATERS)

PLAYER COMPARISON: MIKE FISHER
PLAYER PROFILE

Michael McLeod is arguably one of the top skaters in this year’s draft haul, if not the best. He also possesses a non-stop motor that constantly makes him a threat whenever he’s on the ice. Those two traits are what make him standout the most among his peers and the reason why his coach with the Steelheads uses him in all situations. McLeod excels at anticipating where the play is heading and makes solid use of that skill to steal the puck from his opponents, or to be the first player on his team on the backcheck. McLeod is the type of player you’ll send up against the other team’s top lines on a nightly basis, send out for important face-offs in either end, or put in in the final minute of a tight game.

If a team wants to maximize McLeod’s potential to its fullest, the wise thing to do would be for McLeod to finish his CHL career and then play at least a year in the AHL. That being said, considering the physical tools he possesses, it might be wishful thinking on my part because I could very well see GMs and coaches being too excited by his tools and somewhat rushing him into the NHL, since any team could use a third line center with elite speed and defensive acumen at a cheap salary.

PROS

WILL BE A SUREFIRE NHLER PURELY BASED ON HIS PHYSICAL TOOLS

With the NHL becoming increasinly speed focused, McLeod’s skating abilities makes him a likely future NHL player. I would say he is a pretty safe betto become a Darren Helm type player, which is, statistically speaking, pretty good for a ninth overall pick (on average you get a NHL regular at that spot).

WOULD COMPLEMENT THE TOP SIX VERY WELL IF HE REACHES HIS POTENTIAL

With the potential emergence of Alex Galchenyuk as the team’s first line center, it could be a good idea to find a center that plays a quiet but effective two-way game like Plekanec has been offering us for practically all his career. It could be a similar approach to what the Boston Bruins had when they won the Stanley Cup in 2011. Patrice Bergeron was taking the hard minutes against other team’s top lines while David Krejci’s line was taking advantage of weaker opposition. It’s a solid recipe for success in my opinion and with that approach in mind, McLeod is definitely one interesting player to look at to fill that role going forward.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

McLeod more than doubled his numbers from his first OHL season (29 points in 63 GP), so there’s definitely room for improvement. It’s obviously hard to determine how much more a player can progress, especially when we’re talking about 17 and 18 year olds. Grant McCagg, who works for McKeen’s, has shared that he sees a lot of similarities between McLeod and Dylan Larkin. Larkin who had a solid rookie season, also had his fair share of detractors back in his draft year. The 19-year-old didn’t exactly light up the USHL in his draft year; producing 26 points in as many games. Similarl to McLeod, Larkin didn’t have a great U18 tournament either. Considering that they’re styles of play are awfully alike, it’s one thing that the pro-McLeod camp has in their favor.

 

CONS

ONE OF THE SAFEST PICKS OUT THERE

This could go in both the pros and cons column, but considering where the team is picking and the season fans just experienced, going the ‘safe’ route wouldn’t be the most exciting option here. The Habs prospect pool is very deep in terms of players who could become NHL regulars, but it truly lacks a player with game breaking ability. That’s perfectly understandable considering the team has been picking in the mid-to-late twenties in the last three drafts, but it’s not every day that a team who are one or two piece away from being a true contenders gets the chance to pick in the top 10 of a pretty deep draft.

Considering the make-up of the team and its prospect pool, Trevor Timmins and co should swing for the fences here. Yes, going for a home-run pick has bit the Canadiens in the ass in the past – such as with Andrei Kostitsyn back in 2003 – but in my opinion, depending on who’s still available (Keller, Brown & Jost), there are better options out.

COULD BE BENEFITING FROM PLAYING WITH TWO GREAT TALENTS IN NYLANDER AND BASTIAN

When Nylander left to represent Sweden at the World Juniors last winter, McLeod was only able to produce 2 points in 6 GP. On the other hand, in games where Nylander was without McLeod, he produced over a point per game (11 points in 8 GP). Obviously the sample is very small, but – given the skepticism in regards to his offensive potential –  his underwhelming performance definitely gives his detractors more material.

DISAPPOINTING SHOWING AT THE UNDER 18 TOURNAMENT

Although McLeod was one of the best players for Canada in the medal round, his 4 points in 7 GP can hardly be considered a positive. You could argue that the Toronto Marlboros product was not put in a position to shine offensively given that he was put on a line with Beck Malenstyn (25 points in 70 GP this year). This could explain why he didn’t excel at the U-18 tournament in May. That being said, it was a perfect opportunity for him to distinguish himself from Keller, Brown and Jos,t but he didn’t and his draft stock has been deeply affected because of it.

LIMITED UPSIDE

It’s definitely concerning that McLeod, despite his amazing physical tools, was barely over a PPG while playing with a top 10 talent in Nylander and a potential first round talent in Bastian. If the six-foot-two center can’t exploit his tools and maximize them at the OHL level, it’s hard to assume he will once he reaches the NHL. That being said, his ceiling is a very good second line center, but he will most likely never become a first line center.

If you evaluate his skills one by one, it’s hard to project him as anything more than a second line center. Unless he drastically improves, his shot will never make him more than a 20-goal scorer in the NHL. His hockey sense also isn’t the greatest, McLeod rarely slows the game down and he relies heavily on his blazing speed. Although his passing abilities are very good, he won’t be a player who elevates his teammates’ production. McLeod projects to be a 45- to 55-point center who coaches will love to have on their team.

 

VERDICT

The team could probably do worst statistically speaking than pick a player who’s quasi a lock of becoming at least a third liner, but I feel that making him our selection has some serious potential to blow up in our faces five years from now. With players like Sergachev, Brown and Keller, who all have much higher upside, available the end result could be that while McLeod becomes a serviceable player for us, fans will always hold it against him that we could have taken X player, who was selected right after him. I’ll also admit that at this point I would have a hard time claiming that McLeod would be our number one prospect when there’s a guy like Artturi Lehkonen, who had a remarkable year in the SHL and probably has a much better chance of becoming a top six forward at the NHL level, in the system.


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