Franklin MacDonald, your thoughts?

malcolmstfx

Registered User
Oct 5, 2006
3
0
Just wondering what people think about Florida Panthers' prospect Franklin MacDonald.

He's currently with Rochester of the AHL. He was a walk on from Halifax of the Q, and walked onto that roster from Jr. A in Truro, NS.

Career potential? Immediate effectiveness? Strengths and weaknesses?
 

Blind Gardien

nexus of the crisis
Apr 2, 2004
20,537
0
Four Winds Bar
I think he has Prime Minister potential.
Definitely a Prime Ministerial name (perhaps he can start with a cabinet post as Minister of Defense?)

Aside from that, I thought he was the most impressive D for the Panthers at their rookie tourney. (That doesn't necessarily say a lot, however, so I'd better expand on that!). Early on I classified him as a "tweener" D, not big, not especially skilled, but always battling, always involved... I think as he got more comfortable in the tourney, however he started to show a bit of smoothness that maybe was masked by some indecision early on. He seems to skate well, he isn't afraid to rough it up a bit (at least, he looks like he has the moxy to survive on a pro D, despite his relatively small size for a D). Seemed to shoot well.

It's always hard to say how these rookie tourney eye-opener guys will ultimately pan out. It's such a short tourney, and perhaps he was carrying a little extra jump from his Making The Cut summer that helped keep him ahead of some of the rustier competition in the tournament. :dunno: At any rate, he looks like a legit prospect for the Panthers now, IMO.
 

J17 Vs Proclamation

Registered User
Oct 29, 2004
8,025
2
Reading.
Definitely a Prime Ministerial name (perhaps he can start with a cabinet post as Minister of Defense?)

Aside from that, I thought he was the most impressive D for the Panthers at their rookie tourney. (That doesn't necessarily say a lot, however, so I'd better expand on that!). Early on I classified him as a "tweener" D, not big, not especially skilled, but always battling, always involved... I think as he got more comfortable in the tourney, however he started to show a bit of smoothness that maybe was masked by some indecision early on. He seems to skate well, he isn't afraid to rough it up a bit (at least, he looks like he has the moxy to survive on a pro D, despite his relatively small size for a D). Seemed to shoot well.

It's always hard to say how these rookie tourney eye-opener guys will ultimately pan out. It's such a short tourney, and perhaps he was carrying a little extra jump from his Making The Cut summer that helped keep him ahead of some of the rustier competition in the tournament. :dunno: At any rate, he looks like a legit prospect for the Panthers now, IMO.

Well considering our Best D prospect is a 4th round pick from the 2006 draft, Derrick LaPoint, who is about 4 or 5 years away if he makes the dance, it isn't hard to be our best D man!
 

Blind Gardien

nexus of the crisis
Apr 2, 2004
20,537
0
Four Winds Bar
Well considering our Best D prospect is a 4th round pick from the 2006 draft, Derrick LaPoint, who is about 4 or 5 years away if he makes the dance, it isn't hard to be our best D man!
Exactly. But then, considering he was an invite at that time, and younger than some of the others there, it's still a pretty good showing. At that stage, age/experience does mean a lot. And for him to come in at 21, pretty much a late bloomer with just his overage year in the Q as any faint sign that he'd ever have pro aspirations... well, to be the best even against the meagre group that Florida assembled (which IIRC included Nasby, Lojek, Swanson, Caruso, an older invite guy named Czech, and maybe a couple of other unmentionables who I've already forgotten)... it still says something IMO. Not a lot, yet, but at least he earned himself a contract and a chance. I presume he would start in the ECHL, but if he does somehow stick in the AHL (I haven't been following the minor league roster movements yet), well then that would be another promising sign for him.
 

QMJHLguru

Registered User
Dec 11, 2004
61
0
Halifax
He's a solid dman who plays a simple safe positional game, battle in the corners and can throw some big hits and like fellow Cape Bretoner Al MacInnis he has a booming point shot.
 

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