Samus44
Enjoy the ride.
- Aug 5, 2010
- 9,317
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Yeah true he is entering as a 4th liner, but I think ive seen enough flashes that I think he could be one of those "elite" 3rd line centers we've been looking for. A guy who can score 15 goals and be responsible defensibly.
Considering how important that 3c position has become I think for me he gets bumped up, even though he doesnt have the high end potential of Xavier, Savoie, Lavoie, etc
I think that's a fair take. The thing that's frustrating for me, and he's still very young in fairness, is he could have a higher end game it's just got to be getting dirty. That kind of size and speed could see him get all sorts of chances in tight and be a possession monster. He has Ryan Kesler upside but lacks the edge that made him great. McLeod doesn't have hands to match the feet, he'd have been a lottery pick if he did, so he's got to get accustomed to using his physical gifts to outwork the opposition if he's ever going to be the sum of his parts. I could see it taking years but before I anoint him as anything more than a depth guy I'm going to need to see him work the hard areas myself. If he scores 40 points plus I have to imagine it's adding the grit to his game that he's always been cited for lacking. Such a tough player to gauge because it all comes down to desire and a willingness to do the hard things, hopefully he figures it out.