LW Michael Dal Colle (2014, 5th, NYI)

[Gardner McKay]

I remember "the Tavares argument" given about MDC over and over (especially since you know, Islanders drafted both) which is basically that it's easy to improve skating and poor skater can become above-average in a few years. It made sense originally but in MDC case, obviously it isn't happening.

So it's not like it wasn't noticed, people just considered it's easy to fix.

I think that may have been true in the past but I don't think anyone knew how much the NHL would change in such a short time span. Look how much faster the league has become over the past 2-3 years. Unless you are a Tavares, I don't know that it is a battle that can be won anymore. Skating is just too important with the way the game is played.

 

[93LEAFS]

I think that may have been true in the past but I don't think anyone knew how much the NHL would change in such a short time span. Look how much faster the league has become over the past 2-3 years. Unless you are a Tavares, I don't know that it is a battle that can be won anymore. Skating is just too important with the way the game is played.

Draisaitl was viewed as a worse skater than Dal Colle at the draft, so was Sam Reinhart. Hell, Ekblad wasn't viewed as great either. The best skaters in the top 10 were Bennett, Virtanen, Nylander and Ehlers. You are forced to make obvious trade-offs at the draft outside of very elite players at the very top of the draft. I mean, Nylander and Ehlers are excelling from the good skating group, while Bennett and Virtanen aren't doing great, whereas Draisaitl and Ekblad are doing well from the weaker skaters group. So, you can't just say that weak skating is crippling and should have made it obvious. In general, people thought his IQ and goal-scoring would overrcome it. I will say this, the Isles over recent years have thrown caution to the wind when it comes to character concerns. That may be due to a willingness to overlook them or that they haven't dug hard enough. Either way, that may be the case in regards to Dal Colle's alleged laziness in approaching off-ice training.

Draisaitl put in the work to fix his skating. The bigger issue is, if you aren't a great skater, but rely on a high-iq game, you damn well better be strong on the puck to create time on it. This is where guys like Draisaitl and Mark Stone excel despite being weaker skaters, and why slightler guys with skating issues tend to have trouble until they fill out such as D. Strome, S. Reinhart and Dal Colle. If you are an elite sniper you can be an elite NHLer without either just based on high-end positioning, iq and a great shot (see how Laine excelled last year despite not being that strong or a great skater), but in general, you need to be able to create time on the puck. Dal Colle was rumored over his last couple years in the OHL to being slack in-regards to strength training, which is coming back to haunt him now.

 

[mm11]

As someone that does some scouting that has been entertained at a high level, I'm going to gratuitously use the term "we" as a pronoun for the following sentence: We noticed.

Now I'll switch back to armchair GM mode...

They (see, it's not my fault) obviously thought that the goal scoring ability would prevail. And sometimes it does. Sometimes you can get more out of skating later depending on where you're at in the physical development arc. I didn't have MDC rated nearly as high as some, though my notes are on my home computer, so I can't say where exactly...but I don't recall having him in the top 15...even though I am very biased towards players that can put the puck away like he could/can...there were more than a few teams that did not have him ranked up here, but it only takes one...

Similarly, I didn't have Timo Meier ranked in my top 30...or even 50, if I remember right, in his draft year...the guy could barely stand up on the rink (speaking of Nikolaj Ehlers), he was not someone I would have been interested in taking even if I had three first round picks strewn about...but that's another guy where you take a look at the shot and you go "ok, well, let's see if we can fix the feet because the other guys we have in this tier, can't bury it from 35 feet"

You don't always win with those...as I expect we'll see with MDC and Meier...

But in sum, it's not that they didn't notice...they were just willing to overlook it - well, better way to put it is "look past it"...just like scouts looked past the lack of hockey sense of Jared Cowen, Dion Phaneuf and Luca Sbisa (for their size and handedness; slapshot and truculence; ummm...cool name...?)...various examples abound that I won't derail this MDC thread with...but it happens, they probably aren't gonna be right with MDC, but MDC still has the ability to make a fine living for himself for the next 12 years with the skill he does have...

might as well throw darts it looks like. curious what were the signs you would of passed on him with even 3 first round picks?

 

[Bood12]

21 year olds are already busts? ok

 

[Flameshomer]

He's got great Calgary roots, I would be happy with the Flames taking a flyer on him after the Isles give up, but I wouldn't want them to give anything of note up for it. Late round pick in an AHL- type transaction and try and salvage him. Maybe for a prospect like poirier (equally good junior numbers, GREAT first season in AHL, seems to struggle since)

 

[mm11]

21 year olds are already busts? ok

to be fair I did say "appears to be busting". While guys in his draft year have signed contracts already for millions MDC is toiling around on the 4th line at Bridgeport per the last game. His path sure is looking worse and worse no? If your team drafted MDC at #5 in 2014 and the kid has not sniffed NHL action since, would you be so optimistic? just curious...

 

[hamzarocks]

Barzal makes up for MDC. Barzal is gonna end up 7th or 6th best player from 2015 draft(very deep draft). I think MDC can still end as a 30 point third liner. Just needs another year. You never know, he could be like a Josh Bailey where he breaks out later in his career.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

I remember "the Tavares argument" given about MDC over and over (especially since you know, Islanders drafted both) which is basically that it's easy to improve skating and poor skater can become above-average in a few years. It made sense originally but in MDC case, obviously it isn't happening.

So it's not like it wasn't noticed, people just considered it's easy to fix.

JT is also an animal off the ice.

Not saying MC hasn't tried but JT is the guy who brings Kale chips to a superbowl party, everything he does seems to be to improve on the ice.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

MDC wont be an impact player in the NHL.

 

[LeafChief]

I really liked this kid as a prospect/junior player. Really hope he puts it together.

Honest question. If a player puts in the work over the summer, can they fix a large part of their skating from one season to the next or is one summer not enough time to see a tangible difference?

 

[Muston Atthews]

He reminded me of JVR with a better shot and way worse feet. Lazy player who could turn it on

 

[Strait2thecup]

MDC wont be an impact player in the NHL.

How many times have you seen him play... not that i disagree or anything

 

[VoluntaryDom]

How many times have you seen him play... not that i disagree or anything

ive watched him a decent bit. I haven't been a fan of his for a while. best case hes a third liner IMO.

 

[Strait2thecup]

ive watched him a decent bit. I haven't been a fan of his for a while. best case hes a third liner IMO.

Probably but id bet most here arent watching bridgeport soundtigers games regularly.

 

[Benedict Kovalchuk]

Probably but id bet most here arent watching bridgeport soundtigers games regularly.

Considering the poster you are responding to is a 15 year old high schooler, I'd have some serious doubts about his claims. Like you said, nobody watches the Soundtigers regularly - not even Isles fans.

 

[Michael Farkas]

I really liked this kid as a prospect/junior player. Really hope he puts it together.

Honest question. If a player puts in the work over the summer, can they fix a large part of their skating from one season to the next or is one summer not enough time to see a tangible difference?

This is a good question, but it's very nebulous. Players have a general development arc, within that arc different things can progress at different times...physically, mentally, etc. it gets as granular as you want it to be. I checked in on MDC late last year a number of times to see where he was at (I cover the Isles prospects as a side gig for another outlet) and the sense I have is that he's pretty far along from a physical perspective and a developmental perspective. As in, he's eaten a lot of that curve up at this point. That's a feel a thing, it's not like you can look it up...so like with any of this stuff, there's an asterisk. But you hear the term "oh, he's a raw talent...or he's raw as an athlete" and sometimes that's a clumsy way of saying "there's a lot of development arc to go"...not everyone figures it out at the same time, not everyone peaks at the same time, or accelerates at the same rate, etc.

Ok...enough of that...to try to answer your question...you can definitely work for a summer (assuming that's a good four months) and see a change...definitely. If you went to the gym like an animal for four months you would have to go out of your way to **** that up, right? Same deal. You gotta get the right help, fix the right things and get out of your comfort zone if you're as poor as MDC is. The caveat is: the amount of progression you make is affected by where you're at in your arc. By way of lazy analogy, it's easier to learn pronunciations of a language when you're younger, you're more likely to adapt to those sounds than you are as a 40 year old who has spoken one language his/her entire life, right? Can you learn another language at 40? Of course. Would you have been better off is you were exposed to it since birth? For sure.

Sorry for the meandering, kind-of answer...thing...here...

 

[Kevin27NYI]

You gotta get the right help, fix the right things and get out of your comfort zone if you're as poor as MDC is. The caveat is: the amount of progression you make is affected by where you're at in your arc. .

This is why I think he should train with JT. He currently skates with Bio Steel in the summers, no disrespect to them but JT concentrates on select skills more like skating. If Dal Colle could learn to even pivot half as well as JT then he has a chance at making the NHL that much more.

Hell, even Taylor Hall who is a freaky fast skater learned from JT this past summer. There's so much that goes into skating it's crazy.

Looking at the Isles alone, comparing JT, Barzal, Leddy and Ho-Sang should be a project. All are terrific and all different ways.

 

[voxel]

Classic HF to blame skating. Can MDC even make a play? Other than being big with a shot, what else is to his game? Saw the mem cup run and thought to myself this guy should be dominating but instead had plays die on his stick. Others fawned over Cole Cassels too whom I thought would be a bust in the pros (a much faster paced game than juniors).

 

[joemon999]

Michael "The Bust" Dal Colle has been recalled and will likely make his first NHL debut shortly. Let's see what the kid has.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Michael "The Bust" Dal Colle has been recalled and will likely make his first NHL debut shortly. Let's see what the kid has.

im actually quite curious to see how he does. Looking forward to it

 

[SI90]

Michael "The Bust" Dal Colle has been recalled and will likely make his first NHL debut shortly. Let's see what the kid has.

Wow. I’m excited and nervous. Let’s hope he can hang

 

[Icebreakers]

2nd last player from the first round to make his debut. The other is Bleackley whos in the ECHL and re entered the draft 2 years after in 2016.

Rooting for him though, i remember he was the consensus 5th pick at the time of the draft.

 

[hockeynorth]

Perhaps Dal Colle proves to be one of those players who doesn't pull off much in the A but can turn it on in the N with the right line mates, maybe a quick thinking playmaker and a hard forechecker.

 

[Dominance]

Always liked him, so I’ll be rooting for him to make an immediate impact and hang around.

 

[Lays]

Perhaps Dal Colle proves to be one of those players who doesn't pull off much in the A but can turn it on in the N with the right line mates, maybe a quick thinking playmaker and a hard forechecker.

I could see that honestly although I doubt he’ll ever be a good top 6er. He could mold his game though to be a good 3rd liner, he has the tools except skating