DangerDave
Mete's Shot
I really like McCarron, and think he's had a great year, but fans need to REALLY temper their expectations here.
I think McCarron's a solid prospect, but his realistic ceiling is going to be something like a 3rd line center who can be solid defensively, chip in offensively, kill penalties, etc. People calling for him to play on the 1st line with Pacioretty and Chucky next year need a reality check.
Yes, he had a couple of solid pre-season games last year. But it was just that, pre-season, which is nowhere close to regular season speed or intensity. He still has a long way to go, and a full year in the AHL will do him good.
We played Weiss first line this year so what's wrong with trying McCarron up there. Bickell's ceiling was 4th liner but he's tearing it up on the second line now. Some players just complement others well and I'm of the opinion that Patches with McCarron could be a good combination. After all, Dal Colle is a very similar player to Pacioretty the they are great together.