Can anyone see Shane Mcgrath for the Lac St-Louis Lions being selected in this year's Q draft?
He has been a pillar on the defense during the stretch and post season. Plus he delivered some offense so I say yes.
As far as defensive abilities and overall performance goes, I think he was LSL's best defender.
He won almost all of his one on one battles on the boards. Was nearly unbeatable in transition/could rarely be beat for speed. He contained his player into low percentage positions or regained possession shortly after he was out-skated. In short, he recovered when he faulted. He marked out his opposition to a tee, he made incredible reads. Checks hard (hip checks are devastating) yet it doesn't put him out of the play anymore. Reacted well when it came time to make split second decisions: offensively and defensively. Controlled his gaps, logged tons of minutes, delivered consistent, aggressive and assertive performances while maintaining his discipline. He rarely lost out in front of his net when he was called upon to defend that area because really he did a tremendous job boxing guys out before they could even gain that position against him on the ice. His general positioning is good.
He can pass well, is strong as an ox, is incredibly stable on his skates, turns well, doesn't hesitate to make plays and he is ultra-competitive. He is strong on his stick, he poke checks well and can dig pucks out tremendously. He can see the ice well. He exploits time and space well enough to walk it out when required, break out with a pass, lob or chip etc etc etc. He can brush up his offensive abilities but he isn’t bad by any means. His shot accuracy and selection can be improved and will become better if this season was an indicator. Velocity of his shot plus his creative game should progress although he is solid.
Hands are good for receiving passes. He is good at winning plus protecting the puck in tight spots etc. The creative aspect of his game isn’t bad for a d but nothing exceptional in terms of one on one dekes. Hand Eye coordination is decent when it comes to knocking down pucks in the air. He can still protect the puck well though with body position and good timing/decision making to compensate for average deking skills.Really that is nitpicking. Willing and able to block shots. A fierce competitor and leads by example.
I think he can improve his skating technique in aesthetic terms, that is for the pickiest of observers and doubters. He looks awkward when he skates because his legs wobble considerably, yet it doesn't impede his effectiveness, speed, balance, leg strength or mobility. He has the foot-speed to keep up with many of the quicker players he was matched up against and he played against some of the best players in Quebec during this championship run. He logged tons of minutes in all situations and did well to maintain good performance levels.
I attended about 6 or seven season games, spread out over the schedule. With the home playoff games I saw about 15 games this season. It is a limited sample to compare him to every other defender in AAA and I am by no means an expert. But when it mattered most and when I saw him play he was good. He had a huge and positive impact on the club’s championship victory. The Lions faced stiff opposition and he was a key player.
I watched quite a few Q games live as well so I have a feel for the pace of the game. I think he can keep up and deliver the goods. Next year he could play a few games. 10 to 16. I would let him play more minutes in AAA though.
All in all, I think he can be a good shut down defender in the Q with some offensive upside. 24- 30 points over a full year in the Q isn't a stretch as far as I'm concerned. What you think? I am overrating the guy or you see something there as well?
He has been a pillar on the defense during the stretch and post season. Plus he delivered some offense so I say yes.
As far as defensive abilities and overall performance goes, I think he was LSL's best defender.
He won almost all of his one on one battles on the boards. Was nearly unbeatable in transition/could rarely be beat for speed. He contained his player into low percentage positions or regained possession shortly after he was out-skated. In short, he recovered when he faulted. He marked out his opposition to a tee, he made incredible reads. Checks hard (hip checks are devastating) yet it doesn't put him out of the play anymore. Reacted well when it came time to make split second decisions: offensively and defensively. Controlled his gaps, logged tons of minutes, delivered consistent, aggressive and assertive performances while maintaining his discipline. He rarely lost out in front of his net when he was called upon to defend that area because really he did a tremendous job boxing guys out before they could even gain that position against him on the ice. His general positioning is good.
He can pass well, is strong as an ox, is incredibly stable on his skates, turns well, doesn't hesitate to make plays and he is ultra-competitive. He is strong on his stick, he poke checks well and can dig pucks out tremendously. He can see the ice well. He exploits time and space well enough to walk it out when required, break out with a pass, lob or chip etc etc etc. He can brush up his offensive abilities but he isn’t bad by any means. His shot accuracy and selection can be improved and will become better if this season was an indicator. Velocity of his shot plus his creative game should progress although he is solid.
Hands are good for receiving passes. He is good at winning plus protecting the puck in tight spots etc. The creative aspect of his game isn’t bad for a d but nothing exceptional in terms of one on one dekes. Hand Eye coordination is decent when it comes to knocking down pucks in the air. He can still protect the puck well though with body position and good timing/decision making to compensate for average deking skills.Really that is nitpicking. Willing and able to block shots. A fierce competitor and leads by example.
I think he can improve his skating technique in aesthetic terms, that is for the pickiest of observers and doubters. He looks awkward when he skates because his legs wobble considerably, yet it doesn't impede his effectiveness, speed, balance, leg strength or mobility. He has the foot-speed to keep up with many of the quicker players he was matched up against and he played against some of the best players in Quebec during this championship run. He logged tons of minutes in all situations and did well to maintain good performance levels.
I attended about 6 or seven season games, spread out over the schedule. With the home playoff games I saw about 15 games this season. It is a limited sample to compare him to every other defender in AAA and I am by no means an expert. But when it mattered most and when I saw him play he was good. He had a huge and positive impact on the club’s championship victory. The Lions faced stiff opposition and he was a key player.
I watched quite a few Q games live as well so I have a feel for the pace of the game. I think he can keep up and deliver the goods. Next year he could play a few games. 10 to 16. I would let him play more minutes in AAA though.
All in all, I think he can be a good shut down defender in the Q with some offensive upside. 24- 30 points over a full year in the Q isn't a stretch as far as I'm concerned. What you think? I am overrating the guy or you see something there as well?
