C Nathan MacKinnon - Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL (2013, 1st overall, Colorado) III

[smokes lets go]

I wonder if florida takes him over Jones/drouin if they're picking number 1, he seems to be the perfect complement to Huberdeau

 

[FrolikFan67]

i would say yes, mackinnon would be our first choice. the panthers biggest need since jokinen left has been getting a #1 center. we'd have MacKinnon, Bjugstad, and Shore as our top 3 centers, which would be veryyy exciting. and he'd be perfect centering huberdeau.

 

[GuillaumeLetsundress*]

I hope mackinnon finishes strong so everyone will shut up about how much better everyone else is doing.

I'd much rather have a potential #1 centre over a wing and not worth the risk in taking a dman that high, many great dmen have been picked up later, most of
The greats

 

[George Maharis]

i would say yes, mackinnon would be our first choice. the panthers biggest need since jokinen left has been getting a #1 center. we'd have MacKinnon, Bjugstad, and Shore as our top 3 centers, which would be veryyy exciting. and he'd be perfect centering huberdeau.

Or they could move Huberdeau over to center and draft Drouin for left wing. They looked damn good together at the World Juniors, and while I know it's a small tournament that doesn't exactly say much about a player, but it allowed them to develop some chemistry together.

 

[Juxtaposer]

I wonder if florida takes him over Jones/drouin if they're picking number 1, he seems to be the perfect complement to Huberdeau

Agreed, Mackinnon is the ideal center for Huberdeau. I'd love to see that happen.

 

[FrolikFan67]

i think even if we were to draft drouin, we'd still keep huberdeau at lw, or switch him to rw, and resign weiss to center the two. ill be ecstatic with either mac or drouin!

 

[CAPiTA]

Either combo, Drouin-Huberdeau or Huberdeau-MacKinnon, will make the panthers contend in 5 years. Dale Tallon is gonna do it again, he'll have another Toews and Kane.

 

[TheTechNoir]

Or they could move Huberdeau over to center and draft Drouin for left wing. They looked damn good together at the World Juniors, and while I know it's a small tournament that doesn't exactly say much about a player, but it allowed them to develop some chemistry together.

To be fair at that point they already had experience playing on a line together. Not that they didn't show good chemistry their first time together too. MacKinnon also did in that case though. It's impossible to know but if I had to choose (with low degree confidence) I would think MacKinnon would be more beneficial for a team like Florida. I think Drouin would be great for some teams to put them over the top or depending on their needs in the case of a team who will actually have the chance of drafting him, but with FLA and for Hubes I think Mac is a safer choice.


EDIT: In that thread talking about if it were reasonably possible that a team could draft both Mac & Drouin. In that, while I don't see it as likely at all, I did mention if it were to happen with Florida they'd be absolutely set. Drouin-Mac-Hubes is an excellent line.

 

[Patmac40]

To be fair at that point they already had experience playing on a line together. Not that they didn't show good chemistry their first time together too. MacKinnon also did in that case though. It's impossible to know but if I had to choose (with low degree confidence) I would think MacKinnon would be more beneficial for a team like Florida. I think Drouin would be great for some teams to put them over the top or depending on their needs in the case of a team who will actually have the chance of drafting him, but with FLA and for Hubes I think Mac is a safer choice.


EDIT: In that thread talking about if it were reasonably possible that a team could draft both Mac & Drouin. In that, while I don't see it as likely at all, I did mention if it were to happen with Florida they'd be absolutely set. Drouin-Mac-Hubes is an excellent line.

That would be amazing. I would not want to be a defender in the SE Division with that line on Florida and Stamkos & Co. on Tampa.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

Florida needs that 'face' and Mackinnon is the type of player. They could put posters up and hope that people start to sit behind the benches at home games.

 

[CaptainScrewy]

Florida needs that 'face' and Mackinnon is the type of player. They could put posters up and hope that people start to sit behind the benches at home games.

I think having a dominant, American (who also happens to be black, thus rarer) would be a much better fit as the marketing 'face' for a team like the Florida Panthers.

 

[IceManCat]

I think having a dominant, American (who also happens to be black, thus rarer) would be a much better fit as the marketing 'face' for a team like the Florida Panthers.

There are no Americans here lol.. We are full of Hispanics and Canadian snow birds

 

[Woodhouse]

Post-game Interview (3/13/2013)

 

[leafsfuture]

The big difference between Nate and Drouin is the style of skating. When you just watch him skate, you see a guy who will be able to power pass guys in the NHL, whereas with Drouin, his skating will be no obstacle in the NHL, but it wont get him points on his own, but rather, his vision and puck skills will matter more, at least in the short run

 

[George Maharis]

Does anyone else here think of Pavel Bure when seeing MacKinnon skate? They don't exactly have the same style; Bure never took his skates off the ice, Mac does.. But in terms of speed and mobility, they're close. Obviously Bure was faster, but I can only imagine the speed Mac could get if he utilized the "stretch, under, back" method of skating.

EDIT: For those who don't know what I mean by "stretch, under, back"...

 

[smokes lets go]

The big difference between Nate and Drouin is the style of skating. When you just watch him skate, you see a guy who will be able to power pass guys in the NHL, whereas with Drouin, his skating will be no obstacle in the NHL, but it wont get him points on his own, but rather, his vision and puck skills will matter more, at least in the short run

reminds me alot of Matt Duchene, i think Nate might become the better skater, his acceleration is world-class. I think in terms of comparing him to Drouin, i will say Drouin likely will have higher point totals, his offensive game is second to none. Mackinnon has an underrated defensive game and i think with a good coach, his defensive game will surprise alot of people. He's always on the puck no matter where it is. Watch Taylor Hall and how Oil fans will tell you he is the bloodline of their offense. I think Mackinnon can become the same thing for a team that needs a highly skilled offensive player ala Columbis/Flordida/28 other teams

 

[TheTechNoir]

reminds me alot of Matt Duchene, i think Nate might become the better skater, his acceleration is world-class. I think in terms of comparing him to Drouin, i will say Drouin likely will have higher point totals, his offensive game is second to none. Mackinnon has an underrated defensive game and i think with a good coach, his defensive game will surprise alot of people. He's always on the puck no matter where it is. Watch Taylor Hall and how Oil fans will tell you he is the bloodline of their offense. I think Mackinnon can become the same thing for a team that needs a highly skilled offensive player ala Columbis/Flordida/28 other teams

Do you really think MacKinnon's defensive game is underrated?? To be fair I just watch MacKinnon, I don't read scouting reports or what people say about him as justification for why he is projected so highly or how he is rated in different aspects of his game. I've also just joined this site last month and have never lurked or been on another hockey board or online hockey related community before. But I would have to imagine it's common knowledge that MacKinnon is known to be very strong in all facets of the game? Otherwise I don't understand why he would be rated by almost everyone as a top 2 pick when someone else is known to be better/more skilled offensively. I mean yes, there are other parts of MacKinnon's game besides defensive play that are better than Drouin's, but Mac is so balanced/well rounded in all areas I wouldn't think any part of his play would be underrated, and if so, I wouldn't expect a player known to be well rounded who spent most of the year projected to go first overall to be considered underrated in any part of his game.

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

Do you really think MacKinnon's defensive game is underrated?? To be fair I just watch MacKinnon, I don't read scouting reports or what people say about him as justification for why he is projected so highly or how he is rated in different aspects of his game. I've also just joined this site last month and have never lurked or been on another hockey board or online hockey related community before. But I would have to imagine it's common knowledge that MacKinnon is known to be very strong in all facets of the game? Otherwise I don't understand why he would be rated by almost everyone as a top 2 pick when someone else is known to be better/more skilled offensively. I mean yes, there are other parts of MacKinnon's game besides defensive play that are better than Drouin's, but Mac is so balanced/well rounded in all areas I wouldn't think any part of his play would be underrated, and if so, I wouldn't expect a player known to be well rounded who spent most of the year projected to go first overall to be considered underrated in any part of his game.

Since you're new here, you probably assume that most other posters also watch the players they rank/critique. However, that is not the case at all and many posters rank players based only on what they've heard/read.

Its actually been pretty funny over the past 2 seasons to read what some people (who have obviously never seen him) say about him. For the longest time on HF the consensus people seemed to believe was that he was a pure goal-scorer.

So in that regard, I would say his defensive game is probably a bit udderrated due to bad info being spread like wild fire. But to those who have watched him it isn't.

 

[umwoz]

I agree with the Huberdeau-Mackinnon connection probably being an ideal combo. A straight line forward is exactly what they could use.

 

[SI90]

I think having a dominant, American (who also happens to be black, thus rarer) would be a much better fit as the marketing 'face' for a team like the Florida Panthers.

would be even better in Brooklyn

 

[geoo9]

Does anyone else here think of Pavel Bure when seeing MacKinnon skate? They don't exactly have the same style; Bure never took his skates off the ice, Mac does.. But in terms of speed and mobility, they're close. Obviously Bure was faster, but I can only imagine the speed Mac could get if he utilized the "stretch, under, back" method of skating.

results of Bure s style of skating - Knee injuries -of Bure which broke his career.too much stress for the meniscus

 

[couture23]

Hey Florida, pick Jones.

 

[Patmac40]

Heck of a goal he had tonight

 

[Tripod]

MacKinnon with 2 goals in the 1st 13 minutes of the game. Great way to start the playoffs!

 

[InjuredChoker]

MacKinnon with 2 goals in the 1st 13 minutes of the game. Great way to start the playoffs!

Moose have outshot SJ 21-3.