I don't care what anyone has to say about McCarron since at this point in his development we just don't know what he will end up being. I don't have any problem with people saying he'll be a bottom 6 forward or not in the NHL. It's a safer call then saying he'll be a top 6 forward for sure. You just don't see many kids like him when he was drafted, 18 and that big as a forward but very raw.
I think of him as someone that's a year or two behind other top 50ish draft picks out of the CHL as they grow up playing in the best hockey system in the world and while the USA is clearly improving to the point they are a top 5 program in hockey world overall imo and could be a top 3 program. But it's just not the same in the US as it is in Canada, so I'm glad he got 2 years in what over the last few years may be the best junior league in Canada and the world in the OHL as they have been churning out talent lately.
Now it's about how he will take the things he's learned from his OHL days and how he will apply them to the pro level. I don't know how it will go for him, what I do suspect is that he will help the Habs just about more then any other NHL team as we so sorely need someone like him for so long. Now we finally have a hulking forward that wants to hit people and is willing to drive to the net hard every shift but also be a real pain to move from the crease. Someone that will bang in the rebounds in tight as he's going to be very tough to move off the puck when he's in his prime. He seems willing to learn and put in the efforts to improve on his weaknesses, but you never know when a prospect is going to peak or keep improving and at what rate.
So we'll just have to wait and see what McCarron becomes and it starts this year. I'm sure he'll get a look in the NHL if not this year then next unless he really struggles. The main question I have is about how his offensive game translates say 5 years from now. To me he's an underrated passer, he's going to score his fair share of goals especially from around the crease. But I also think over the 2 years that I've watched him that he's still raw in his overall game and has a lot of little things to improve upon, which isn't a big deal, just that in some ways he's a bit behind other top prospects but in other ways he's ahead since he has NHL size/strength/physical game with good skating/speed for such a big body.
Let's face it though, some posters have had it in for him since the second he was drafted. I don't care what their reasons are, it's clear to me but anything anyone says at this point good or bad doesn't mean much as we just don't know what he will end up being for us, only time will tell.
