Nic has had some misfortune with injuries preventing him from taking over the Eagles' top pairing when the opportunity has come together for him; but in general he's a mean SOB who is very physical down low & effective at disrupting the cycle. His skating has improved since being drafted but that's still the biggest thing limiting his skillset; as he has good touch on his outlet passing and does a nice job of getting himself in positions to riffle pucks on net in the offensive zone. He's a stay at home guy, but if his skating can cut it, he's a modern one that won't give the puck away cheaply or be useless in the offensive zone.
It's partly Makar & Timmins passing him up, while EJ is still on our books, and partly our organization's general tendency to make up their mind about a prospect by the end of their 2nd professional season. Throw in the depth we have atm at the bottom of our roster & Meloche was just gunna get lost in the shuffle, when -- for his development -- he should be claiming a bigtime AHL role, in which he can earn a spot as one of the top call-ups when injuries hit, so he can start getting some NHL experience before making a bigger push for a 3rd pairing spot next season.
