Phil McRae...What the heck happened??

[AmericanDream]

What happened to this kid?

I followed him from from tier-1 to his USNDP days..and all the way to London and then Peoria in the AHL. He seemed like he was on track every level he went to, to become a NHLer.

In 2010-11 he splits time with Peoria and the Blues looking good at both levels though raw at the NHL level. 2011-12 he spends the whole year in Peoria which is fine and puts up 23 goals and nearly 40 points in 70 games...it looked like this kid was going to finally get his chance after that season.

But again he went to play with Peoria and in 2012-13 dropped pretty bad to 18 points in 45 games...Injuries have been an issue for him but you just knew this kid has the size and skill to make it.

Now 2013-14 and no McRae in Peoria...I must have been asleep at the wheel as I just recently learned he left Peoria to go overseas....seeing him playing in the SM-Liiga league this year is shocking to me.

I know the Blues retain his rights but does he really think this will make him a better player at the NHL level?? And do any of you, especially those that followed him closely at London think he will ever come back and make it as a NHLer??

FYI -He is on the USA roster for the Deutschland Cup with a few other guys that I feel should be NHLers - Peter Mueller, Chad Kolarik, Chris Bourque, etc...

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[WhiteLight*]

He went on Big Brother and hooked up with Amanda, that's what happened

 

[Passchendaele]

FYI -He is on the USA roster for the Deutschland Cup with a few other guys that I feel should be NHLers - Peter Mueller, Chad Kolarik, Chris Bourque, etc...

Seriously?

Most Bruins fans here were pretty much in agreement about the reality being that while Chris Bourque had all the heart in the world, he wasn't good enough for the bigs.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

Chris Bourque has had plenty of opportunity to make the NHL, he just isn't good enough.

 

[Celtic Note]

McRae was always over-hyped. I maintained that stance since his draft.

His biggest problem was he was not good enough for the top six in terms of skill and IQ, while not willing to bring the grit needed for a bottom six role.

 

[3 Minute Minor]

McRae was always over-hyped. I maintained that stance since his draft.

His biggest problem was he was not good enough for the top six in terms of skill and IQ, while not willing to bring the grit needed for a bottom six role.

^Nail on the head.

I always thought he was a slam dunk as a Jay McClement type who played bottom six minutes, always solid defensively, and played a lot of PK minutes. Maybe he didn't want to accept that role?

 

[rumrokh]

When he was in the NHL, I think he showed the hands, shot, and offensive instincts of at least a 3rd liner. Raw, but had ability. His most glaring flaw was that he didn't use his teammates well. A few years ago, he had a good camp and preseason and by all accounts, he was set to make the team. But he was a late cut and never got a sniff of the NHL after that. The Rivermen were really bad at that time and he had basically no one with whom to play, but he didn't just seem to stagnate, he regressed.

Celtic Note is right. If he played a grittier, more solid two-way game, he would have made it as a 3rd liner or a 4th liner with plus skills. Or if a team (other than the Blues) was in desperate need of a body on a scoring line, he might have gotten lucky and stuck in the NHL, but as one of those incomplete players who drives you bonkers by showing a flash every few games and looking lost the rest of the time. Basically Brad Winchester with better hands, but without the physicality and fighting.

 

[Johno]

Well he is not going to the NHL anytime soon, if you look at his play in Finland. He was brought here into last year's silver medal team Tappara to fill their 1.C position. After that, it didn't go as planned; 8 games 0+1 -3. He looked very out of place and didn't seem to have his head in the game. Somewhat unacceptable for a 1.C of a team fighting for the championship.

He was shipped to a new team incidentally called the Blues. They signed him to a try-out that lasts till the end of November.
His first five games he went 0+0, but now last two games 2+1. So overall with the Blues: 7 games 2+1 and +6, still not acceptable for the level he is expected to play but he might get there. Let's see if he can figure out the finnish playing style. He has flashed a few times that he has the potential but does he have the motivation to make it?