Both of our forward picks needing to improve skating makes me miss Skahan.
Love the pick though. Skill for days
Actually, it depends on when the scout did their final eval on McTavish. Lots of scouts only used his 2019-20 season because the sample size was very large, played on NA ice, and scouts could readily make the trip to games to watch in-person. In 2019-20, McTavish needed to improve his skating. COVID made travel and in-person viewing more difficult to scout. The few that were able to watch in person or get game film of McTavish at the Swiss league came away liking his improved skating and overall game play improvements. The WJC-18 was played in the TX, USA where scouts can watch in-person. Yet, those 7 games maybe all some scouts have on McTavish for 2021 because they didn't personally scout McTavish in the Swiss league. And since it's a small sample, it's easier to just use the 2019-20 scouting report to be on the safe side. Which is why so many scouting media had ranked McTavish in the late 20's until Central Scouting NA ranked him 2nd and Elite Prospects ranked him 5th. It took Dobber Prospects until mid-July to boost up McTavish from 29th to 11th.
I'm not saying McTavish is an elite skater, but his skating is okay today and he's still working with a skating coach. Go to the 2:04 mark of the video (I should have it queued up to start there):
Here's evidence of McTavish's improved skating in-game, spanning all three zones. The fellow Canadian he beat to the puck is Connor Bedard, a 2023 draft eligible phenom. What helps McTavish gain that speed on Bedard and the defender (Jakub Sedivy, #22) is his IQ to know the puck is being pitched out into the neutral zone and he uses his edge work to start his jump. Button summed it up best, McTavish isn't going to skate like Connor McDavid, but he's a good skater. Are you going to use the 2019-20 scouting report on McTavish's skating or use the most recent video of his skating at the WJC-18's?