A couple of days ago I took a quick look at Logan Brown, a player who rose from his mid-term rankings to become a potential top 10 pick but could settle in to the Senators' current slot at #12.
Today we look at a player who has slid a little bit from the mid-term and has been passed by a number of players, but could also find himself at the edge of his seat when Pierre Dorion steps to the podium in Buffalo later this month.
Michael McLeod is a 6'2", 190 lb centre who played this past season with the Mississauga Steelheads in the OHL.
RANKINGS
Central Scouting - 13th NA
ISS - 13th overall
Bob McKenzie - 15th
myNHLdraft.com - 12th
McKeens - 4th
McLeod was ranked 6th among North American skaters by CSB before dropping to 13th in the final rankings. His scouting report looks a lot like that of last year's first rounder, Colin White - good leader, responsible two way player, willingness to drive the net with speed and can create for himself and others - with a little bit more size.
His best attribute is his skating ability and the fact that he can switch gears in an instant, better than most players with his size.
McLeod finished with 61 points in 57 OHL games this season, second on his team to probable fellow lottery pick Alex Nylander by 14 points.
Why the fall in the rankings?
From Bob McKenzie:
The 6-foot-2 centre projects to have NHL size and speed and he plays the game extremely hard, but scouts have expressed some concern about his offensive productivity at the next level. His fall from TSN's Top 10 was one of the more surprising developments; only one of 10 scouts had him as a Top 10 pick this time around.
McLeod fell from 9 to 15 on McKenzie's board between the mid season and final rankings.
That statement is a little concerning given the fact that a similar player in Curtis Lazar has shown a rather slow development in offensive productivity, but I don't imagine that there will be the same pressure to keep McLeod (or whoever they select in this draft) in the NHL as an 18/19 year old like there was for Lazar. Most of the players who come in around that spot are likely going to be a year or two away at best.
So would McLeod be a better fit than say, a Logan Brown, or do the Senators already have enough if this type of player in the fold (Lazar, White) that if they are going to go with a centre do they need someone with a different look or skill set. And, is the slide in his ranking cause for concern in taking him a little earlier than most outlets have him slotted in?
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