The Red Wings released a piece regarding Jared McIsaac. The 21 year old left side d man is healthy, after 3 years (and 3 separate surgeries) of shoulder trouble. There’s that part of me that wonders if he can get on track. Neck, back, shoulders, knees all seem to be injuries that will linger and keep coming back once a player has to deal with them. Luckily, a lot can be done in conditioning to help with the shoulder. It’s not a joint that holds the player’s weight or deals with the constant strain that back/knees go through. If you go through the clips above (or just search for McIsaac “hit of the night” on youtube) you can see that JM can hit, skate, and shoot. He can play the heavy game (some hits that look a little like what Seider can do) but he can also carry the puck and make plays. If healthy, McIsaac is (at this point) the most exciting left side prospect for Detroit.
I don’t remember the left side defense being as sparse as it is right now, and a defenseman like McIsaac has a wide open opportunity. The job is there to be taken. But, it’s going to have to be earned. Marc Staal and Jon Merrill were a steadying presence last season. Yzerman is again looking to bring in a couple of defensemen this summer. For McIsaac and Cholowski, the competition is set up to challenge and help them understand how to get a full time slot. (I’d recently read speculation that Cholowski could be headed to Seattle. Most of the readers think it will be Svechnikov). For some reason, Cholowski just doesn’t look steady out there yet. If he is in the lineup next year, hopefully he can take a step forward.
The “home grown” version of the left side is as uncertain as I can remember in the past 20+ years. If McIsaac can find his footing and grab a top 4 spot, it would feel like a win for this pipeline. Eemil Viro will be adjusting to the North American game, and Albert Johansson is staying in Sweden for now. If Yzerman goes with another stop gap solution on a 1 to 2 year deal, we’ll have a better idea when those expire of which (if any) left side prospects are going to take a top 4 spot. If Yzerman gets a longer term solution via trade or free agency, that would be a nice add as far as stability goes.
The 2018 draft, Kenny’s last, may have been his most significant in terms of supplying players for the rebuild. Zadina, Veleno, Berggren, and McIsaac all carry the “upside” label in terms of staying with the club. So far, only Zadina has played and stayed with the big club. Veleno, Berggren and McIsaac will all have a shot (unless there is some trade that no one knows about). The latter address 2 significant holes that need to be filled. Left side defense and center.
For what it’s worth, I’m rooting for McIsaac. 21 is awfully young to have your career go off the rails. The few times I’ve been able to watch him play, I like his skating and presence. In just over a month, the draft will be completed. Then, it’s the development and rookie camps. I’m hoping McIsaac will be on the ice for some of that. Yes, he’s a bit older but it would give him the chance to have a leadership role and get some good skating minutes.
Let me know your thoughts on McIsaac. Has anyone solidified his nickname? J-Mac? Big Mac? Anything that can be turned into a McDonald’s sponsorship can go a long way (Hammond still has free McD’s for life last I knew…). See you all in the comments.
I will be featuring the writings of Kevin Allen for a summer reading program this year. It’s tough to break up the summer months, and the one on one formats that Kevin has perfected is not only a pleasure to read but gives insight that isn’t easy to come by. I’ll be starting with Chris Chelios “Made in America”.
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