Great pick by you guys. You probably stole a top 6 forward in the 7th round. I had him ranked 32. He was one of my favorite players in this draft.
I was screaming with excitement when someone finally picked him. I was so angry how teams were discriminating against him because of his height. It was sickening. He was one of the most accomplished players in this draft and he goes 7th round? WTF is wrong with NHL scouts? You'd think he was 5'2 or had a significant criminal history with how they treat him for being undersized (a height there are plenty of NHL'ers).
Not only did NHL teams discriminate against him, but NHL Central Scouting also did. They refused to invite him to the NHL Draft Combine. Meanwhile, there are probably 30 players who won't even make the ECHL that they invited. I guess Mac isn't big and tough and bad at hockey like some players, so it didn't matter that he was the best player in the USHL this year and did that as a draft eligible. And for someone like him that would've needed to prove his height to NHL teams it's more costly. Just very unfair how they treated him. He's listed at 5'8, but his father (who played in the NHL) is 5'10, so maybe he will still grow a little. Would've been nice for Central Scouting to let him prove that, but when you're undersized it's not an easy road to getting respect.
He had legitimately the best hockey sense and passing vision of any player in this draft. He's the type of player that can absolutely run a power play and give his teammates tap ins that completely undress a defense. He processes the game at such an advanced level. He already knows where he's going with the puck before he receives it. That allows him to avoid hits, and be effective with the puck despite only being 5'8. He's not really a flashy puck handler or an elite skater. He moves the puck very quickly and doesn't take many touches with it. I think his skating is actually NHL average for 5'8, but he's looking to play possession hockey and not north-south dump and chase, so he doesn't play with that much pace, and some people question his skating. But when he needs it, he can turn on the motor and pick up pace. He's definitely more of a passer, but his goal scoring picked up a lot this season. He's very willing to go to the slot areas and dirty areas, despite his size.
I think he's also a fine defensive player. He has PK experience and center experience, but I think realistically thats not what he is in the NHL. Maybe PK later in his career, but you're drafting him for the scoring. My comparison has been Mats Zuccarello, and I think thats a fair approximation of what his career outcome will likely be. Zuccarello wasnt drafted. His height constantly questioned, and he kept proving everyone wrong all the way to becoming a first line NHL winger. That's what I think Mac will do.
He won literally everything he could this year in the USHL (League MVP, Forward of the Year, Regular Season Title, Playoff Title, Playoff MVP). I know people question if small players can perform in the playoffs, but the gap between him and second place in playoff scoring (7 points) was the same gap between second place and 65th place. He might've won playoff MVP even if his team lost. He also took the assist record from Nikita Kucherov at the WJAC19, and tied the all time points record at that tournament.
There is essentially nothing more he could've proven. He's just small. If he was two inches taller, he would've been a first round pick. And if he was four inches taller, he would've been a top 5 pick. He isn't, so of course thats a factor and there's always the chance that his size limits him, but I think he's the classic case of NHL teams thinking they are so much smarter than everyone else and ignoring a player who for the 2024 draft has been one of the best players in this age cohort for the last couple of years.
