D Mace’o Phillips - Benilde-St. Margaret's School, USHS-MN (2025 Draft)

[GermanSpitfire]

Mace'o Phillips - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Mace'o Phillips, 2007-02-25 Wayzata, MN, USA USA. Most recently in the USHL with USNTDP Juniors. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

Was asked a few weeks back about this kid and I feel confident enough about his game after catching a few games and seeing him at the NTDP selection camp.

The word I would use to describe Phillps with is “RAW”. He stands tall at 6’5” and has great mobility. He looks real good with his lateral mobility, where he is able to keep up well with shifty forwards. He also has good top end speed but it at times takes some time to get up to speed. His acceleration isn‘t aomwthing I’m fully convinced of, yet.
He at times uses his size well, but hasn’t learned to fully use it to his advantage. He can be physical but doesn’t pick his spots very well, where sometimes he will go for a check and allow an odd man rush the other way.
IQ is suspect, he at times will make a play too complex for his skillset and turnovers do happen as a result. He has a good shot from the blue line and he is quite good in transition although he has a tendency of stopping at the blueline- It is like he is too afraid of carring the puck deeper than the blueline, would like to see more confidence in him in this regard.

All in all, a very Raw defender that under the right circumstances could be a beast. His physical package is intriguing and I’d compare him to K’Andre Miller at the same age. He should make the NTDP this year, as he has looked good at the camp.

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[Wildabeast]

Committed to Minnesota

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Not gojng to lie. I read the thread title about 10 times before I realized his name wasn't D'mace'o

this dude is a big boy at 16 already.

 

[JohanFranzenstein]

Same name as my cat!


(any Jane's Addiction fans in here?)

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He's an interesting one.

Most of the time he doesn't look like he knows what he's doing out there, but he's 6'5 214 and skates well. Physical too. I almost wonder if he's newer to hockey or newer to defense. That would make a lot more sense.

I think Miller was a little further along at the same age and also just overall had more ability to get back to @GermanSpitfire's comparison, but maybe a poor-man Miller is what you hope for. He's going to need to improve a lot to be a pro hockey player, although I suspect someone will gamble on his potential anyway. He's can really use the next two years to define a draft range. Wide range. Depends how he progresses.

 

[95snipes]

He's one of the most undisciplined players I've ever seen play at a high level like NTDP. I get you want to be hard to play against, but you do your team no good if you're constantly going to the box.

I'll be watching to see how that progresses over the next 18 months. He'll really need to reel that in, but has obvious upside. He's athletic - the size and skating play. He's certainly not afraid to play physical. Fairly limited as far as puck skills go projecting to higher levels.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He's one of the most undisciplined players I've ever seen play at a high level like NTDP. I get you want to be hard to play against, but you do your team no good if you're constantly going to the box.

I'll be watching to see how that progresses over the next 18 months. He'll really need to reel that in, but has obvious upside. He's athletic - the size and skating play. He's certainly not afraid to play physical. Fairly limited as far as puck skills go projecting to higher levels.

He’ll cross-check players at the most in-opportune time. Almost like you’re playing Chel and hit the wrong button by accident. It looks very unnatural and like a player who must be newer to hockey.

 

[95snipes]

He’ll cross-check players at the most in-opportune time. Almost like you’re playing Chel and hit the wrong button by accident. It looks very unnatural and like a player who must be newer to hockey.

Lots of grey area stuff too. You're giving the ref every reason to look for a penalty on you later on and when you complain to the ref, all he has to say is 'well I let 2 crosschecks and a slash go on Phillips earlier'.

I don't know Phillips' background, but he can't be that new to hockey. You don't make the NTDP team if you started playing hockey in Pee Wees or Bantams.

I know the saying (that I'm botching) that you'd rather tame a lion than ignite a lamb, but there's a limit to that. I get the NTDP is supposed to be about development over winning, but he's actively hurting the team at times. Just an example - he got in a quasi-fight yesterday and got tossed for removing his helmet.

Long ways to go, but with the right development, he's a 6'5 shutdown defenseman who can skate and has a real edge / mean streak to his game. Every team in the NHL wants that. He could also be someone that bounces around the minors as an ahl goon type.

 

[William H Bonney]

He's been playing hockey since he was a young kid, he's not new to it.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He's starting to get a lot better. From the beginning of the season he's come such a long way.

He looked like he had absolutely no idea what he was doing at the beginning of the season. You had to hide him. Now he's still error prone, but he's doing a lot better and making many more effective plays than he did at the beginning of the season. He can take a regular shift, even if he's still not the most effective.

His athleticism is legitimately high-end. 6'5, great skating, very physical and strong already.
He's been smarter defensively in recent months. Not looking like he's chasing the game and trying to make things happen, and playing more composed.

He still has bad hands. There's no way around it. He struggles receiving any hard passes. He will need to improve a lot there to eventually play in the NHL because the NHL is played at such a high pace, and the stakes are a lot higher than junior hockey.

Because his hands are lacking, he has no real offensive ability right now. His shot is hard and he'll fire it any time he gets. Thats about it right now offensively, but I think you are hoping he can improve his hands enough to make routine plays and become a defensive defenseman as opposed to expecting the offensive game to come around.

He's already improved a lot. Potentially he'll make more improvements and skyrocket into the first round, but I think you are probably thinking at this point he's more of a round 3 or 4 project. But I admit he's only going up right now.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Measured at 6'6 227 on this year's preseason measurements. He was 6'5 213 when measured in preseason last year.

He's going to win the combine. If he can make some more progress with his puck-moving, discipline, and hockey sense, he's going to be a first round pick.

 

[57special]

He's an interesting one.

Most of the time he doesn't look like he knows what he's doing out there, but he's 6'5 214 and skates well. Physical too. I almost wonder if he's newer to hockey or newer to defense. That would make a lot more sense.

I think Miller was a little further along at the same age and also just overall had more ability to get back to @GermanSpitfire's comparison, but maybe a poor-man Miller is what you hope for. He's going to need to improve a lot to be a pro hockey player, although I suspect someone will gamble on his potential anyway. He's can really use the next two years to define a draft range. Wide range. Depends how he progresses.

Miller wasn't new to hockey, but he had a position switch from forward to D sometime around 14-15... might've played some D earlier during summer hockey.

 

[wetcoast]

Measured at 6'6 227 on this year's preseason measurements. He was 6'5 213 when measured in preseason last year.

This and his skating seem to be the good points about him but he screams zero hockey sense as far as NHL projection goes..

He's going to win the combine. If he can make some more progress with his puck-moving, discipline, and hockey sense, he's going to be a first round pick.

That's alot of ifs don't you think.

He has the offensive profile of E.J. Emery but Emery is an elite defender and even then I'm not sure he was worth a first rounder.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

This and his skating seem to be the good points about him but he screams zero hockey sense as far as NHL projection goes..


That's alot of ifs don't you think.

He has the offensive profile of E.J. Emery but Emery is an elite defender and even then I'm not sure he was worth a first rounder.

Emery wasn't a good defender as a U17. He made improvements. Phillips got better as the season went on defensively. He started making better decisions and playing a little more disciplined.

 

[jtechkid]

he got lot better by year end but i still see a “ project “ which he should do extra year in ushl before heading to minnesota - get more ice time - more chance to develop

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Emery wasn't a good defender as a U17. He made improvements. Phillips got better as the season went on defensively. He started making better decisions and playing a little more disciplined.

Who is your best player comparable for Phillips? Emery, Joel Edmundson, Erik Cernak, or someone else?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Who is your best player comparable for Phillips? Emery, Joel Edmundson, Erik Cernak, or someone else?

I probably have a very bad view of him because he was crappy for my favorite team, but the comparison that comes to mind is Niko Mikkola.

Great skater for a 6’6 big man and physical. Puck skills lack, but I guess in Mikkola’s case at least good enough to play in the NHL (TBD with this about Phillips), a punishing physical presence (TBD if Phillips can ever become disciplined enough with his physicality). Won’t ever put up points, but you hope for a very athletic 6’6 LHD who thinks the game well enough to play a regular shift in a defensive capacity.

 

[jtechkid]

I probably have a very bad view of him because he was crappy for my favorite team, but the comparison that comes to mind is Niko Mikkola.

Great skater for a 6’6 big man and physical. Puck skills lack, but I guess in Mikkola’s case at least good enough to play in the NHL (TBD with this about Phillips), a punishing physical presence (TBD if Phillips can ever become disciplined enough with his physicality). Won’t ever put up points, but you hope for a very athletic 6’6 LHD who thinks the game well enough to play a regular shift in a defensive capacity.

I wonder if he’s heading to Minny next year or to juniors ? He would def benifit from another year of juniors .

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I wonder if he’s heading to Minny next year or to juniors ? He would def benifit from another year of juniors .

I agree. He needs time. Being a 1D for a USHL team (or even a CHL team) next year would do him a lot of good. Minny is going to have too much depth. I don't think being a 6 or 7 for them will be best for a guy who needs reps, more than anything.