Montreal Canadiens: Michael McCarron Impresses In Season Debut
The Montreal Canadiens got exactly what they expected from Michael McCarron last night in his season debut. If he is consistent, he will be a valuable member of their bottom six for the rest of the season.
The Montreal Canadiens drafted hulking forward Michael McCarron 25th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft. The American born winger certainly had the size to play at any level. However, he was not coming off the typical offensive season you might expect from first round picks.
McCarron played that season with the USA Under-18 Development Program. He was a teammate of players like Jack Eichel, J.T. Compher and Sonny Milano who piled up the points. However, McCarron scored a total of 47 points in 78 games that season.
Again, not the offence that jumps off the page. His 6’6″ frame was the number that stood out the most when looking at McCarron’s stats page. Learning to use that size to his advantage is going to be the key to McCarron having a long NHL career.
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His offensive numbers improved over his two year stay in the Ontario Hockey League. The Michigan native passed up an opportunity to play College Hockey and joined the London Knights in 2013-14. He scored 34 points in 66 games as a rookie.
McCarron’s size, not flash is what will make him a successful NHL player
His second season, McCarron scored 68 points in 56 games split between the Knights and the Oshawa Generals. He also chipped in 18 points in 21 postseason games and helped the Generals win the Memorial Cup in 2015.
Listed at 6’6″ and 231 pounds, McCarron’s game is going to have to be defined by physicality and size, and not by speed and dazzling stick handling. The 21 year old forward seems to understand this in his second stint with the Canadiens.
McCarron was up for 20 games with the Habs last season, but scored just two points. This year, with injuries biting the Canadiens, McCarron made his season debut last night. Though a 4-2 loss was hardly the highlight of the Habs season, McCarron was a bright spot.
Slow start, but impressive first game with Habs this season
He only played 12:25 on the night, thanks to four first period penalties by the Habs which kept their newest teammate on the bench. However, he regularly created time and space along the boards with his size. He played the most in the third period, and the Habs dominated the pace of play in that frame.
McCarron was given some time on the power play, and was impossible for Sharks defenders to move out of the front of the net. He created some space for himself and had an excellent opportunity in the third, but Martin Jones just squeezed the puck under his arm.
McCarron helped pull the Habs within two late in the game. He won a puck battle along the boards in the Sharks zone and made a nice pass back to Jeff Petry at the point. Petry’s shot bounced and somehow found its way into the back of the Sharks net to give McCarron an assist in his debut.
It was the type of play that McCarron will have to deliver often if he wants to stay with the Canadiens. Though the assist wasn’t the impressive part, it was his ability to use his size to get possession of the puck and his ability to keep the puck and not allow defenders to knock him off of it.
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It was just one game, and we won’t be seeing McCarron as a first line player anytime soon. However, the Habs could use some size, smarts and physicality in the bottom six and there is no better option than McCarron to fill that role right now.