NCAA defenceman Connor Mackey met with NHL teams in hopes of turning pro. Could the Montreal Canadiens be one of the interested teams?
Victor Mete is improving as the days go by, which has helped the Montreal Canadiens stabilize their top pair. Ben Chiarot has been what the organization has expected but isn’t really turning the needle while Brett Kulak and Mike Reilly have had their respective hiccups.
What do all these players have in common? They’re all left-shot defenceman.
At this point, the Habs shouldn’t stop trying to add blueliners to the organization. Otto Leskinen is fitting well with the Laval Rocket early on, but you never know who is going to be available down the line. And according to Elliotte Friedman, the next one is coming to the NHL soon.
This came from his latest 31 Thoughts talking about Minnesota State-Mankato Connor Mackey. The undrafted defenceman is drawing interest from several teams in the league (seven to be exact), and Freidman also said there is Canadian interest.
Mackey is 6’2″ and has put up four points in six points so far this season. He set career highs in goals and points last season, putting up seven goals and 25 points in 42 games. What put Mackey on the radar was the final year of his USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers, where he scored 6 goals and 41 assists for 47 points in 60 games.
He’s known mostly for his production on the power play. Going back to that big year in Green Bay, 34 of Mackey’s points were on the man-advantage.
Mackey gets a lot of praise for his hockey IQ, especially his decision making. Another quality is his ability to draw the opposition closer to him. That leaves linemates free to needle a pass to score.
You read things like that and think a player like that would be perfect for the Montreal Canadiens. The question is whether they were one of the teams that contacted Mackey?
If they are, it shouldn’t be too hard to convince him to join. Mackey would get an opportunity to play, and that’s one of the most valued aspects of a college free agent deciding to sign with a team. However, Friedman also pointed at the Winnipeg Jets being a team that would likely reach out given the state of their blueline at the moment.
It’ll be an ongoing development for Mackey, but the Habs should keep tabs on this player. Especially if he has a big year in Minnesota.