Capitals draft Connor McMichael of the London Knights
On Friday night, the Washington Capitals selected center Connor McMichael with the 25th pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. McMichael played for the renowned London Ontario Knights in the Ontario Hockey League, coached by former captain and head coach Dale Hunter.
Ranked the 24th North American skater by most draft boards, McMichael fills a few areas of need in Washington’s system, mainly forward depth, good two-way ability, and intelligence. McMichael models his game after Calgary forward Sean Monahan.
Corey Pronman, NHL expert at the Athletic, had this to say about McMichael:
McMichael had a great season, as a go-to player for London when its lineup was depleted, and he continued to produce and generate shots at a high level when the roster filled out, although he tailed off toward the end. He doesn’t wow you with his tools, but he’s a quality player. McMichael is a very smart all-around hockey player. He sees the ice very well, is creative with the puck and understands the game away from the puck. He’s not the biggest guy but McMichael competes well. He gets to the net and gets back on defense. With the puck, he’s skilled but not amazingly so. He can make some space with his hands, and his shot can surprise goalies with the ability to pick corners. His skating leaves some to be desired. He has decent speed but not great for his size, and his stride is inefficient. I give a nod to his sense and production as indicators that he could play in the NHL.
London Knights assistant coach Rick Steadman on McMichael: “He makes plays. He can play up and down a lineup. He can play at both ends of the ice. He’s very skilled and has a great shot.”
If all of these things turn out to be true and McMichael reaches Washington in a year or two, we could see him eventually take over the 3rd line center role from Lars Eller, or slot in the top 9 as a scoring winger with good two-way play.
In the coming days, we’ll review every draft pick and give a more complete picture of who could join the big club in the next few years.
