With the ninety-seventh pick of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, the Montreal Canadiens selected Allan McShane of the Oshawa Generals.
As a centre in the OHL, McShane was nearly a point-per-game this year, where he finished second on the Oshawa team. McShane was also part of the Canadian team that crashed out in quarterfinals in the U18 Worlds this year. McShane had one goal and five assists in Canada’s five games.
McShane’s passing game is his strongest suit, he had 22 points five on five this previous season, and was tied third in the OHL among all skaters. Being a pass-first centre, he works hard and puts in a good shift. His hockey sense also stands out, and he is often regarded as an intelligent player. Although he sometimes appears to be uninterested or lost in the game, some of this can be chalked up to his ability to read the play because he has already anticipated where the puck will be.
With his stocky build, McShane should be able to protect the puck well, but he lacks the strength in man-to-man battles, and tends to lose the puck because he gets knocked down. While he is a quick skater with good edge-work, he seems to lack the balance and top speed to really stand out.
The big challenge for McShane will be to improve his skating, and prove to everyone that he can be consistent in bringing his top game to every shift and every game.
Rankings
Bob McKenzie: #71
Corey Pronman: #39
Future Considerations: #47
Hockey Prospect: #101
ISS Hockey: #63
McKeen’s: #43
NHL Central Souting: #50 (NA Skaters)
“A little undersized, he will never be able to physically manhandle other players, so he does not try to, but he is able and willing to take a hit to make a pass and is remarkably quick at recovering after he gets plastered. Two areas where McShane does not have to make do with less are as a playmaker and in terms of his hockey IQ.”
“Offensively McShane shows good skill to his game, a confident puck handler with the ability to create space with his creativity and puck skills. However he can be limited at times due to the combination of limited size and a short skating stride. While he moves his feet quickly and has good edges, McShane can struggle to generate speed and attack with pace. He shows a good skill set, but Allan needs to play with more urgency to his game and find a consistent compete level that will elevate his game.”
McShane needs to improve on his skating in order to become a centre in the NHL. He is usually seen as a bottom six forward that can play a shut down role. Having spent some time this season at wing, that position is a possibility for him as well
McShane was ranked high in the draft rankings a year ago, but scouts didn’t see enough of him to warrant the high ranking, and he fell to a mid-second round prospect. To nab him in the third round, as Montreal Canadiens just did, is a good move and even if he tops out as a bottom six forward, Montreal still has made a good pick.
