The Washington Capitals, depending on which ranking list you look at it, went off the board a bit to take Connor McMichael in the 2019 NHL Draft. But they got a very strong player.
With their first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, the Washington Capitals made a calculated low-risk, high-reward selection that should have fans excited by drafting Connor McMichael. McMichael is a player who, despite being ranked in the second round on some lists, has a very good chance to be an impact NHL player in a few years.
Outside of the surface statistics (36 goals, 36 assists, and 72 points), McMichael was a very effective player for the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League. According to prospectstats.com, he finished 30th among OHL forwards with 48 five-on-five points. Of those 48 points, 44 were primary points (24 goals and 20 assists). His 44 primary points put him in a tie for 16th among OHL forwards.
McMichael made great strides from his rookie season in the OHL to his draft year. During the 2017-18 season, he posted 14 five-on-five points (all primary) while playing in a limited role as a 16-year-old.
The 2018-19 season saw McMichael become the go-to-guy when he was on the ice for the Knights and he was the driving force behind the line offense. He makes good decisions for shot location, finishing 17th in high danger shots and 23rd in medium danger shots.
Corey Pronman highlighted his offensive abilities, as well as concerns over his skating, in the first round breakdown over at The Athletic. Here’s a snippet of what Pronman had to say (subscription required).
"“In McMichael, the Caps get a top goal-scorer and playmaker at the junior level whom scouts praise for his hockey sense and his compete level. He tailed off toward the end of the season, but clearly the Caps liked the body of work and the player. His average skating worried me a bit, but inside the offensive zone he’s lethal. He likely becomes the Caps’ top forward prospect.”"
It’s worth noting The Athletic had McMichael ranked 52nd, his lowest ranking heading into the 2019 NHL Draft. McKeen’s, a personal favorite, and Bob McKenzie had him at 28. If we go by the last two rankings, the Capitals don’t seem too far off the mark.
For a quick point comparison, McMichael was only one primary point back of Philip Tomasino (24th overall by NSH) and three back of Arthur Kaliyev, a highly touted prospect who surprisingly fell out of the first round.
The Capitals are getting an offensively gifted forward with top-six potential who can score and create plays. The concerns about his skating can be addressed with the Capitals staff resources as they begin to work on areas of development.
He’s a player that fits well with Capitals in their current framework, which they’ll look to keep in place down the road when McMichael is ready to suit up in the National Hockey League.