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So whatever happened to the guy who was supposed to be sort of a poor man’s Jonathan Toews—who many had penciled in at 2nd line center for the Blackhawks after he was drafted 18th overall out of the WHL Prince Albert Raiders in 2011?
Mark McNeill has 5 points in 11 games (-1) this season with the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL.
I received a lengthy report from my eyes and ears in Rockford this morning on McNeill.
And his seems to be a classic story of NHL prospect development that’s worth sharing here on an off day.
The gist of the story is this. You can’t call McNeill a bust. We probably haven’t seen the last of him in the Chicago organization or elsewhere. But at the same time, it’s fair to say he may have been bypassed by at least a handful of players in the pipeline at this point.
So what is the deal . . . with McNeill?
He’s got good size, kills penalties and led the Ice Hogs in scoring last season. Represented his country in the World Juniors. Has always been characterized as a team guy.
So why have guys like Vince Hinostroza, Tanner Kero and Matt Carey, not to mention same and subsequent years’ first round picks Philip Danault, Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Hartman, hit the NHL before he has?
The issue seems to be that the organization doesn’t seem to know where McNeill fits at the NHL level. In Rockford, although you’d expect that he’d be a bruising, road grader kind of forward, McNeill has been more of a sniper, playing more away from the net.
In Chicago, he probably wouldn’t have the talent to be that kind of player.
In this regard, McNeill’s story is a little like another former Hawk first rounder: Jack Skille. The difference there is McNeill does seem more physically willing and to have a lot more native leadership than Skille. There’s nothing to indicate McNeill’s a bad kid or doesn’t work hard.
And like I said, it’s probably too early to write off McNeill.
But the projections of McNeill have seemed to sink slowly over the years, from top 6 power winger to bottom 6 role player. And that probably says more about the process of developing and slotting talent than it does McNeill.
These guys are drafted at age 17. And even in the relative rush to the NHL necessitated by the salary cap, they really need 3-4 years of “polish” before you know what you really have.
Look at Teuvo Teravainen. In the summer of 2014, before the 2012 first round pick had played one game in North America, a number of bloggers and fans were fairly certain he would be the team’s long-lost second line center in the coming season.
Teravainen did join the team in the Spring and was useful as a 3rd line RW in the playoiffs.
Today, the team is tinkering with the obviously gifted Teravainen as a left wing. Why? He’s not ready to be an NHL center and they don’t have a spot for him at right wing. Development and slotting.
So with a kid like McNeill the watchwords for his NHL debut are many: if, when, how, where—probably through no character flaw of his own. Just how the puck bounces and players develop.
Just some observations on a Wednesday morning. I’ll be back with a Devils Preview tomorrow.
JJ
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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