Jared McIsaac – Left Defenseman – 6’2 210lbs – 17 Years Old – Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL – 4gp 0g 3a 3p
Another year, another Moosehead going to go in the first round. It’s like clockwork. The folks in Nova Scotia have really turned that franchise into a factory farm of potential NHLers. What’s extra nice about McIsaac is that he is a locally born player instead of a high end import. He played his Major Midget in Cole Harbour NS and won a slew of awards that would lead to him going 2nd Overall in the QMJHL Priority Draft. Funny enough he went number 2 behind his teammate and potential first rounder Benoit-Olivier Groulx. Yet Groulx and McIsaac aren’t the only potential first rounders on the Mooseheads, there’s also Filip Zadina. It just goes to show how great the management and ownership group of the Mooseheads are.
McIsaac won the Defensive Rookie of the Year and made the All-Rookie Team last season after a very strong campaign. He had 4 goals and 32 points in 59 games. As a 16 year old rookie, he managed to control the play with more authority than any QMJHL defender of that age in decades. There’s simply no comparison. Often he would hit 25 minutes+ of ice-time. At 16! Insanity. While his point totals are strong, it’s his two-way game and maturity that catches people’s attention. He’s the type of defender that teams crave. He has very few flaws to his game and matches the style that the NHL are looking for. Large defenders that can skate. He’s physical, he’s smart and he’s talented. He has all of the tools and the raw ability to have top pairing upside. Some scouts feel he could be a threat to catch Dahlin, as unlikely as that may be.
McIsaac’s overall game is just very strong. He can push the offense forward with smart pin point passes, or using his deceptive speed to rush the puck. He can be relied on to take up the majority of the defensive responsibilities on his pairing as well. Heck he even has a cannon of a shot and is a consistent threat from the blue line. He will have to improve his accuracy though…sometimes he looks like he’s channeling his inner Double Dion out there with some of those slapshots.
I think I can say with few reservations that McIsaac is the best defensive prospect to come along from the Q in a decade. Not that that’s saying much, as the Q hasn’t been great at producing highly touted defenders. He has a level of dynamism that Gormley lacked. He has much more diverse skill set than Morin. I think if he continues his strong play, he’ll be the second defenseman selected.
NHL Comparable : Alex Pietrangelo