Prospect Profile: #14 Patrick McNally

Harvard freshman, Patrick McNally is another finalist for the league’s top rookie award. McNally tied for fifth among rookie scorers in ECAC Hockey play netting 0.68 points per game (4g-11a-15pts). He was ECAC Hockey’s highest-scoring freshman defenseman in league games. The Glen Head, N.Y. native tied for fourth in the ECAC Hockey scoring among all defensemen. In overall contests McNally is the nation’s second-leading scorer among freshman defensemen with 0.76 points per game (5-17-22). McNally helped Harvard hold 15 of its final 16 league opponents to three goals or fewer and limit eight of the final 13 to two goals or fewer and rank fourth in ECAC Hockey in scoring defense. He was also a key player on league’s top power-play, which ranks second nationally and led the nation for most of the regular-season.

Pat is an offensive defenseman whose strength is in rushing the puck and putting constant pressure on the defense. He is a very good skater with mobility, speed and quickness. His skating skills and quick hands allow him to escape trouble and move the puck quickly out of danger. In the defensive zone he has very good lateral mobility and closes quickly on the puck carrier, forcing him into quick decisions or mistakes. He is an excellent passer whose passes are accurate and proper for the situation. Doesn’t play a physical game, but relies on quick stick and smarts to gain puck possession.

Luedeke: He just finished his freshman year so he’s not in that class yet, but if you project his development he’ll be among the elite offensive defensemen at the least. I would like to see more of a commitment to defense from him though.

Meloni: Patrick is certainly on his way to becoming one of the better two-way defenseman in college hockey. As a freshman, he played behind some pretty experienced, high-end collegiate defenseman and you could see him really blossom throughout the year. His offensive skills are unquestioned, and they were noticeable right away. His vision, puck skills and passing are already among the top 15 or 20 defenseman in the country, and he skates extremely well.

Dumoulin and Schultz were two very different defensemen, and arguing which was No. 1 or No. 2 was impossible, but I think McNally can be among the best defenseman in the nation in time. His ability with the puck and skating are already there.

Luedeke: I don’t think that is necessarily the wise choice, but that’s up to Vancouver. If they feel his game is mature enough and want him in the system then it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. He was pretty undisciplined in prep as a guy who attacked defenses a lot with great effect, but wasn’t all that defensively responsible. He’s coming along at Harvard, but still has work to do.

Meloni: The full four years would help any player, but I think Patrick would benefit especially. Part of the development he needs to see is growing and then learning to use his size. He doesn’t play a very physical game, but, right now, he’s not really capable of playing one. As he advances to minor pro and eventually to the NHL, the need for a defenseman to be a physical is a must.

Luedeke: He could be a top-3 defenseman and power play ace with his offensive ability, but he’s going to have to simplify the play in his own end and not take so many risks.

Meloni: The Mark Streit comparisons he always made of himself really do seem to fit well. The offensive side of his game is such that he’ll be able to produce points from the blue line regardless of the level he’s playing at. It’s not often a freshman defenseman picks up 22 assists in a college season, about half of which came on the power play.

Luedeke: Decision making is the biggest area right now – making the right reads and knowing when to activate and when to stay home. Also, he has physical maturing to do.

Meloni: The things Patrick needs to improve on are pretty clear. He’s a big kid, and he needs to put on more weight. I’m guessing this has been a focus of his throughout the summer, and I’m sure he’ll add to his 6-foot-2, 190 pound frame. In his own zone, his positioning and puck movement are already strong, and he’s hardly a weak kid. But he needs to learn to his body better. As he adds he gets stronger, I see him rounding his game out well.

Meloni: Harvard’s power play surprised a lot of people with how consistently productive it was, and Patrick was a huge part of that. As natural as he usually looks with the puck, he looks even more composed and fluid when running the power play.

Whether it’s a break-out pass or settling things down at the point, he just seems like he’s always in charge. There are a lot of very talented scorers and players with big shots at Harvard, but McNally made their power play go last season.

Meloni: I’m really excited to watch Patrick’s development over the next four years. The strengths in his game were visible no matter the competition level he faced; he had strong games, offensively, against North Dakota and the Hockey East schools Harvard played. But he struggled a bit in his own zone, leading to some pretty glaring mistakes. As the year progressed, his game continued to improve and by the beginning of his junior year, he could be a clear all-American candidate.