Johnathan MacLeod THW Close-Up:
Date of birth: 6/2/1996
Place of birth: Dracut, Massachusetts
Ht: 6’1″ Wt: 179 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: D
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2014
Twitter: @johnnyMacleod16
THW The Next Ones Rankings (January 2014): 70
Other Rankings:
THW War Room Rankings (April): 67
Future Considerations: not ranked
Craig Button: not ranked
CS Final Rankings for North American skaters: 44
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Johnathan MacLeod is a tough customer on the backend. He’s played the role of shutdown defender for the NTDP this season and did a fantastic job at it. He’s got a moderate 6’1″ height, but he plays much bigger than his size indicates. He wears opponents down by putting his body on them almost immediately as they enter the zone.
MacLeod will never been an offensive juggernaut. He doesn’t play the game at a fast pace. Instead he slows it down and works to his advantages. He’s not creative and will make the smart play to move the puck out of the zone. He’s also willing to go down to block a shot and gets his stick into passing lanes to break up offensive chances.
MacLeod, along with defensive teammate Brandon Fortunato, will likely play all four years at Boston University, so he’ll have plenty of time to round out his game.
Where Will He End Up In June:
Given his lack of offensive production, MacLeod will probably be a late 2nd/early 3rd round pick.
Scout’s Honor:
“MacLeod is not the most skilled nor is he the fastest guy on the ice but he is extremely physical and plays an effective game by making smart simple plays. He does not panic with the puck and makes good decisions. He utilizes his size effectively to stifle the opposition and makes good heady passes up to his forwards. (November 2013)“
Aaron Vickers – Future Considerations
“Another defensive-minded defenseman, MacLeod can play a punishing physical game and makes opponents work for anything they get against him. He has good mobility to keep forwards in front of him and can make a few plays here and there. Primarily, he’ll have to be solid defensively as his offensive skills are limited. MacLeod had seven points in 44 games, but he’s getting a fair amount of buzz for his defensive capabilities and even got a fairly lofty ranking from CSS.“
Chris Peters – United States of Hockey
Statistics:
International Tournaments:
MacLeod captained the U17 NTDP to a bronze medal at the World Hockey Championships and won a gold medal with the U18 NTDP.
ETA:
3-4 years
Risk/Reward Analysis:
Risk: 1/5 Reward: 3/5
NHL Potential:
2nd or 3rd pairing shutdown defenseman
Strengths:
Strength
Checking
Skating
Simplistic
Positionally sound
Lateral movement
Flaws/Aspects He Needs To Work On:
Bulking up and developing at Boston University
Fantasy Hockey Potential:
Offensive: 1/10 Defensive: 7/10
NHL Player Comparison:
– NHL comparison: Karl Alzner
Video(s):
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THW’s The Next Ones prospect profile template design architect: Chris Ralph
Follow Shawn on Twitter: @ShawnTHW
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