Jared McIsaac is ranked 18th in our mid-season rankings. He was highlighted in our review of the CHL Top Prospects game with an honourable mention. Scott Crawford noted - 'Jared McIsaac (Halifax Mooseheads) was an interesting prospect to watch. When I say that I mean his team was down four goals in the first period, but he was not ready to give up. His competitiveness was being showcased throughout the entire game. His teammates were going 75%, but he was going 110%. On defense he was crushing opponents with his hits in the neutral zone and in his own end. When he did not throw his body around he was participating on the offensive drive to the net with his teammates. On a few occasions he would have open chances to shoot on net, but he was smart to go back to his defensive region once he knew a pass was not coming his way. His offense was not on the scorecard, but McIsaac was a player that was doing everything right away from the puck.' Michael Sanderson provides a full scouting report.
Jared McIsaac | Eligible - 2018 NHL Draft |
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Position: D, Shoots L | H/W: 6-1", 195 lbs |
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS) | Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL (50-7-25-32-61) |
Skating: McIsaac has great speed forwards and backwards. He is rarely caught flatfooted and he can handle the shiftiest of forwards off the rush. He steers oncoming forwards well into the direction where he can best control their decision-making. His ability is more comparable with a finesse forward than a defenceman and can lead the rush with ease. His offensive game is that much more dangerous with his deadly skating ability. Grade: 60
Shot: While not the hardest out there, McIsaac has a knack for getting shots through from the point, including wrist shots. He knows when to pick the corner and when to shoot low, and plays well from the point to maximize rebound opportunities with his shot. He also has the wherewithal to jump in on the play and let go a wrist shot from anywhere in the zone. His shot selection is accurate and sharp. Grade: 55
Skills: McIsaac will be a powerplay quarterback wherever he happens to land in the pros. His ability to distribute from the point is top-notch. His passing is on the tape in stride off the rush, and knows how to feed forwards on a breakout for very clean counter-attacks. He has the handling to get himself out of trouble, and the occasional dangle, but knows when to take the dekes out of the toolbox. Grade: 55
Smarts: McIsaac plays the top of the umbrella of the Mooseheads’ top unit with plenty of talent on both flanks to feed for shots or set up plays deeper in the zone. Having that talent base to work with further amplifies his quarterbacking abilities, as they can finish and follow what he starts. His distribution skills off the rush and play-reading is excellent with the puck – he can find the outlet teammate or read the play to know when trouble is coming, and react accordingly. Though, as a young player, he can be taken off his game, there is rarely panic in McIsaac’s game with the puck. Those reads also come in handy on the defensive side of the puck in his reading of the rush as it comes to him. He is a very polished player in terms of hockey sense and poise, with and without the puck. Grade: 55
Physicality: McIsaac was a bigger defender in midget, and as a result acquired a lot of his confidence on the physical side of the game during that time. While the opponents have caught up to his frame, he still has a good handle along the boards and plays puck battles well. He is not much of an open-ice hitter, but could develop an infrequent ability to pick his spots with some more bulk. On the other hand, extra pounds could sacrifice a bit of his speed and edgework. Right now, he knows when to engage and when to collapse and let the player come to him. Along with that, he is one player whose game does not fade in the later stages of the game. He could seemingly play all game long and he would stay fresh until the last minute. Grade: 55
Summary: Jared McIsaac has earned a lot of icetime in his one-and-a-half seasons with the Mooseheads, and with good reason. He is steady and reliable and does a lot of things correctly to help a team win. He has solid offensive potential and holds his own defensively, though his game skews to the offensive side to a varying degree. His skating edge should hold up in the pros as he gets stronger and bigger, and his smarts could put him in the top leagues now. He reads the play tremendously well. While Noah Dobson of Acadie-Bathurst may have passed him on most draft lists, McIsaac is a very good consolation prize. He may not have Dobson’s height, but he does have his smarts and slightly better offensive ability. He should go in the top half of the first round in June in Dallas to a very happy NHL team, and if he drops further than that, a team will have picked up a steal.
Overall Future Projection (OFP): 56.25