Welcome to the Future Five, a column featuring five thoughts on the future of the New Jersey Devils franchise.

Last time, we looked at five prospects that had the chance to step into a bigger role this season.

This week, we’re checking in on those prospects at the halfway point of the season to see how they have adjusted.

1. Michael McLeod (C, 2016 1st Round, #12 Overall)

At the beginning of the season, I remained relatively optimistic about McLeod’s future, writing:

McLeod’s speed and overall two-way game remind me a bit of Blake Coleman. While McLeod’s top-end speed is higher than Coleman’s, I can picture a future in which McLeod inhabits a similar role on an NHL team - a middle-6 player that can move throughout the lineup, be deployed in dangerous situations, and chip in offensively. McLeod has lots of growing to do before he becomes as useful a player as Coleman, but I think he still has the potential in him. With Binghamton fully stocked at the beginning of the year - the roster was decimated by NHL injuries and call-ups throughout 2018/19 - he will have a supporting cast that can actually help him.

As of January 8, 2020, McLeod has registered 5G, 11A, and 16P in 28 AHL points - good enough to nearly match his production rate from the 2018/19.

I wanted to see more from him at the AHL offensively, and I cannot say that he has met that expectation. To my eyes, he has been able to play with more of the edge we saw the OHL, but McLeod has still not produced the points you would like from a former first-rounder in his D+4 season. This lack of production is complicated further by a stronger Binghamton roster that has been relatively untouched by call-ups and injuries at the NHL, compared to last season. On a team where McLeod was given an opportunity to be an offensive leader, he is finding himself outproduced by players such as Street, Seney, Anderson, Conner, and Bastian.

Points are not the sum of McLeod’s overall game, but are likely a legitimate criticism of his growth as a player so far.

However, during a short 4-game stint in the NHL, McLeod’s play in the bottom-6 has been more encouraging. He has played a more open game and has found himself contributing to a number of dangerous offensive plays despite limited ice time. This was capped off by a two-point (2A) performance on December 14 versus the Arizona Coyotes.