Guelph Storm’s Chris McCleary on the Draft and Player Evaluation

This week, Sean Tierney had the opportunity to speak with Chris McCleary, head scout for the OHL’s Guelph Storm. McCleary weighed in on the Storm’s draft-eligible players, the skills that scouts search for, and the Storm’s first round draft pick in the OHL Priority Selection – Isaac Ratcliffe.

One year ago today. Forever, #Brothers. Good luck to @ErieOtters & @Oshawa_Generals in the battle for the 2015 title! pic.twitter.com/ubBCs9aPW9 — Guelph Storm (@Storm_City) May 9, 2015

In McCleary’s own words:

What does my job entails as Head Scout of the Guelph Storm:

– Scout and report on all draft eligible players and drafted prospects (similar to the NHL Draft – there is a ‘birth year’ each year. The ‘birth year’ at the OHL level are players that are 15 turning 16 years of age – for the 2015 OHL Priority Selection the ‘birth year’ was 1999)

– Coordinate all elements of scouting, including the team draft list

– Lead and manage the scouting staff

– Monitor Progress of Drafted Players and Prospects (this is a very small part of my job – our General Manager Mike Kelly and our Coordinator of Player Development, Regan Stocco primarily handle this).

The 2015-2016 season will be my 12th year as a scout with the Guelph Storm. I was hired as a GTA Area scout in the 2003-2004 season and became head scout in 2007.

The Questions

A big happy birthday goes out to the #SwissAssassin himself today! Have a good one, @pius_suter! #BirthdayBoy pic.twitter.com/CFYKTukOE0 — Guelph Storm (@Storm_City) May 24, 2015

Sean Tierney: In the NHL Entry Draft this June, a pair of Guelph Storm skaters are set to be drafted. The NHL ranks Pius Suter as a 3rd round pick (74th overall) and Garrett McFadden as a potential late round choice. What do each of these players offer to the NHL team that drafts them?

Chris McCleary: First of all with Suter, it is nice to finally see his contributions to our team recognized. Our 2014 OHL Championship team was a talented group; very deep. As a first-year player and one of the younger guys on the team, he was left with bottom-six minutes but capitalized on every shift he had. He also turned into a great penalty killer for us. I thought he was the most underrated player from the Championship team and the organization saw a lot of offensive upside in him. It was unfortunate that he was not drafted last year but he definitely proved a lot of people wrong this year. Provided more ice time this year and more quality minutes, he took full advantage of it and went from being a depth player to one of our most important players.

What sets Suter aside from his peers is his hockey IQ. He also has a very good skill set and work ethic. I think anytime a player can combine a high hockey IQ and good work ethic they are only going to get better.

new post: garrett mcfadden (@gmcfadden27), @Storm_City — @OHLHockey 'gamebreakers' series — http://t.co/O1Vt83kPiN pic.twitter.com/B4Fufi3m4W — Matthew Sharpe (@daringsharpe) October 28, 2014

McFadden is a very talented defenseman. He is great at advancing the puck and understands the game well. As he gets older and gets more experience against the older competition in the OHL, his game is becoming better-rounded.

Unfortunately for him, a number of items out of his control has limited his games played in the OHL. Again, due to our deep team last year, as a 16 year-old he did not play a lot and when he did there were very little quality minutes. This year, he had some bad luck missing about a dozen games or so to injury. However, by the end of the year, especially in the playoffs he was displaying a lot more confidence and showed everyone a preview of what to expect moving forward.

McFadden should and deserves to be drafted but NHL scouts may feel that they do not have a big enough sample size or feel comfortable enough to draft. Whether is it is this year in the next year or two, he will get drafted. His situation reminds me a lot of Zac Leslie’s situation a few years back. Leslie should have been drafted in his draft year (2012 NHL Draft) but was passed over – actually both players had almost the same regular season statistics in their NHL Draft year – both had two goals, McFadden had 18 points and Leslie and 17 points. Leslie proved them wrong the next year and the LA Kings subsequently drafted him in the 6th Round of the 2013 NHL Draft (the Kings drafted another one of our players at the 2013 NHL Draft that was passed over in his first go around – Justin Auger – in the 4th Round). McFadden, who actually may be slightly ahead of Leslie at this stage, has the high-ceiling just like Leslie.

***Disclaimer – given my role with the team I do not see a lot of our team’s games – I am usually watching the draft eligible players play. Thus, even though I have a decent handle on these players, I do not know them as well as others that see more of them play with our team. Also, Suter was not selected in the Priority Selection; he was selected in the Import Draft (our General Manager Mike Kelly can take all the credit for that great pick). Thus, unlike McFadden who we drafted in the Priority Selection, I do not have a good ‘base’ for Suter as I did not see him play prior to arriving in Guelph.

@Storm_City first rounder Isaac Ratcliffe pic.twitter.com/agUay9FCkP — Paul Osborne (@OsborneEdu) April 11, 2015

ST: At the 2015 OHL Priority Selection, the Storm selected Isaac Ratcliffe – a LW from London – with their first pick. What skills stand out for Ratcliffe and how far away is he from playing a major role for the Storm?

CM: Going into the draft this year, we needed to address two areas – size and skill (especially up front). With the way our team was built (in regards to birth years) when it peaked in 2014, we have lost and will lose by next season most of our forwards. As such, it is time to reload. Ratcliffe fit both needs nicely. He is close to 6.05, skates very well for his size, has a good skill set and a high compete level.

Like any elite level 16 year-old entering the OHL, a huge impacted is not expected next season. The hope is that he adjusts to the speed of the game, playing against older and bigger opposition, and gains confidence at that level. The following season he should start making some huge strides and impacting our team and be the time he 18 and 19 years old he will be a key cog for us.

Analytics didn't fix the Leafs. But they still might. Hockey's going to the nerds: http://t.co/iIHJ3ussLE #NHL pic.twitter.com/xzMusi7DaD — Maclean's Magazine (@MacleansMag) April 13, 2015

ST: Advanced statistics have swept through the NHL as teams are relying more and more on possession stats and more. How do analytics factor into your scouting process as you evaluate prospects?

CM: My role with the Guelph Storm as Head Scout is focused almost exclusively on evaluating eligible players for the OHL Priority Selection. For the most part, this is the Minor Midget AAA level. A lot of the stats used in analytics are not available at this level. Games Played, Goals, Assists, Points, and PIMs are about as much as we get and some leagues at this level do not even have this. Thus, analytics do not play a large role in what we do.

However, if the player stats come from the league (as opposed to the team) I will use this but as more of a reference point than anything. For instance, if I think a player is really skilled and his point totals are good than it makes sense – I must be on the right track with this one. If that same player had poor point totals then I need to take a harder look at him.

If the stats were available to carry out analytics at the level we scout it would be a nice asset to have. However, I think people need to realize that this is not the ‘Holy Grail’ when it comes to player evaluation. For instance, a player with great Fenwick numbers it not necessarily a better draft pick vs. the player with poorer Fenwick numbers. It should be used as another item when evaluating a player. If a player has good Fenwick Numbers, performs well in other statistical categories, on-ice performance is great, etc. – this is a good pick.

Isaac Ratcliffe Brings High Upside with Guelph Storm – Not every player selected in the OHL Priority Draft will im… http://t.co/G5WSMetcoC — Hockey Shitznit (@Marko_Million) May 26, 2015

ST: Skating, shooting, hockey IQ, size, and a host of other factors are all part of prospect evaluation. In your opinion, what is the one player skill that usually leads to future success?

CM: This is a good question; to alter it a bit I will list and describe what I look for and if I had to pick one list it at the end:

Hockey Sense – for me this is an unique attribute that a player needs to have in order to get better. If they understand the game well, they can grasp what they need to do to get better. In addition, I think it is the hardest area of the game to improve on. I cannot stress this point enough; one’s hockey IQ, anticipation, and feel for the game are paramount.

Compete level – work ethic and a burning desire to make a difference is an absolute must in the way the game is played today. So much is won and lost in battle for pucks that ultimately result in scoring chances, players need to be battle ready and work as hard as they can. A player’s ability to play physical is a part of this as well. Built into this point (but could also be another point) is how a player plays on the defensive side of the puck. This is usually tied to work ethic. That being said, a player can always be taught how to be a good defensive player (a lot easier to manufacture a good defensive player that a good offensive player).

Skill Level – the ability to handle the puck, shoot the puck, etc. is extremely important. You can be the hardest worker and the fastest skater but if your skills are not on par it will be difficult to advance to the next level.

Skating – the argument for a player to have this is an extension to the previous point of compete level. With the increase in speed as a result of rule changes 10-or-so-years ago (less clutching and grabbing and more flow to the game) means players need to be able to win races, get to pucks, and create space.

Character – the ability to be a good teammate, leader, someone the makes ones around them better. Obviously, this is something that carries over into other areas of life both professionally and with personal relationships, but it is integral when identifying talent. Winning teams are built with players that exhibit these intangibles

Size – although important, it is nowhere near as important as it was 10 to 15 years ago. There is a place in the game nowadays for undersized players; however a team still needs size.

In regards to what is most important, it is hard to answer this question as for the most part – the more of the areas above a player is good in the better player they are going to be. Generally speaking is a player his great to elite in 5 of the 6 areas above they are a special player. I look at Robbi Fabbri on our team, he is at the elite level with hockey sense, compete level, skill level, skating and character.

If I had to pick one or two that are the most important – they would be hockey sense and compete level for the simple fact that I think they are the toughest to teach or correct.

ST: You worked for the Nashville Predators in the 2002/2003 season. Do you see yourself back in the NHL in some capacity at some point in the future?

CM: Yes that would be great someday to work at that level. However, I have really enjoyed my time with the Guelph Storm. It is a great organization and I have worked and continue to work with a lot of great people. Thus, if an opportunity came along from the NHL level that would be great but it would have to be a good one to leave the situation I am currently in.

Marc Crawford thinks Swiss league is 'perfect training ground' for Auston Matthews http://t.co/0cowdsuxvr pic.twitter.com/CMxFHMxc0k — theScore NHL (@theScoreNHL) May 25, 2015

ST: With Auston Matthews set to play for the ZSC Lions in Switzerland next season, there is a lot of debate in the hockey world about the best league for junior-aged players to develop. In your opinion, why is the OHL the best place for a young hockey player to play?

CM: The OHL (the CHL for the matter) is the best league for junior-aged players to develop for a number of reasons:

Schedule – 68 game schedule – closely mimics NHL Schedule

Level of Competition – the CHL has the most talent (or players drafted to the NHL) of any league in the world – playing against elite talent pushes players to be better.

Coaching – the level of coaching the CHL has continues to get better every year. Outside of the NHL and maybe the AHL, I do not think there is a league that can compare to the CHL in this regard.

Fan Support, Living under the Spotlight – Playing in front of 5,000 or 6,000 thousand people, or sometimes as much as 9,000 people and the amount of fanfare that goes with this prepares players for the next stage in their career.

Support Staff – CHL teams have all the support staff of NHL Teams – Trainers, Equipment Managers, Strength and Conditioning People, Academic Advisors, Mental Coaches, Doctors, etc.

I think of the CHL as a ‘mini-NHL’. It mimics the NHL in so many capacities; it makes sense that it would be the best path to the NHL for junior-eligible players.

With the NHL Draft approaching quickly, Storm stalwarts like Suter and McFadden are the type of mid- to late-round selections that strong drafting clubs capitalize on. Both receive strong scouting reports from the experienced McCleary and are poised to make an NHL impact eventually.

What do you think, Storm fans? What are your expectations for next year’s team? What do you expect from Suter and McFadden at the NHL level?