McLeod, Devils
Photo Credit: Mark Fischgrund

McLeod the X factor for Devils heading into Playoffs

Championship teams are built with synergy. Rosters that succeed have players who not only have well defined roles but thrive in them. Much of the regular season is spent determining which players can be trusted and deployed in which situations. While often there is praise heaped upon the player likened to a Swiss Army knife, coaches place more value on a player that owns a particular skill, knowing that when the game is on the line that player can be expected to deliver.

For the Devils, there is no better example of this than the faith Coach Lindy Ruff has shown in center Mike McLeod to win crucial faceoffs. A skill that may prove to be the difference in a series of teams so evenly matched.

FIRST ROUND PICK

McLeod may not regularly find himself on the scoresheet at the end of the game but few players on the roster are relied upon more when the game is in the balance. McLeod came to the Devils as the 12th overall pick in 2016 described by Elite Prospects as “a highly skilled power center…his size and skating make him difficult to contain, and his competitiveness gives him an edge against other teams’ best.” In junior hockey, McLeod put up gaudy scoring numbers averaging over a point per game for three seasons, also serving as Captain his last two. 

He entered the NHL with the high expectations and burdens of a first round pick. Instead of settling in the top six where the lines are now centered by two first-overall draft picks (Hischier and Hughes), McLeod has found a way to use his size, toughness, and skill to become one of the top faceoff takers in the NHL and to drive one of the most impactful fourth lines in the game. His evolution is not lost on his teammates.

“He's just kind of found his niche…as a first round pick you know you're expected to be a top six forward usually, but he's kind of transformed his game into the role he has, and he's kind of really stuck to that and gotten really good at it,” observed Damon Severson.

FINDING VALUE IN THE BOTTOM SIX

The value in having such a skilled player drive the fourth line is clear to McLeod's linemate Nathan Bastian, who said,  “When you think about being that high of a draft pick you hope for some sort of super high skill, scoring like the top six guys, but the way our team is built now he has just as much value to our team as anyone.”

Jack Hughes was equally effusive in his praise for McLeod’s value to the Devils as he said, “ he's carved out a role for himself and a really important role... So he's a guy that everyone in this locker room really respects because every night he brings it, he's a complete gamer.” 

PUCK POSSESSION AT A PREMIUM

McLeod finished the season third in the NHL in faceoff win percentage, winning just over 60% of his draws. Notably he finished just behind two Hall of Fame caliber centers in Jonathan Toews and Patrice Bergeron. While in certain analytics spaces faceoffs have been devalued, Ruff and the team know there is significant value in gaining possession especially in the defensive zone.

“I've always argued that if you start with the puck in any situation, better things can happen," Ruff said. "If you win the defensive draw, you’ve got a great chance to get out of the zone and you don't give the opposition [possessions] so if you're winning 70 80% of your draws in the defensive zone and you're starting with the puck you're gonna get out of your zone quicker.”

Ruff continued, in regards to McLeod’s value, “he's been a guy that we've counted on and a lot of those key opportunities through whether it's penalty killing or whether it's five on five, six on five, five on six, we've used him even in three on three in overtime just to gain possession of the puck.”

In a game or a series that could come down to one draw, the Devils have confidence that McLeod, especially on the right side dot, will be the one to deliver that crucial possession. 

PUTTING IN THE WORK

Recognizing that this was an area that he could help the team, McLeod set out to put in the work to transform his game.

“You gotta find a role for yourself and it's something I take pride in. I take pride in my role creating energy, being good defensively and on face offs while still trying to create offense as well,” McLeod said.

McLeod cites his post-practice work with Coach Chris Taylor and the other Centers as what has driven his improvement.

“I work with [Taylor]. He’s dropping pucks after every practice so we work on it a lot with Haula and Nico on faceoffs," McLeod said. "We’ve got guys, Boqvist and Mercer too, they're all battling after practice and it's fun and it’s competitive so we like to do that.” 

He also relies on video to scout his potential faceoff opponents and to self-scout.

"Before the game and I got it on the iPad so I can see what other guys do and what adjustments you can make and change it up if you are losing som," McLeod said about how he scouts other opponents and himself.

In the offseason McLeod focuses on ways to improve his faceoff skills off the ice as he said, “It’s mostly working on my strength, forearm strength, grip strength, and hand/eye [coordination]”

A BATTLER, A GRINDER

Winning at the dot is only one part of what McLeod brings to the game according to his teammates. They view McLeod as the ultimate team player bringing energy, toughness and willing to stand up for his teammates. He has taken on players with significantly more size than him to defend questionable hits on his teammates. Fighting Nick Deslauriers of the Flyers, and Alexander Romanov of the Islanders standing up for hits on Severson and Wood respectively, was not missed by the men in the dressing room:

He just battles no matter what, he's one of those guys if there's a brick wall he feels like he can just run through it. He's a battler, a grinder. He fought a couple of tough guys, he’s not necessarily a fighter, he’d be the first one to admit it, but he just does what's necessary for the team to make us successful.” 

-Damon Severson

 

“ He's a complete gamer. So, no matter the night we know 20 is gonna show up and bring his effort. Its what we love about him. He's like a junkyard dog just always competing…he’s always throwing his body around …He’s fought some really tough guys this year so it just shows how tough he is and how many layers he has to his game.” 

-Jack Hughes

 

PLAY DRIVING

Winning crucial faceoffs is not the only way McLeod contributes. 

“He's a great two-way player as well. He's very responsible in the  D zone you, he's great on the draw. To have a weapon like that on the team is great and he's been using his role very well this year,” said veteran winger Tomas Tatar. 

Hughes said “he has sneaky skills.” These skills were on display earlier in the year against Winnepeg where McLeod forced a turnover on the forecheck, then recovered the puck below the goal line and made a no-look, between the legs, backhand pass to a cutting Miles Wood. 

 

McLeod’s strength and speed have allowed him to drive play on the “BMW” line which when healthy and playing well has been a key component to the team’s overall success.

Bastian described McLeod’s role on the fourth line,  “He drives the whole line, he demands the puck and he's so strong on his skates he carries the puck up to the neutral zone and puts it in good spots for me and [Miles Wood]. So obviously a massive part of our line, a huge part of our team.”

McLeod’s forechecking has led directly to goals generated from cycling below the goal line. 

His most memorable offensive moment of the season likely came in the waning seconds of a game in Columbus where he jumped off the bench with less than ten seconds remaining, deked a defender and delivered a pass on to the tape of a waiting Ryan Graves who shoveled the puck into the net to win the game just prior to the buzzer. 

McLeod knows how vital it is for the BMW line to play well. Ruff has said the team is at it's best when it can roll all four lines.

"We’ve got to set the tone with energy and physicality and I love playing with those guys," Ruff said about the BMW line.

At times the line plays with a youthful exuberance providing and feeding off energy from the crowd and exciting the bench. 

PLAYOFF ROLE

McLeod is one of the longer tenured Devils, having made his debut just after the last time the team made the playoffs. What he lacks in experience he will undoubtedly make up for in the energy he brings to the ice. 

When asked how it felt to know that the regular season was over and he was not packing up his gear, McLeod smirked, reflected and simply said, "Awesome, there's a lot of excitement around here." 

While often the superstars make the difference in the playoffs the history of Devils vs. Rangers playoffs series have often come down to a role player making a crucial opportunistic play. McLeod has the ability to be that player for the Devils. Imagine the Devils up a goal in the last minute of Game Seven, the Rangers pull Shesterkin for the offensive zone faceoff to Vitek Vanecek's right. With the season on the line, who would the Devils want in the faceoff dot trying to secure the series clinching possession other than McLeod. On a team packed with superstars at Center the simple answer is nobody.

Just ask Jack Hughes, "he's our key faceoff guy ... all the big moments, he's taking the face off."