Michael Dal Colle Top 30 NHL Draft Prospect
Man Friday is right around the corner and Friday June the 27th, is not just the start of another weekend but the start of the future. Your favorite teams have a chance to draft their best options for the future on Friday when the NHL draft goes down. It’s going to be an exciting night with lots of tears of both sorrow and joy, so let’s breakdown another top prospect with hopes of hearing his name in the first round. Today we’re taking a look at Michael Dal Colle of the Oshawa Generals.
Michael Dal Colle is touted as the best power-forward available and a guy any NHL team could easily build around. He’s part of the new breed of power-forwards and can help his team in a variety of different ways. In fact, Dal Colle’s game is so dynamic, many don’t truly label him as a power-forward as his skills go far beyond just hitting and driving to the the net. The Canadian forward is like a magician on the ice and a real treat for fans and teammates to watch. The fact he’ll go to battle on a nightly basis for any of his teammates is just a bonus on top of his dynamic game. With the Generals this past season, Dal Colle recorded 95 points in just 67 games and suited up for team Canada at the Hilinka Memorial tournament.
Throught the past season Dal Colle has seen his stock both rise and fall in a short period of time. He’s risen inside the top 5 and on some lists the top 3, while on other lists he barely sticks inside the top 10. This years draft is not the deepest and with so many changing variables and arguably some better players ranked lower down in the rankings, anything can happen.
What a team will get when they draft him:
Michael Dal Colle, is an NHL power forward in the making. He’s one of the more consistent game-in and game-out performers in this draft class. Every game you go to you see the same game from him, the same work ethic, the same energy.” ~ Dan Marr
The team that takes a chance and drafts the power-forward/skilled forward in the first round is going to get a very dynamic and dangerous hockey player on offence. He is a rangy, gifted center with hands that can dangle in a phone booth and likes to light up opponents by blowing past them with tremendous speed. Truly at his core, Dal Colle can be a game changer, he has the skills, size and potential to be a very, very good top 6 forward in the NHL.
It’s hard to find stick-handling from another player that comes close to the skill set that Dal Colle has and because of that, he is regarded as one of the best set up men available for draft. He can burn the opposition with his speed, stick-handling or creative passing, making him a true triple threat. Add a deadly wrist shot and an under used slapshot and this kid has what it takes to be a true gem in the NHL.
Not only is Dal Colle going to bring a team dedication and skill, he also comes with versatility. He can player both centre and wing and is willing to adapt to help his team win. Put him on the powerplay or the penalty kill, for him it truly doesn’t matter. He’s also an extremely good puck protecter as he uses his full 6 foot 2 frame to box out opponents and protect the puck. His stick-handling, soft hands, ability to protect the puck, large frame and goal scoring abilities should make for a hot commodity come Friday when teams are looking.
Most underrated skill
The first thing one notices about Dal Colle aside from his large frame, is his ability to stick-handle. The way he leaves opponents looking foolish is truly something of a special gifting this guy has. We’re going to point out Michael Dal Colle’s impressive wrist shot as his underrated skill simply because he doesn’t shoot or use it that much. He is more of a battler who is willing to do the little things along the boards and set up his teammates for their goals than he is a guy who wants to take the entire rink in awe as he dazzles his away up the ice. However, when he has the time and space to shoot and he chooses to look out. He has the type of shot that freezes a goaltender in time as the puck soars by them before they even move.
If he can learn to trust himself and his shot a little more, then he will have no issues being a very productive forward in the NHL when the time comes.
What he still needs to work on:
Dal Colle’s weakness has always been his defence, however since he worked on that aspect of his game a ton this past season and it saw vast improvement, we’re not going to pick on that. Of course like many other draft choices available this year his defence is a little suspect but that will improve with experience and maturity. Despite the fact Dal Colle is a massive 6 foot 2, he only weighs in at 172 pounds and could stand to add some serious weight and muscle to full himself out from the twig he is right now. If he wants to be a battler along the boards and play the body, he will definitely need to bulk up before he hits the NHL.