With the 134th pick in the 2011 draft the New York
Rangers selected winger Shane McColgan out of Kelowna (WHL). The 5-foot-8 McColgan was seen as a potential
first round pick heading into the year, but illness and a bad start never let
him recover. The undersized winger had
21 goals and 45 assists in 67 games for the Rockets this season. Skill is not the question with McColgan as he possesses excellent hands, and skating ability while being willing to go to the tough areas of the ice despite his size.
There is a chance that McColgan’s
size never allows him to be anywhere near what they thought he might to start
the year, but when you take him in the fifth round there is no risk. To get a player with his hands at 134 is a
tremendous thing for the Rangers.
Undersized winger (5-8, 168- don't believe his listed 5-11 height on Hockey DB) from SoCal was seen as a potential top-10 coming into the season, but got off to a terrible start and never recovered in the court of public opinion. Will NHL scouts view him differently. One such talent evaluator expressed concern at McColgan's small frame and the fact that the kid likely has little to no room to grow. Tremendous skating and hands; erupts into overdrive in just a few strides and carves the ice with his edges like a maestro. Plays bigger than his size and has an edge to him even if often physically overmatched. The bad news for McColgan is that his production didn't take off after posting 25 goals and 69 points last year as a rookie. Illness started him slowly and though he recovered and heated up down the stretch with fellow mighty mite Zach Franko, it may not be enough for him to recoup a top-60 selection.
The diminutive McColgan has been very effective in two Western Hockey League seasons, scoring at nearly a point per game pace. McColgan sees the ice well, has great hands, and definitely isn’t afraid to go to the dirty areas. The big question on everyone’s mind is whether or not he will be able to play his style at the pro level. The 5-9 McColgan hasn’t let his size hold him back yet, as he has proven a willingness to battle with any player in the WHL while generally staying healthy. If he can get his game to the next level, he could be a big draft day steal.
