Carolina Hurricanes Prospects: Roland McKeown Looks to Stand Out in Big Group of Defensemen
By Brett Finger
Between now and the start of the preseason, Cardiac Cane will preview every Carolina Hurricanes prospect as they enter the 2015-2016 season and what we expect from them in the coming year.
Player: Roland McKeown
Position: Defense
Date of Birth: January 20, 1996 (19)
Birthplace: Listowell, Ontario (Canada)
Height/Weight: 6’1″/195 lbs.
2015-2016 Team: Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
Scouting Report:
"McKeown is a strong, do-it-all defensemen whose biggest asset is his ability to think the game and know his position. He makes strong, simple plays, has a good shot and distributes the puck effectively. (August 2013, ELITE PROSPECTS)"
A born leader and great overall defenseman, Roland McKeown will look to distance himself from a very crowded and talent group of defenseman in the Carolina Hurricanes farm system this season.
The Hurricanes acquired McKeown from the LA Kings last season at the trade deadline along with a 1st round draft pick for Andrej Sekera.
In a lot of ways, McKeown is projected to be a very similar player to Sekera. Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2014 NHL Draft by LA, McKeown has always showed great upside both in his own end and on offense.
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McKeown was the 2nd overall pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection draft by the Frontenacs, and ever since, he has gained more and more trust from the organization, and he has been worthy of it.
The Listowel, Ontario native tallied an impressive 22 assists and 29 points in 61 games as a rookie in 2012-2013 from the blue line. He was a major part of the team’s 5-on-5 and powerplay production.
With big expectations entering year two, McKeown had a good amount of pressure on him, but he excelled and put on quite a show in Kingston.
In 2013-2014, McKeown established career highs in goals (11), assists (32), and points (43) in 62 games played. He also logged a career high +38 rating while developing into an on-ice leader for the club.
This big season threw him in the draft discussion as an early round pick. At one point, some were even talking about him being a first rounder, but he fell to the 50th overall pick, and the Kings scooped him up.
In 2014-2015, McKeown returned for his 3rd year in Kingston, and it didn’t go as swimmingly as the year before.
On an underachieving and underwhelming Frontenacs squad, Roland McKeown tallied just 32 points, 11 less than the year before, and was a +1 player. This was his first season donning the “C” on his chest with Kingston. His leadership was rewarded, and the team made him captain, a role that he is set to play in again this season.
McKeown is also a candidate to suit up for the Canadian 2016 World Junior Championship U20 team this winter.
Roland McKeown brings a lot to the ice. He is an offensive force with great vision and playmaking ability. He also has a cannon of a slap shot that finds the back of the net very often. He is an effective offensive force from the blue line. He can also fire off a good breakout pass.
He has good offensive upside, but he also has the ability to hold his own on defense. He isn’t an overly big player, but he uses his body well and has good positioning. His stick play on defense is also something that stands out in his game.
All in all, he is a good two-way defenseman, but the Hurricanes have a lot of those in their system, so how will he separate himself from them? Also, why would the Kings move him if he is such a promising player?
Carolina Hurricanes
Well, in order to separate himself from the pack, McKeown needs a big year in his final season of OHL eligibility. This will be his team, and he needs to lead them to success, which means he needs to produce points and play some shutdown defense when needed. If he does that, he can separate himself from guys like Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, and others. Effectively translating his game to the pros will also be crucial.
As for why LA moved him, it was rumored that the Los Angeles Kings had lost favor with Roland McKeown. The reason why this was the case is something I don’t know, and most other don’t either. However, Andrej Sekera proved himself to be not only a good top-four options, but also a worthy top-pairing defenseman, and those come at a high price tag, one which had to include both a 1st round pick and McKeown for Carolina.
This season, McKeown will return to Kingston and play his final season there. He will likely ink an entry-level deal near the end of his season there. Since he is not under contract yet, he will not attend Hurricanes training camp.
Down the road, Roland McKeown shows the upside of a fringe top-four defenseman in the NHL with modest size and good two-way play. He is a player that could play both in a powerplay and penalty killing role.
The Carolina Hurricanes will just sit back and hope that McKeown can reach that potential. It is always hard to judge the futures of mid-level defensive prospects. They could stay mid-level prospects, they could excel and turn into stars, or they could fail to play at the level expected out of them. McKeown isn’t like Hanifin, a player that could be a franchise defenseman in Carolina.
Next: Hurricanes Poised to have the League's Best Prospect Pool in One Year