Day 5: 2021 USA Hockey Select 16 Camp - McDonough possesses the ability to execute intricate puck handling at an impressively high pace, while simultaneously planning his next move. His execution of both shooting and distribution plays is subtle, powerful and lightning fast, so much so that with the assistance of a somewhat effective screen, most goalies, or even defenders wouldn't have any chance to react.

I think Will McDonough might be the player who has been trending up the most for me the last month, with this game cementing that he’s beginning to take another step forward. McDonough is a talented shooter and a soft passer, a combination that can become truly lethal when the player possessing these tools has a good sense for when and where lanes will open around the ice. Another player for the Sioux Falls Stampede, McDonough is another profile that’s statistically lagging behind where I expected them to be at this time of year with five goals and three assists in thirty games. Like Sharp, McDonough does have a tendency to miss out on some of the easier, functional passing lanes in lieu of a flashier play and this tendency is part of why his shot isn’t fully utilized as the weapon that it is. It’s only when looking a bit deeper do you start to see the patterns McDonough is going for when approaching these more complex plays, and if he incorporates the simple play with a bit more frequency then the dynamic plays will start succeeding more. I think being able to play in an all-star style game with highly talented linemates who can read lanes well and get him the puck in a position to shoot really helped McDonough have a stronger game, with the glorious snipe he scored (which caught the goalie entirely off guard) being the best example of this.

McDonough’s performance in this game was central to his team’s consistent offensive presence. While there weren’t any particularly notable plays throughout the first part of the game it was clear that McDonough was a key factor in finalizing scoring opportunities. His quick decision making and equally quick execution in the form of his clean puck handling and precise puck movement were often the last part of the sequence in attempting to finish the play at the net. While the production wasn’t there for him in this game, he certainly helped to earn several quality opportunities.