McKinnon was the best player for both sides throughout the entirety of camp, showcasing his high-end offensive ability in conjunction with a tenacious off-puck game that allowed him to impact play in a plethora of ways. He’s an incredibly middle-oriented player, especially as a puck-carrier off the rush where he constantly looks to attack defenders head on and leverage his high-end handling ability to operate in traffic, draw multiple defenders towards him then slip pucks downhill to streaking linemates. His puck skills and quick footwork also allowed him to create chances individually, either by beating a defender wide and making a hard dash to the net or pulling off a nifty 1v1 maneuver to make his way to the inside and generate a dangerous chance from in tight. Despite being one of the smaller players at camp, he was incredibly difficult to win puck battles against due to his non-stop motor and low center of gravity which allowed him to gain pucks against larger defenders and maintain possession through checks thanks to his impressive edgework. He wasn’t afraid to insert himself in front of the net as well, often battling with larger defenders in the crease to win inside positioning and pounce on loose pucks and rebounds as they presented themselves around the net. He scored the game winning overtime goal in the third and final game of camp, toe dragging around an opponent at the top of the zone to break into space while attacking downhill and snapping a perfect shot over the glove to finish things off.

If there was a more dynamic player here than McKinnon I certainly didn’t see him, as the diminutive yet highly skilled forward was able to create scoring chances at a high rate for both of himself and his linemates while finishing tied for 2nd in points on his team with 6 in 4 games. He was very effective at finding space off-puck in the neutral zone, building up speed and catching passes in stride in order to attack the line and gain the offensive zone with control. He made a handful of defenders look silly in 1v1 situations, either by using his speed to blow by them down the wing and make a hard cut to the net or leveraging his puck skills to beat them to the inside and create scoring chances from the middle of the ice off the rush. His speed was a factor once things got set up in the offensive zone as well, as he consistently kept his feet moving which allowed him to win races to loose pucks and extend cycle sequences which lead to sustained pressure. He also owns a deceptive release with impressive accuracy which allowed him to score a couple of goals from odd angles and beat goaltenders from distance.

While the points didn’t materialize for McKinnon in this one, I thought he was often getting to the right spots on and off the puck to try and contribute offensively for his team. There were a few instances where he was able to quickly separate from defenders and sift passes to teammates around the blue paint but also garnered quality chances for himself with his smart off-puck play which included a wide-open look at the side of the net after driving into the slot to receive a pass from his linemate in an optimal spot. He displayed great instincts inside the offensive zone and was an impactful presence up front despite the struggle to fully execute and engage in plays at times.

McKinnon’s motor was impossible to ignore early on in this game, consistently driving his feet in order to disrupt play and insert himself in scoring areas to generate scoring chances for himself. The first period was his most impressive, as he had multiple shifts where he kept offensive zone sequences for his line by winning races to loose pucks along the perimeter, sometimes even outmuscling larger defenders to win possession before connecting on a quick pass to a dangerous area. His off-puck anticipation really stood out in this one as well, as there were multiple instances where he was able to pounce on a loose puck or a rebound in a prime scoring area as soon as it popped out before firing a quick shot on net. His offensive presence wavered off a bit as the game went on, but I thought he was still able to make a positive impact through strong play in his own end and by being active as the F1 on the forecheck.

While he didn’t get a ton of puck touches at 5v5, what stood out to me was McKinnon’s willingness to take on contact to get himself to scoring areas in the offensive zone. He nearly scored a goal early on in this one by darting to the low slot off a faceoff and pouncing on a loose puck but was denied in tight. Throughout the rest of the game he was causing havoc along the crease area, getting himself in front to screen goaltenders and win inside positioning on defenders to jump on pucks low in the zone. His on-puck skill did shine through in a handful of sequences, particularly in the second frame when he attacked a defender head on off the rush and used a quick lateral burst to work his way to the inside before the puck rolled on him on the last second. He was able to extend cycle sequences through his edgework as well, using stutter steps or quick pivots to freeze defenders and separate from them in order to work his way into space before continuing play.