2010 NHL Draft Profile: Dylan McIlrath

by Art Middleton on Jun 22, 2010 9:32 PM CDT

Defending Big D continues our annual series of looking at top draft prospects that could possibly have their name called by the Dallas Stars at the 2010 Entry Draft. Want a shut down defenseman of the highest order that also wont back down from anything or one? You and the Stars may not have to look any farther than the man we feature next...

Dylan McIlrath
Team: Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
Born: April 20, 1992
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Height: 6-5
Weight: 215 pounds
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right

NHL Central Scouting: 17th North American Skaters
International Scouting Services: 31st
The Hockey News: 26th
McKeen's Hockey: 15th
Red Line Report: 22nd

			Regular Season						Playoffs
		League	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM
2008-09	MJ Warriors	WHL	53	1	3	4	-22	102	-	-	-	-	-	-
2009-10	MJ Warriors	WHL	65	7	17	24	+20	169	7	0	1	1	-3	21

Why the Stars would want him...

Dylan is all kinds of nasty on the blue line and easily was one of the most feared defensemen in WHL this past season and to have that kind of rep in what is generally thought of to be the roughest and most rugged of the three Canadian junior leagues, that's truly saying something. The Stars really don't have any kind of prospect right now that instills the kind of fear that McIlrath did at his level and for that reason alone it makes him a prime candidate for selection at 11. Is not afraid to go toe to toe with anyone on the ice.

Why the Stars would pass:

As expected with a man his size and *ahem* abilities, his skating and puck handling are sub-par. Truth be told this past year you could almost count on him to commit at least one turnover per game. Would it be wise for the Stars to draft someone who at this point seems a little one dimensional in his game? No player available in the top 10 to 20 may be as nasty to play against as Dylan, but almost all of them probably have better skating and puck handling skills. That's not to say he'll be totally inept in the offensive side of things, but anything more than 10 goals from him in a season at any level may be a huge surprise.

What they're saying:

Director of NHL Central Scouting, E.J. McGuire

"Big and mean, old-time typical NHL defenseman. He scares people not only with some frequent fights he might get in, but with 6-4, 212 lbs. straight ahead speed and offensive ability to match. Often, and in a very complimentary sense, makes puck carriers cut to the other side of the ice with his intimidating size."

TheScoutingReport.org

The first thing that grabs your attention about Dylan McIlrath is his sheer size. At 6′5″ and 215 pounds, there aren't many players in the WHL that can outmatch him physically. McIlrath has showed a deft ability to drop the gloves, even trading blows with Red Deer bruiser Alex Petrovic in the Top Prospects game. A nice throwback to WHL defencemen of old, McIlrath is not the greatest skater in the world, but instead he makes up for his lack of acceleration by being positionally sound and using his massive frame to separate players from the puck.

HockeysFuture.com

His long reach can keep attackers at bay and his penchant for nastiness in his own end can help goaltenders to see the puck well.

And here is McIlrath doing what he does best on one of the biggest junior hockey stages, the 2010 Prospects Game:

Dylan McIlrath vs Alexander Petrovic (via JimKorn20)

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Comments

I would approve of this one

Defending Big D

by Brad Gardner on Jun 22, 2010 9:48 PM CDT reply actions

Drafting someone that can't skate could be problematic

I hope they go elsewhere. Drafting guys mainly for being big doesn’t usually work out well. Hopefully this high much more, but since they are I hope they go for the most skilled guy they can get. Hopefully that guy ends up being a defender.

by Josh Lile on Jun 23, 2010 12:50 AM CDT up reply actions

hopefully they wont be drafting this high much more*

by Josh Lile on Jun 23, 2010 12:50 AM CDT up reply actions

To be fair I don't think you get yourself projected as a first round pick in the NHL Entry Draft

while you “can’t skate”

Defending Big D

by Brad Gardner on Jun 23, 2010 7:22 AM CDT up reply actions

I'm sure he can "skate"

The phrases sub-par skating, straight ahead speed, and lack of acceleration are a concern though. It sounds like he has some serious defensive chops, but I think thats the type of guy you can get in the 2nd. I’d be disappointed if he is the 11th pick in the draft.

by Josh Lile on Jun 23, 2010 8:54 AM CDT up reply actions

I tend to agree....I wouldn't spend the 11th pick on him.

Hope he falls to the second or trade down later in the first to get him.

Though I do like the kid.

DefendingBigD

Twitter: PatIVERSEN

by Pat Iversen on Jun 23, 2010 9:58 AM CDT up reply actions

same

only gonna get bigger. would love to watch him man handle people in front of the net. but if forbort could develop a mean streak and put some meat on i would take him over mcilrath. we’ve seen grossman sort of develop a mean streak, but imagein mickey and grossman as a pair. talk about a shut down line.

i think a shutdown D pair is just as important, if not more important than a guy that’s gonna give us 12 goals and 50 points a game and move the puck around. grossman-mcilrath seems to me like a potentially great shutdown pair.

either way. we gotta take this kid or forbort. size on the back end is becoming a pretty big necessity; forbort is more ideal because he can skate very well AND has the size.

by agvdstars on Jun 23, 2010 1:51 AM CDT up reply actions

I bet he falls to the second round

and we nab him there.

by AA6 on Jun 23, 2010 12:55 AM CDT reply actions

that would be sweet.

grab him and forbort. would be set on D after the two of them develop for another 2 years.

by agvdstars on Jun 23, 2010 1:52 AM CDT up reply actions

I woulnt hate this pick but.......

This guy has a smell of john erskine if ya ask me but im no draft guru

To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.

by v0mitus on Jun 23, 2010 9:23 AM CDT via mobile reply actions

lol

Good point.

“John Erskine” is a name we all fear.

Defending Big D

by Brad Gardner on Jun 23, 2010 10:06 AM CDT reply actions

Statistically...

…the Erskine remark might be right.

I was hoping he was more comparable to Hatcher, or maybe Matvichuk, but the scoring stats don’t seem to be there. It isn’t an immediate problem if his puck-handling isn’t great at the NHL level, but it doesn’t seem to be as good as some comparable people we’ve drafted in the past either, at just Major Junior — all players develop differently, but I doubt you’re going to see this guy play great in an offensive system.

However, he is still very young and with some time and some work, it might be possible to get him to a better state in three or four years. He probably isn’t a guy who can step in and help a lot right now, but he still has a touch of physicality and nastiness that’s notably absent among some of the current Stars.

by C. Bob on Jun 23, 2010 11:10 AM CDT reply actions