[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Smurf Edition, Vol.4):

C/LW Mac Swanson has to deal with the fact that he's only 5'7",165lbs, and yet- all he ever seems to do is put points on the board, everywhere he plays. The son of Brian Swanson (remember him?) sits first overall in the USHL in assists for the Fargo Force with 46, 2nd overall with 70 points in just 50 games, and 2nd overall with a +35. In 2022-23, Swanson was an All-Rookie Selection in the USHL, with 55 points in 57 games, and won the Anderson Cup with Fargo, while finishing 2nd in playoff scoring with 10 points in 9 games. He wore an "A" for Team USA at the Hlinka, producing 4 points in 4 games, and his 9 assists in the most recent World Junior A Challenge in Nova Scotia are a record in the 17-year long history of the tournament (he added 2 goals for 11 points in 6 games). Swanson, who looks like he's still in grade school, is considered a natural center, but plays mostly LW for Fargo.

Swanson leans heavily towards playmaking, and he's an offensive wizard who sports elite vision and creativity, making quick decisions and outthinking opponents. He's a top-tier playmaker, who creates something every shift- he's very unselfish and makes his teammates better. He sees the ice well in all 3 zones. To create room for himself and teammates, Swanson is quite polished in the art of deception and manipulation- he's adept at baiting defenders to approach him, then passing against the grain to open teammates. He will look off a shot, then pass to high-danger, and wrote the book on feints, fakes, and dangles. He is a high-level puckhandler with quick hands, and has the 1-on-1 moves to turn opponents inside out. To offset his stature somewhat, he's tenacious on the puck, and has a low center of gravity- making it hard to strip him of the puck, or push him off of it. Unfortunately, Swanson is not an explosive skater- more quick and light on his feet than fast, and doesn't possess any breakaway speed. He does, however, exhibit supreme edgework and lateral agilty, which gives him and extra layer of shiftiness and escapability.

Most of Swanson's goals are scored from the low slot, as he's not a dangerous shooter from further out with a shot that's not particularly powerful. He sneaks into high-danger areas around the crease to find openings to recieve a pass, or to pounce on rebounds, and has soft hands with some moves to beat goalies from close-in. Though he's quite diminutive, he's got the guts to go to the dirty areas to battle for pucks, and won't shy away from contact. He shows intensity in 50/50 contests, and will battle along the wall- he's a character guy, and a leader, who sets an example by working hard on and off the ice, as well as in practice. He's very driven to succeed, and committed to constantly improve. He seems to always be involved in the thick of the action, and he's hard-working, with an unrelenting motor. In transition, he mostly defers to teammates with quick puck-touches, and give-and-go's, but he's committed and aware defensively. Though he can be outmuscled, he will still engage physically, and uses an active stick to kill plays. His deficiencies are obvious, but he can't do much about his height- so he will need to get a lot stronger and faster, and develop his shot. In his draft year, Johnny Gaudreau was listed at 5'7", and posted 72 points in 60 games for Dubuque for a 1.20 ppg- Swanson has a ppg of 1.40, and has some of the same issues as Gaudreau to overcome, namely the size and skating. He is committed next year to the University of North Dakota. Look for him in the 5th, or 6th round.