2024 NHL Draft Player Profile: Will McIsaac

The St. Louis Blues' 5th round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, their 6th of 9 total picks, is D Will McIsaac from the WHL's Spokane Chiefs. This may be St. Louis' best pick yet, as many scouting reports note the 18-year-old Vancouver, BC native has both the size and mobility of an NHL defensive D-man. Like another Blues draft pick this year, he also has the perfect amount of speed and mobility for his position, making it seem the Blues are actively targeting speedy Ds in this year's draft pool.

Funny enough, McIsaac isn't even in town for this year's draft- he's spending time with family back in his native Vancouver. Just a friendly reminder that not every player drafted flies all the way to where the draft is to receive their first professional jersey! In his own words, McIsaac has said the biggest strengths he can bring to the Blues is his physicalityare (he likes hitting people!) and his IQ, where he likes to scan the ice to find the puck to make plays with.

In the 2023/24 season with the Chiefs, McIsaac notched 6 goals and 21 assists for 27 points in all but 2 regular season games, while in 2022/23, he posted 2 goals and 9 assists in 67 games. So the kid has longevity, speed, and physicality, all in a tiny package. Perfect for any NHL squad looking to freshen up their defensive core. McIsaac's total points were 3rd best on the team in 2023/24, further adding to his notoriety. And at 6'3", 192 lbs, the 18-year old is already built like a true NHL D-man, so he has lots of promise, much like St. Louis' 1st of 2 3rd round selections in Ondrej Kos.

McIsaac may get the best grade from the Blues here, though, due to his increased scoring numbers compared to some other picks.

McIssac is a good defensive player overall, but not great, lacking on offense a little, even with his numbers with Spokane last season, where, again, he was 3rd best among defenders. But since he's got the correct physical body type and the speed to match, one could see him potentially make the opening night roster this October alongside fellow young defenders. The future looks somewhat bright for the Blues' new defensive lines. The only question is now, can they deliver despite their slacking offensive power?