Angus MacDonell’s OHL Season is Done: How Can the Late Round Long Shot Help Texas Now?

Angus MacDonell is a long-shot prospect for the Stars, but he is looking better and better as he continues to develop.

(Credit: Ross Bonander/Texas Stars)

Angus MacDonell signed his entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars on March 11th. Typically, an entry-level contract signed at this time of the year means that the Stars are interested in adding MacDonell to the Texas Stars on an ATO following the conclusion of his major junior season, which just ended yesterday. What kind of player is he, and what impact could he make as a late addition to the Texas Stars? 

MacDonell, dubbed “Goose” by his teammates, was selected by the Dallas Stars in the sixth round of the 2023 draft. Picks taken that late in the draft have a very low chance of playing in the NHL. For some perspective, of all the 877 players who have played at least one game in the NHL this year, only 62 were selected in the sixth or seventh round. 

Despite these odds, MacDonell has shown considerable improvement since the Stars selected him. Before being drafted, he scored 46 points in 70 games between two different major junior teams (he was traded mid-season). His next season, he made a noteworthy improvement, racking up 35-31=67 in 61 games played with the Steelheads of the OHL. This year, he has improved even further and is on pace to eclipse that points-per-game average despite missing almost two months of hockey in 2024 due to an injury. 

MacDonell is slightly undersized at 5’9” (as seemingly all of the Stars forward prospects are), but his aggression and forechecking make him feel at least a few inches taller. This skill and tenacity on the forecheck make MacDonell the catalyst of the Steelheads' top line. 

MacDonell has been playing with Porter Martone and Carson Rehkopf, the Steelheads’ top scorers and high-tier NHL prospects. While his offensive numbers are nothing to scoff at, MacDonell’s role on this nicknamed “Triple Threat” line is to cause havoc with strong forechecking and create space for his higher-skilled linemates. 

That is not to say that MacDonell doesn’t have any skill of his own. On the contrary, his shot is an especially lethal weapon, but it shows that he can play a hard-nose bottom-six forward style while having the skill to make his linemates more productive. 

Once established in the zone, MacDonell shifts his focus to the front of the net. He uses his same doggedness from the forecheck to create space around the net, take the goaltender's eyes out of the play and make himself available for a pass right next to the crease. This skill further shows how he could develop into a persistent, depth forward who is hard on the puck and not afraid to score some greasy goals around the net. 

On the Texas Stars, MacDonell’s versatility will make him invaluable. From penalty kill to power play, and top six to bottom, MacDonell’s play style would allow him to fit where he is needed, which makes it easier for coaches to keep you in the lineup. That is assuming that the young forward would be able to keep up with the speed and the physicality of the AHL, especially for a player on the shorter end of the spectrum.

This could be especially important for Texas due to recent injuries to players like Antonio Stranges and future injuries that will undoubtedly occur during a grueling AHL playoff series. MacDonell could start in the top six playing his same hard forechecking role on one of Texas’ more skilled lines, and once Stranges returns, he could easily rotate down to the bottom six.  

For now, there are many questions about MacDonell. He missed the last two games of Brampton’s series against Oshawa, as his Steelheads were eliminated yesterday in Game 6. He was battling an upper body injury throughout the series, according to reports. That begs the question of whether he would play at all in the AHL this season, in addition to the question of how his game will translate to the AHL.