NEWARK — There was a moment in Michael McLeod’s first NHL game where he looked across the rink and saw Alex Ovechkin. 

Suddenly, it all became real. That cool, calm demeanor the New Jersey Devils’ prospect displayed in the morning skate gave way to nerves and it was clear McLeod wasn’t ready for that level of hockey at that point in time.

Needless to say, it didn’t go well for McLeod or for the Devils that night in Washington against the Capitals, but McLeod would go on to play 20 more games in the NHL and by the end of it he was looking back on that night and laughing. 

There are no more wide-eyed surprises for McLeod as he looks ahead to this upcoming season. He has a better idea of what it takes to compete and he feels he’s ready to hang with big kids. 

“I think I’m ready for the NHL right now,” McLeod said recently at the Devils’ annual prospect development camp. “I played 21 games last year and I’ve only gotten better. I’ve been working on my skating this summer with a skating coach, I’ve been working on my shot and I know what to expect now.”

What McLeod can expect is a crowded forward group. The Devils have only gotten better with the addition of center Jack Hughes and wingers Wayne Simmonds and Nikita Gusev. Plus, the club is hoping Swedish forward Jesper Boqvist is ready for NHL action and Fabian Zetterlund is coming stateside as well. 

The 21-year-old McLeod was drafted 12th overall out of Mississauga of the Ontario Hockey League for his speed and playmaking abilities and may have once profiled as a top-six forward but if he’s going to be playing a top-six role it’s going to be in the American Hockey League, barring disaster. 

But it’s not like McLeod doesn’t see that. He’s in the same group as Joey Anderson, his Mississauga super buddy Nathan Bastian, Brett Seney and maybe even Kevin Rooney and John Hayden, who New Jersey traded for during the draft. McLeod’s confidence is an asset but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s on the bubble as everyone gets ready to head back to New Jersey for training camp. 

One possibility for McLeod is a move to the wing. New Jersey moved him to wing late last season and it helped him learn to use his speed more effectively. McLeod saw more scoring chances as a winger and though he didn’t capitalize on any he feels he’s better equipped to do so now and he isn’t afraid to shoot. 

“They kind of told me to be prepared to play either position and I’m OK with that,” McLeod said. “Stepping in at the wing at the end of last year for a few games, I thought I did a good job with that. I know how they want us to play and push the pace at the wall, that can also fit into my game. I’ve been working on wall plays a lot this summer.”

McLeod took time off to go on vacation in Southern California early in the summer. He loved it so much he convinced his parents to go out there as well. But once he returned he picked up right where he left off last season, trying to improve on the same aspects of his game he worked on in Binghamton of the AHL last season, like getting to the middle of the ice, puck protection and stick detail. He’s working with a skating coach to improve his quickness without exerting so much energy and eliminate the mistakes he made by overskating. 

But one of the biggest improvements McLeod has made has been his mental approach to the game. He’s out of his own head, more inclined to use his hockey sense than trying to overcomplicate his play. 

“I’m not overthinking it,” he said. “That’s definitely what I was doing throughout the year, especially on 2-on-1s. So now it’s my first instinct, whatever I see first I need to use that and shoot more pucks. See how the shots come and get my shot total up and also try and get in front of the net more and get more tip goals.” 

The roster is better so McLeod will need to be better as well, otherwise, he’ll find himself back in Binghamton for another year of development.