NY Islanders C Kyle MacLean picks his teammates brains to improve face-offs

New York Islanders center Kyle MacLean has yet to fully establish himself as an NHL regular, but he's in a vastly different position at this year's training camp than he was in year's prior.

After a solid finish to last season and holding his own during the playoff series with the Carolina Hurricanes, MacLean has gone from an undrafted organizational depth player to signing a three-year contract during the summer and presumably having a spot on the opening night roster. As the son of a former player and current Isles assistant coach, John MacLean, the 25-year-old spent the summer working on ways to improve and build on last season's late success.

One area of focus is the face-off dot. If MacLean is going to be counted on for the penalty kill and take late in-game shifts in the Islanders zone, he'll need to be counted on to take big draws. "Faceoffs were a focal point for my game; get better at those. I definitely need to work on them. I am trying to work on that in any way I can," said MacLean on Friday.

MacLean has to look no further than around the Islanders' dressing room to gather advice and recommendations on improving his face-offs. The Islanders are very deep at center and have several veterans that win more draws than they lose. "Pager, Casey, Bo, all those guys, they have good timing, that's a big part of it. There are also little tips and tricks with the linemen; they'll pass that stuff on down. Repetition, getting used to your swipe, having some moves in your arsenal that you're comfortable using whether it's a lefty or righty you're going against."

It may feel as if MacLean has arrived, but as much as he can carry over the things that led to his rapid ascent in the organization, he'll only stick if he rounds out his game further, leading to an increased role and more trust amongst his teammates and coaching staff.

"I'm focused on camp, showing well, doing what I can to make the team," MacLean added. "In the games, I want to bring energy, be hard-working, responsible, and build off last year's experience; I just got a taste of it. This year, I need to build on it and continue to get better."