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  Position: Defense
Shoots: Left
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 200
Birth Date: 9-8-77
Place of Birth: Kingston, Ontario
Jersey Number: 74
Compensation: $850,000


The Finesse Game
Towards the end of his Rochester stint, McKee started dominating games in the AHL and regained some of the confidence that has been eroding since he was a first-round draft pick in 1995. His future is as a two-way defenseman, with most of the emphasis on his defense--though he has decent skills that can translate into making a contribution offensively. McKee is a strong skater, which powers his open-ice hits. He has good acceleration and quickness to carry the puck out of the zone. He gets involved in the attack because of his skating, but he doesn't have elite hands or playmaking skills. He has sharp hockey sense and plays an advanced positional game for a young player.

The Physical Game
McKee has good size and is wiry and tough. He exhibited a mean streak in junior but has been a little quieter at the pro level, and could get a little more involved.

The Intangibles
In hindsight, the Sabres should have returned McKee to the juniors in 1996-97. It turned into a lost season for him, and the repairs are still being performed. In his rookie season, he battled with ex-coach Ted Nolan and was benched. Now that Buffalo has lost Bob Boughner in the expansion draft, McKee will get a spot in the top six and is a future top four. He is only 20, and has a lot of learning to do.

Projection
McKee has a lot of upside, but expect him to concentrate on defense first. The Sabres are a low-scoring team, so 20 points would be a fine output from McKee.


Season Team/League GP G A TP PIM +/- PP SH GW GT Shots Pct
1993-94 SUDB/OHL 51 0 1 1 51 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
1994-95 NIAG/OHL 26 3 13 16 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
1994-95 SUDB/OHL 39 6 6 12 91 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
1995-96 BUFF/NHL 1 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 0.00
1995-96 NIAG/OHL 64 5 41 46 129 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
1995-96 ROCH/AHL 4 0 1 1 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
1996-97 BUFF/NHL 43 1 9 10 35 3 0 0 0 0 29 3.45
1996-97 ROCH/AHL 7 2 5 7 4 0.00
1997-98 BUFF/NHL 56 1 13 14 42 -1 0 0 0 0 55 1.82
1997-98 FRED/AHL 6 2 1 3 48 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
1998-99 BUFF/NHL 72 0 6 6 75 20 0 0 0 0 57 0.00
NHL TOT 172 2 29 31 154 23 0 0 0 0 143