Exactly! I remember Mackenzie saying some scouts thought he had sluggish skating and a lack of first line offensive upside which is why he wasn't a top 10 pick, but there were other independent ranking guides that had him much higher.
And remember, Gillis tried to trade up in the draft prior to our pick to get him, and was ecstatic when he fell to us, so he obviously saw some great potential. You don't get that excited over third line potential that can easily be acquired via trade or UFA.
In terms of his skating, looks really solid to me and quite a bit improved in the last year. He is blessed with lengthy extensions and has always had good length in his stride (the flaw in hodgsons skating), but seems to have developed much more power and fluidity. Based on what I've seen he also shows the ability to accelerate quite well through crossovers, and his acceleration in general has improved due to quicker turnover and foot speed, things that typically take bigger players a while to attain. He has clearly developed a getaway gear which is big news and just adds another dimension to his game.
He's got one of the best shots in the draft, one of the top hockey IQ players in the draft, excellent play making, one of the best two way centers in the draft, and his skating has evolved from below average to well above average in under a year. Sounds like a steal to me.
If he continues his progression he could develop into a fringe first line center, really good second line center.