McCarron was called up twice this season - first for a month in mid-December and then again in mid-February until the Habs' elimination from the playoffs - and the towering forward managed to stand out whenever he got the chance. Those chances didn't come as often as he would have liked, though, particularly as the season came to a close and during the playoffs, as McCarron was scratched for 16 of the team's final 30 games.
The 22-year-old rookie admits that it was mentally tough to be constantly shuttling between the press box and the players' bench, but his teammates did everything they could to make him feel like he was part of the action.
"I learned a lot being in Montreal, just the way the games are played. When you're not playing, you have extra time to practice. That benefited me when I wasn't in the lineup, [I could work] with a couple guys on my skills, which was good for me. I've been learning a lot, getting better at my game here and it was great to be around this atmosphere," recalled McCarron, who still ended up playing 11 more games in 2016-17 than he did the previous year, collecting five points in the process.
With such an imposing frame, McCarron is conscious that he has to make his presence felt physically every time he's on the ice. Case in point, he was among the team leaders in fights, with five (tied for first with Andrew Shaw), and dished out 75 hits, despite only appearing in 31 tilts.
McCarron knows that he has to improve other parts of his game if he wants to become a regular in Montreal. The Grosse Pointe, MI native has already identified the areas he needs to focus on in the summer in order to become a more complete player.
"I think I improved my play around the net. My shot, too. I've been working on my shot and my accuracy; I've been working a lot on that. My leg power will always have to be something that I would need to improve and get better at over the course of every year until I retire. I'm a big guy; it will be a key point," recognized McCarron.
