Career
MacDonald was drafted in the sixth round, 160th overall, by the New York Islanders in the 2006 National Hockey League Entry Draft. He played junior hockey for the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League where he was, along with Keith Yandle, a star defenceman on the team"s 2005-2006 championship team He has also played for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islander"s AHL affiliate.
In the 2009-2010 season, MacDonald scored his first National Hockey League goal on December 17, 2009, in a 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers.
On February 25, 2010, MacDonald was re-signed by the Islanders to a four-year contract extension. During the final year of his contract in the 2013-2014 season, MacDonald was traded by the Islanders to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for minor leaguer Matt Mangene, a second round pick in the 2015 National Hockey League Entry Draft, and a third-round pick in the 2014 National Hockey League Entry Draft on March 4, 2014.
The Flyers signed MacDonald to a six-year, $30 million contract extension on April 15. On October 5, 2015, the Flyers put MacDonald on waivers.
On October 6, 2015, MacDonald cleared waivers and was assigned to the Flyers" AHL affiliate team, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.