is a hockey smart, high-motoring straight-line player who has some , short-area quickness and dangle. He is a bit different than many a prospect in that his developed strengths are in his defensive game, but he also has effective skills on the attack, where he continues with a high urgency, whether it is with his handles, his high end percentage passes, or his physicality, and ability to have success in traffic areas.He is a player who could fill a variety of roles in the NHL, because the vision and glimpses he can drive play offensively. A lot of his skills tie to him improving his skating mechanics, with tightening his turning motions, and his stride is better, getting less sloppy, but he needs to get better control on his outside edges, and swap some stability for the frailing quickness that looks like he is not in control or unable to out deke defenders, forcing his to having to make passes into open space. But until the skating gets there, you have a kid who plays on your 4th line, not a middle six two attacker who threatens at both ends. There is enough to like in the emerging package to buy early. Skate wonkiness or not, he gets break aways in the QMJHL on occasion, because he IS a playmaker.His engagement level never varies from play to play and works through checks with many plays where he is strong on the puck, reactive, and able connect his offensive forays well. His play off the puck is surprising as he finds passes on the cycle, is willing to run-through opponents, be reactive to the changing possessions, has a good backhander and can seal. His effectiveness in engagement battling for every inch of ice in board battles and a strong forecheck . Watching him, he always strikes me as the best player out there for his team, because he is a good passer, not because of high end agility, and is hunting down the next play when he no longer has the biscuit. Loves board engagement, and engaging in the area around the blue paint. No NHL team can ignore how he wins most puck retrievals, how he pressures the opposition, his high end vision and awareness create turnovers and how his motor does idle when he needs to apply back pressure, and position to close off the attackers passing lane. A battler whose feet determine his upside. I have to think he hears his name called as a lie first rounder, or soon after.
–Bill Płaczek–
