Notes from the game:
Take into account that, while I watch a lot of hockey, I am obviously not an expert, which has been proven on these boards many times.
So, Moncton 4 vs. Saint John 1 (Fortier vs. Cajkovic)
The Game:
The game was VERY chippy. These two teams are about an hour's drive away from each other and Moncton embarrassed SJ 10-2 a couple of nights ago. There were a lot of downright dirty plays going on and an absurd amount of (warranted) Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalties handed out. So I'm not sure how much of my observations translate to how these players would perform in a "typical" game.
Also of note, these teams are not close in talent. Moncton dominated all night long, which probably skewed the way I saw things.
The Players:
Fortier was hands down the best player on the ice. And that's saying something because he plays for a very strong Wild Cats team. He was named 1st star, with two goals (one was an empty netter) and an assist. It was the assist that was dazzling. On a 2-on-1, he deked the goalie before dishing off to a teammate for a tap in. Watching it live, I actually thought he mishandled the puck and the SJ defender knocked it in, but, the replay showed otherwise. It was a highlight reel assist.
His non-EN goal also came on a 2-on-1. His teammate managed to slip a puck by the defender and Fortier one-timed it home. Great hands, good shot.
Skill-wise, Fortier surprised me. He looked to me like the fastest player on the ice, and was beating players one-on-one all night. Protects the puck well. His vision was most surprising. Let me qualify this by reiterating that Moncton was toying with the Sea Dogs all night, but, near the end of the game, Fortier made a no-look, between-his-own legs pass to a man in the slot. The puck wound up going wide, but it was eye-opening to see that kind of creativity out of a guy whose scouting reports never really talk about it.
If I had to compare him to a current/former Bolt... I'd say, stylistically, he has a little bit of Brayden Point in him. He likes to motor around the offensive zone waiting for plays to open up--or, at least, that was the case tonight. Obviously, I'm not saying he's going to turn into Brayden Point. I'm just saying he has a very similar style--fast, creative, responsible.
Cajkovic wasn't as good as Fortier tonight, but he was maybe more interesting to me. The first thing I noticed is he looks big. He's listed at 5'11 but I'd bet a lot of money he's bigger than that. He looks much bigger than Fortier, who's listed at 5'10. Throughout the night I sized him up next to other players, and he looks at least as big as the guys listed at 6'0 or even 6'1. It might be an optical illusion because of his build and the way he plays.
Cajkovic had a feisty night. He finished every check hard and was involved in a few face-washing sessions. In the 3rd period he was particularly on edge, and got into Moncton's face at every opportunity. At one point offered to drop the gloves with a Wild Cat while the two of them were on their way off for a change. He then had a lengthy jawing session with the same player (the two of them were sitting at the respective ends of their benches, so they just leaned out and yelled at each other for a solid 30 seconds). At another point he took a pretty huge open ice hit, easily the biggest hit of the game. He took it like a champ and got right back into the play, but as soon as the whistle blew, he swatted the first Wild Cat he saw. Honestly, he had about 5 instances where he probably should have taken a penalty, but the referees were busy dealing with more egregious shenanigans.
Cajkovic was arguably SJ's best player tonight, although that honor could go to their standout defenseman, Jeremie Poirier, who scored his 17th goal of the year. Cajkovic showed good hands throughout the night and probably created more scoring chances than any other Sea Dog. He also already has an NHL shot. He protects the puck with his body really well, turning away from defenders Jagr-style (obviously not as good as Jagr, but just to give an image most people understand).
I've seen scouting reports talking about Cajkovic's speed, but I don't think those are accurate. He's an excellent skater, but his speed wasn't much more than average among the players in this game. He separated himself with his hands, smarts, and physicality. If the game had been more competitive, I think his offensive flare would have been more on display. I got to see flashes of it. But his physicality was the thing that impressed me most.
For an NHL/TB comparison, I didn't get to see the top-6 upside. I just think he's going to have to get faster for that to be a reality. He looks to me more like a bottom-6 guy, probably a 3rd liner, with good offensive skills and instincts. He reminded me a little bit of Cedric Paquette with the way he was throwing his weight around and getting involved in scuff-ups, but he has better hands than Paquette. A similar shot. He's a better skater than Paquette by a mile, but, weirdly, I think Paquette has better top-end speed. The other guy who, while watching, wouldn't stop coming to mind: Imagine if Erik Cernak were a forward and liked to stickhandle a lot more. He has some similarities to Alex Volkov too.
One last time: The game was so chippy that it might have shown me a non-typical side of Cajkovic. So my observation on him, in particular, could be way off, but that's what I saw. It was interesting though because I think a player like this is always welcome with the Lightning. He plays a skilled, scrappy game. I was surprised by the amount of scrappiness though.
...And, seriously, this kid is bigger than 5'11.