While his skating and skill level are very good, Turcotte’s best attribute is his compete level. It is the first thing scouts, coaches and teammates point to when talking about him. He lives inside the dots. I would say 75-80 percent of his shot attempts this season came within the crease area. This is because his game is to take the puck and not chuck it on net or try to make a cute dangle along the boards, but rather to drive it hard to the net.
Turcotte wins so many battles despite the fact he is 5-foot-11, because he’s so quick in puck pursuit and wants the puck back as much as anyone could want one. He thinks the game very quickly.
“When you put a puck between Turcotte and another guy, he’s going to carve that guy’s heart out to win that puck. That’s a skill,” said USNTDP U17 coach Seth Appert, who coached Turcotte in the second half last season.
An NHL scout said: “He’s No. 3 with a bullet for me. He’s full of skill, speed and physicality.”
