I was about to say, this pick is aging like an acquired taste. The more I think about it, the more it grows on me. Bad analogy but idc. I went from disliking it to being meh with it to liking it to loving it. I really do think, from watching his highlights and reading about him a lot, that he has decent 2D upside. I don’t want to hype him up too much, but if what they say about his hockey sense at both ends of the rink is true, and as long as his hands aren’t made of stone (which they aren’t, but could use a little work), we’re looking good. He should be able to improve his agility a bit, and I wouldn’t mind if he got a little faster.
I love that he’s a good, smart passer, that his hands aren’t “defensive defenseman hands,” that he can defend physically as well with his brain and stick, the size, the intangibles, and the untapped offensive potential. I wouldn’t rule out PP2 (although the average agility and hands make it unlikely), but that won’t matter if he can produce 5v5 due to his passing, sense, and transition game. If he doesn’t moderately improve on one or two of speed/agility/hands/vision, then he’ll be a good top 4 d-man, which is great too.
