Just looking more in depth at his scouting, obvious needs for him are better speed, acceleration and agility. He does look much slower than other players, but apparently his technique is already good and needs some training on improving stride. If he's faster than O'Reilly right now, that bodes really well for him for an NHL future.
His strengths really standout when I watch video. He has an imposing body at 17 years old and regularly attempts to box guys out to retrieve the puck. If he gets that next gear in speed, he's going to be really effective at puck retrievals, making him a more dominant defensive force. His two-way play is a bit tougher to evaluate for me especially since there aren't a ton of videos of him just doing the small details stuff.
His shot looks really good and he uses a one-timer very well. From the videos I've seen, he's able to pick corners pretty well, he can make a quick shot on net before the goalie is set, and he scores close to the paint frequently. I think if he were to make the team out of camp, he may not put up more than 20 points, but you'd see a lot of his goals coming from the blue paint or off his one-timer position. Real asset there.
His most unique strength for the type of player he is is his stickhandling. He really does a great job just eluding defenders both on the rush and as he is protecting the puck during the cycle. It really does have a ROR style to it, but he might be even better at deceiving opponents when his back is to them. I think he's a much better dangler than ROR is off the rush, but he's playing in a lesser league with much more ice.
He seems like the type of player that will do what it takes to get better so I have no reason to believe he won't improve his skating. I'm not sure if he's ready yet to play in the NHL, but I can't see him not being with the team in 24-25 and it's hard for me to see him being less than a 2nd line center.
