While I did expect a bit more from Ryan in this tournament, who went pointless through 4 games, I still think the overall skill level and smart puck management were enough to keep me optimistic about his potential as a QMJHL prospect. While the puck touches weren’t coming naturally for him, I thought he showed a good amount of resilience by trying to utilize his tools to positively impact the game off-puck by getting in one the forecheck and engaging in board battles to pull pucks out of scrums. He was distributing the puck nicely off the cycle, consistently identifying open teammates and working his way to the middle of the ice from off the wall looking to initiate a give and go sequence. He had flashes of strong puck-carrying through the neutral zone, although often skated himself into precarious situations which lead to turnovers.

It didn’t take long for Ryan to become one my favorite players throughout the entirety of the camp, showing a combination of skill and competitiveness that went nearly unmatched. His non-stop motor made him so effective in the offensive zone in retrieving loose pucks and regaining possession for his team. He was constantly supporting his teammates off-puck, providing them with a small area passing option and pouncing on the puck if ever things went awry. Ryan is quite elusive as a puck carrier as well, as there were many times throughout the camp where he was able to slip through a check from a defender or brush off the contact and maintain his stride. His puck management was an equally positive aspect of his offensive game as well, as he was consistently making quick and calculated decisions with the puck which lead to scoring chances and limited his turnover rate. On the defensive side of things, I thought Ryan was one of the better forwards at this aspect of the game by supporting his defenders down low in the defensive zone and creating a numbers advantage in puck battles.

I wanted to note Ryan for his impressive offensive toolkit that allowed him to be an effective puck-carrier in transition for Nova Scotia. His puck skills work in unison with his feet, which allow him to play with pace through the neutral zone, weave his way through traffic and consistently execute controlled entries. He wasn’t overly creative with the puck once he entered the zone, but I thought he was puck management was risk-averse, often putting the puck into shrewd areas where only his teammates could get it and looking to extend puck possession in the offensive zone.

What I saw in bits and pieces last game really came to fruition here, as Ryan’s intriguing skillset along with his nonstop motor made him this game’s top performer. He was constantly supporting pucks all over the ice, using his speed and awareness to retrieve loose pucks in the offensive and neutral zone while supporting his defenders down low in the defensive zone and making strong plays in that regard. His elusiveness as a puck carrier made him quite difficult to contain in transition and in tight quarters, as he demonstrated the ability to shake off contact, get around defenders and propel himself into open space. Ryan’s puck management was another positive aspect of his game as he always seemed to know what he wanted to do with the puck before he got it, which lead to quick and calculated decisions with the puck in all three zones. He scored his team’s first goal of game by driving into space off the rush, receiving a pass and firing a hard and accurate shot through the goaltender.

What really made Ryan standout to me was his speed and passing ability in transition. He was such a great puck manager in the neutral zone, demonstrating the ability to execute long cross-ice passes to streaking teammates or short small area passes to allow his team to play with pace and momentum off the rush. Once he dished the puck off, he would get on his horse to attack the zone with speed to either push back defenders to create space up top or to hound loose pucks in dangerous areas. He scored a goal in the first period in that exact fashion by following up a rebound, winning a foot race against a defender and banging home a loose puck.