Santa Maria was another Little Caesars player who garnered a lot of attention from this event with his really strong performance that saw him amass 10 points in only 3 games. He’s such a good facilitator of play which makes it evident why he was able to have so much success at this tournament because it was very rare to see a play die on his stick. He showed great escapability as a puck carrier, maneuvering his way out of tight spaces to extend possessions and he also had a keen sense of where his teammates were on the ice at all times as he showed the ability to make quick reads with the puck and connect rapidly with his linemates on passing plays. Positionally, he was always able to properly position himself in the offensive zone to be involved in the play and to be considered an option for his teammates and he had a quick, whippy style release that he tried to get off his stick quickly to fool opposing netminders. The fluidity of his play was a big asset to his team’s offence and his name found the scoresheet quite often in this event because of it.

Another player who has started hot to begin their 2024/2025 campaign, Massimo Santa Maria has a deep toolbox of skills that make him a versatile offensive piece. He has some good strength to his frame, can take bumps and bruises and make plays working out of corners and off the half-wall. His footspeed and explosiveness make him effective in bursts coming out of tight areas, overwhelming defenders as he walks around flatfooted opponents, he creates pockets of space needed to zip shots on net. He has a good release through his wrister, and as a whole is more than capable of finishing off players, either from ones he set up for himself via some shifty movements with the puck, or being first on the puck or to an area nearby the goalmouth and hammering a shot on net. His evasiveness and lateral power as he moves up the ice makes him effective at creating layers in the attack for his team, and with quick reads he sent passes up ice to teammates to set up some odd-man rushes. His problem-solving skills on top of his athletic movements allowed him to keep the puck on his stick as he stepped around opponents, slipped the puck into his hip pocket and escaped pressure wide. In the defensive zone he does a good job at sticking with the pace of play, forcing pressure to the outside and moving his feet to keep up with the puck carrier. Engaging himself physically when the opportunity arises, he’s been shown to pin opponents to boards and battle it out. I think a player like Massimo Santa Maria could fall realistically anywhere on a NTDP forward line-up, from being a complimentary top-line winger, to a depth scoring piece. His biggest asset is certainly his processing skill and athleticism put together, giving him a leg-up on opposition and enabling him to fulfill many different roles within a lineup.

Another high-end transfer making his debut with the Little Caesars program, Massimo Santa Maria left a large impact for his club, being a strong on-puck force, pulling off some dazzling moves, along with showing strong habits in generating offense through sustainable means. He was one of the most powerful skaters during any given game, and his initial few steps really allowed him to power himself up the ice, around crowds, along with pressing opponents with good pace 1-on-1, forcing them onto their heels, and then proceeding to overwhelm them with great puck skills. He’s not listed as the biggest player when lining up against any given opponent, but he makes the most of his size and has tremendous strength on his feet in combination with his balance. He was able to fend off checkers as he moved up ice, endured bumps and shoves, along with won multiple battles as he engaged himself on the forecheck. He was one of those players who made their own luck in many situations. Relentless pursuit of the puck forced errors, and with soft puck skills and the skill needed to capitalize on turnovers. He was able to quickly counter with pucks on net as he intercepted passes or found a bit of space, showing off a quick release with some nice accuracy. A small detail to his scoring game; he knew where to place the puck at the net, knowing what angle worked, shooting against the grain, where to shoot through a screen, and other small changes to his shot that gave him greater success. Rounding things out regarding his play, he made a few nice passing plays to the backdoor, and or to that opponent teammate through a lane that no one saw coming. Making some nice plays off his backend as well, he was versatile in his play, seemingly never handcuffed regarding puck placement around his body. A great start to his season as a whole.

It wasn’t the most dynamic on-puck game for Santa Maria, but I still thought he did a lot of positive plays and the made the most of his touches. He was making really quick decisions with the puck on his stick, showing good scanning habits and processing ability which allowed himself and his linemates to play up tempo and with pace. He was quick to loose pucks in the offensive zone, which often lead to extended offensive zone sequences by winning back possession and setting up the cycle. He made a nice play in the second period by pulling a puck through a defender from off the halfwall that forced him to be hauled down and lead to a penalty.

Santa Maria led the way offensively for Little Caesars, constantly creating chances and making smart plays both with and without the puck. His impact wasn’t limited to the offensive zone, he applied steady pressure in the defensive end and helped his team execute clean zone passes throughout the game. In the offensive zone, he was especially effective. He tallied two crisp assists, setting up his teammates with precise passes, and buried a beautiful goal in the second period to extend Caesars’ lead. It was a well-rounded performance that highlighted his skill and work ethic in all three zones.

There were moments in this one where Little Caesars struggled a bit to get consistent bouts of offensive zone time and I felt Massimo Santa Maria did a good job at helping keep play alive on the cycle, inviting contact, playing strong in physical scenarios, and creating space through physical resilience and his puck protecting abilities. Some good balance helped him stay on his feet and quick hands let him slip pucks around opponents to move the puck around the perimeter. His ability to handle the puck in awkward areas in relation to his body made him a dynamic threat, giving him some good looks as he dangled around opponents and pulled pucks to his backhand, giving him a bit of space to snap shots on goal. He was extremely quick to make a play when a lane was available. In moments of scrambling and chaos he was able to sling off passes cross ice to wide-open teammates. As a whole, a good mix of skill and power helped Santa Maria made an impact on the offensive side of the puck.