A strong series of games from Dax Diep has him as one of the top defenders for his team, often playing a reliable and intelligent 200-foot game, Diep was another standout for the Jr. Ducks here. He moves at an above-average level when compared to many of his peers, allowing him to make controlled plays with the puck on the breakout, whether it be under his own power as he walks around forecheckers, or with a well-timed stretch pass up ice. When opponents came at him with speed, he was able to fairly easily evade them with quick backwards crossovers to go wide as he changed the angle of his pass, or with some powerful straight-line speed and quick hands, power his way around the incoming man. In the offensive zone he was a steady puck mover as well, following the flow of play and supporting his forwards from high in the zone, he remained a passing option for others, and didn’t rush or panic any particular decision when he was in control. A leader on the blueline for the Anaheim Jr. Ducks for a few years now, Diep continued to show us why.