Jaxon has been a player who has only continued to impress as the season goes on, and the OHL Cup was no different, as I thought he was easily the Express top performer. Cover's primary impact was mainly around his crafty puck skills and puck management game. Jaxon constantly evaded defenders with clever puck skills and was able to problem-solve his way out of almost any situation. There were two distinct situations where I thought Cover dominated. First, he used his on-puck skills to drive positive results in transition, weaving in and around checks in the neutral zone and racking up plenty of controlled zone entries. The second situation was I thought Cover was fantastic in small areas in the offensive zone, controlling play along the wall and finding ways to escape pressure to get off the wall and attack the net. The final layer to this all is that Cover played with a puck possession mindset and always operated with control. Jaxon never resorted to uncontrolled plays and always sought paths that led to the Express maintaining control. His puck possession mindset and his puck skills worked together to make for a dominating performance in the puck possession department. Jaxon Cover has been one of the high risers in the second half of the season, showcasing he has so many skills I am looking for and I am optimistic there is still plenty on runway for him to continue developing in the right direction.

Cover shined for his ability to control pucks in the offensive zone, all through his crafty and clever puck skills. He was constantly dodging and skirting defenders, maintaining the puck within the Express' control, and extending offensive zone possessions. On these sequences, Cover was consistently able to create space within the offensive zone through this quick hands and find ways to create scoring chances. Whether attacking the middle or finding open teammates, he created numerous scoring chances for the Express.

I mentioned it above regarding Ian Robinson, but a few YSE forwards made solid first impressions at the Titans Tournament, including Jaxon. I noted him as a powerful skater who gained separation through his mobility. Whether beating defenders wide or attacking off the half-wall, Jaxon was exploding to open space and creating scoring chances. He showed ambition to attack the open pockets of space and the middle of the ice to drive to the dangerous parts of the ice.

Jaxon was a player on the Express who caught my eye in early viewings this season, so seeing him stand out again at the midway point was great. Most of my notes on Cover revolve around how he controlled and managed the puck within the offensive zone. I noted Jaxon as a confident puck carrier who flexed quick hands to evade defenders on a handful of sequences. He effectively extended offensive zone time through his actions, skirting checks and ensuring YSE kept the puck with control within the offensive third.

Jaxon has been a steady riser for me throughout the season, and it’s because of the reasons he’s on this standout list today. Cover is an elite puck handler and manager of the puck. Even on standard exits, he stickhandles the puck into the best open ice available all the time and it sets him up to let his skill and instinct flourish. His smarts and off puck positioning allow his line to sustain offensive pressure many times a game, which led to some extra goal scoring opportunities here in these games.