Projection: Top line centerman
Projectable skills: Puck management, Playmaking, Shooting ability, Work rate
Development Opportunities: Strength, Skating

Adam embodies practically every quality I am looking for in a player. He's a cerebral puck manager, a top-notch playmaker, and he just doesn't stop going. There are so many things I could say here about what he brings to the table, but the key word to me is efficiency. Whether it's in transition or within the offensive zone, everything he does is efficient. His game doesn't revolve around commanding the puck for long stretches but from making quick decisions to link plays together and improve the position of the puck. That aspect of his game makes me so optimistic about him moving forward, as I have no reason to think his game shouldn't translate perfectly to the next level. If I'm starting a franchise from scratch, Adam is easily the player I want to select to build around, as he has every quality I am looking for in that #1 centerman to bring the top of your line-up together.

I had trouble thinking about what I'd want him to focus on moving forward, but with any young player, adding muscle and getting stronger is always a priority. His skating isn't an issue at all, but especially thinking longer term than junior and him being slightly undersized, continuing to prioritize skating development to ensure his quickness can remain a competitive advantage as he climbs the hockey ladder is a development area for Adam.

While Valentini's performance wasn't quite dominating, I still thought he was fantastic. As always, whenever he was on the ice, he commanded the game, dictated the flow of things, and was the primary puck carrier behind so much of the Marlies transitions. Within the offensive zone was where he made his mark, constantly spotting teammates in scoring positions and threading pucks to them to give them quality scoring chances. Whether it was a slick touch pass to the slot or a cross-ice pass through lanes, Valentini consistently moved pucks to open teammates within the offensive zone, even hitting a teammate backdoor for an open net through these passes. The transition impact and passing game have been what I've adored from Adam since day one of the season, so while it's no surprise, it's still always terrific to see.

I came away thinking Adam was once again the primary engine on the Canadian side. He was the forward who most impacted transition, frequently driving play into the offensive zone with perfect control and setting up the attack. All game long, Valentini crossed the offesnive blueline, scanned for passing options, and swiflty spotted an open teammate, sparking a quality shot on target. He was deceptive to maneuver around defenders when needed, opening up passing lanes in the process and further enabling him as a playmaker. Valentini was a pest without the puck, being relentless in applying pressure, leading to him breaking up many plays, intercepting passes, and forcing turnovers. All of this is what I've seen Adam do time and time again in club play with the Malrboros, but seeing him continue to dominate at the Youth Olympic Games has been truly impressive.

Despite not hitting the scoresheet, I thought Valentini was one of Canada’s most effective forwards throughout the entirety of this game. Despite being the team’s smallest forward, he is consistently able to gain access to quality scoring areas on the ice thanks in large part due to his overwhelming skill set. There were multiple times in this game where he was able get around defenders with deft stickhandling maneuvers, whether it be off the rush with speed or in congested areas where it seemed like there was no play to be made. Another thing that stood out to me about Valentini was his high-end spatial awareness. He anticipates pressure at a very high level, baiting defenders in one direction before peeling off with quick footwork and heading the other way. He uses every bit of ice that is offered to him in the offensive zone and was rarely hanging off to the perimeter with the puck on his stick. I think if Canada is going to advance any further in this tournament, Valentini is going to be a big part of that success.

While the Ruck twins dominated the scoresheet on the line, I thought Valentini was the one "quietly" making everything happen. It wasn't anything flashy that would wind up on a highlight reel, but he was efficient at linking plays together to advance play deep into the offensive third and allow the Ruck's to work their magic. It was simple yet effective chip plays to secure zone entries, fishing pucks out from the wall, and just a lot of little plays the led to positive results. Adam constantly controlled the play on the perimeter of the offensive zone, dominating possession and ensuring Canada remained in control and on the attack. Valentini capped off the performance with a late third-period goal, pouncing on a turnover in the slot and firing one past the keeper from a prime shooting position.

I've outlined two parts of Blue's top line of Mbuyi-Valentini-Zurawski, and of course, Valentini played a vital role in that trio. Adam had a few sequences where he attacked off the wall, driving the middle, for scoring chances, but as typical with him, his passing was the critical tool he flexed to add value. All game long, Adam controlled play through the neutral zone, entered the offensive third, and picked apart the defence with clever passing. Valentini was able to spot the gaps in the defence and constantly move pucks through them to open teammates in scoring position. As always with Adam, he made everything tick and created plenty of scoring chances for his linemates.

Valentini was once again the focal point of absolutely everything on the Marlboros. Stylistically, there isn't a comparison here, but in terms of raw impact, it was similar to what I expected from Will Moore last season. Just like Moore, he was their dominating force in transition, controlling the play down the middle of the ice, and setting up so many chances after securing a controlled zone entry. All tournament long, Adam drew in pressure, forcing defenders to shift out of position, and then dished it off to teammates in the space that defenders just vacated. There was no shortage of sequences of him attacking the middle of the ice, relying on his deceptive hands to navigate his way by defenders and into the scoring areas of the offensive zone. Valentini showed his shooting ability in their 2-1 overtime victory in the elimination round against the Peterborough Petes. The first was a powerplay one-time blast from the side of the umbrella. The second Adam scored the overtime winner, hammering a slot pass to the back of the net to give the Marlboros the victory. Adam has consistently impressed all year long, and his play at the Holiday Classic was yet again another terrific performance.

Adam Valentini was undoubtedly the top performer at the 2023 Whitby Silver Stick. Valentini was the heart and soul of the Marlboros on their path to the finals and drove so much of their offence. What made Adam's performance so spectacular was just how much he dominated in transition and as a playmaker. All weekend long, Adam was dictating the game, entering the offensive zone with control and creating scoring chance after scoring chance. Most of these sequences came from either Adam using slick hands to navigate to the middle of the ice or him showing patience to delay, buy time, and then distribute the puck to teammates in the center of the ice. Regardless of how Adam created his offence, he could do so almost at will, and opposing defenders couldn't stop him from somehow creating a scoring chance. He was such a phenomenal distributor on the powerplay, constantly moving the puck around the offensive zone and setting up scoring chances. Rarely did he ever overhandle the puck, and he was always scanning for passing options and moving it before the defence could close down the lanes. As well as a passer, Adam added value as a shooter on the powerplay, notching a few goals, notably a one-timer blast from distance. There's so much more I could rave about in Adam's play over the weekend, but the key message here is his speed, puck skills, and decision-making all worked in tandem to drive tremendous results and post a dominating performance all tournament long.

Valentini wasn't at any of the summer events we covered, so I last saw him at the 2023 OHL Cup, so I was eager to get an updated view of him. Two key elements stood out in Adam's game, the first being his speed. He was zooming all over the ice, gaining separation from his opponents, winning battles to the puck, splitting defenders, and attacking the middle of the ice. He's such an explosive skater, allowing him to be a force in transition and drive so much of the play for the Marlboros. The second aspect was his play as a puck manager and facilitator. He's so smart with the puck on his stick and rarely concedes possessions. His puck touches are quick, flashy, and slick, yet there is a tactical element to it where none of it feels unnecessarily risky. He can solve any problem the opponents present, and when combining his puck skills and speed, he is impossible to contain. Staying within the puck manager department, Valentini was such an impactful playmaker. He moved the puck around the offensive zone so well and was just such an effective distributor. Multiple times a game, he'd combine everything discussed above, using his speed to zoom through the neutral, fake by a defender with a nifty move, and then slip a pass to a teammate in scoring position for a chance. It was a phenomenal performance from Adam that solidified his spot near the top of the initial 2024 OHL Draft rankings.

Adam is the second 2008 among this group and a notable prospect for the 2024 OHL Draft. Like Hawery, I found Adam to be an effective puck manager, which is impressive as an underager. He didn't hesitate to turn back and delay to buy time for his linemates to complete their routes to open space. Adam showed instances of clever passing, such as using area passes to cutting teammates or using give-and-goes to shift the defence out of position. Scoring a goal off a drag and release shot to the far side top corner, Valentini always proved he has a valuable shot in his toolbox, adding to his prowess as a puck manager and playmaker.

One of very few 2008-born skaters playing up an age group with the 2007’s, Adam Valentini is an extremely shifty puck carrier who can make plays out of nothing thanks to his elite puck control and “puck on a string” nature. Shifty crossovers with some hard stops and turns made Valentini extremely hard to get a read on, taking well calculated risks he was able to penetrate the slot a few times with some nice moves and powerful crossovers to the inside, getting a step on an often-stationary winger atop the zone attempting to cover ground. His short and quick passes along the perimeter also helped the Sens in spreading out defenders, he did a great job in drawing in attention and hanging onto the puck for as long as possible before dishing it to a teammate. One particular play he drew the man from the slot to the half wall before sending the puck down low to Ethan Brassard who centered the now open man in the slot for a strong scoring chance. Despite being a year younger, it’s clear Adam Valentini can hang with the 07’ group.

Valentini was among the few players who hadn't crossed my notes much in round-robin play. I thought he excelled low in the zone, protecting the puck and connecting plays together through effective passes in small areas. Adam was also a useful forechecker applying pressure to the Marlies' backline and forcing multiple turnovers to sustain attacking sequences. Valentini was responsible for the dagger seconds into the 3rd period. He cut off a cross-ice pass, which sprung him on a breakaway where he made no mistake and fired home a wrister to squander any hopes of a comeback for the Marlies.