The crux of Bibeau-Rivard’s game is his speed, which is what he used to be an effective member of Team Savage’s forward group. The majority of my notes on him were based on his ability to wind up in the neutral zone with the puck on his stick, push back defenders to gain the offensive line and create off the rush. There were times where I thought he took shots from bad angles or skated himself into problematic areas, but overall, I thought his performance was a net positive as he helped garner offensive zone time for his line on a consistent basis. His speed allotted him a handful of breakaways as well, but he wasn’t able to capitalize on them throughout the tournament.

Bibeau-Rivard is a player who’s at his best in open ice, as he possesses some of the best skating mechanics in the entire draft class. He’s able to get to top speed rather quickly and possesses a separation gear once he gets there, which allows him to be quite the effective puck transporter in transition. I really liked his adaptability off the rush when defenders were able to cut off his route, he demonstrated the awareness to stop up and execute a quick pass to a supporting teammate that facilitated a clean entry. He had some fine moments of playmaking off the rush where he was able to hit a pass through seams cross-ice that lead to same dangerous chances for his linemates. There are times where Bibeau-Rivard can get himself into trouble with the puck by skating himself into congested areas upon entry, which I believe hinders his full potential as dynamic on-puck player.

Bibeau-Rivard has been a personal favorite of mine from this Québec group since I got a glimpse of him last December, and this event did nothing to hinder that sentiment. He was one of the better transitional attackers throughout the entirety of camp, consistently using his high-end speed to keep defenders on their toes and either turn them around or hit a quick delay to gain separation and execute a pass to a trailer option. He’s very multidimensional as a rush attacker, using lateral cuts across defenders with a combination of slip or drop passes depending on what the defense is giving him. It’s this ability to process information on the fly that makes me such a fan of his game. Off-puck he takes really solid routes to the net, timing his arrival perfectly which he used to score a couple of backdoor tap in goals off the rush throughout camp. He did have the luxury of mostly playing with Duclos-Claude and Nolette-Robidoux who all play for the same club team, but he also showed great chemistry with Alexis Joseph in the one game they played together, a testament to his ability to adapt and play with high-level players.

Bibeau-Rivard’s speed was a major factor in this game, using it effectively both on and off the puck to help create chances for himself and his linemates. His hard work off-puck in the offensive zone lead to some lengthy offensive sequences, as he was constantly driving his feet to apply pressure to opposing defenders, forcing turnovers and winning battles along the boards. He was also quite effective as a puck-carrier in transition, using his speed to drive back defenders as he gained the offensive zone with control, although there were times he skated himself into trouble which resulted in a loss of possession. His hard work nearly got him on the scoresheet late in the game when he won a race to a loose puck off the forecheck and made a quick feed to the low slot that was initially capitalized on, but the goal was called off due to the net coming off its moorings.

Bibeau-Rivard’s high-end speed and skating ability was sort of nullified in this tight checking game, although his puck distribution was still able to shine through in moments. He was facilitating plays in transition with hard and accurate passes in the neutral zone that he slipped through sticks and feet. He flashed a delay game with the puck on his stick in transition as well, opting to post up at the top of the offensive zone and feed streaking teammates who could then attack downhill into space. A majority of his puck touches in the offensive zone came by him keeping his feet moving consistently and pouncing on loose pucks when they presented themselves, which extended a handful of offensive zone sequences.

While it wasn’t my most effective viewing of Bibeau-Rivard, his speed as a puck carrier still allowed him to play an integral part in his team’s transition game. He was able to drive back defenders off the rush every time he entered the zone, even getting a step on them a few times and cutting to the net for an in tight chance. The playmaking at full speed was a bit hit or miss for me, as he was often just throwing pucks to the middle hoping something would come of it. His best moment came in the second period when he won a race to the loose puck in the neutral zone for a two on one and then slipped a pass through a defender to Alexis Joseph who scored.