I thought Batchilder was Team Dobson’s best player at this event from start to finish. I was curious to see if he would show that same confidence with the puck I saw the last time he played against his own age group, and I was surely not disappointed this time around. Batchilder was leading the charge for his team from the backend almost every game, using his patented skating ability to carry the puck up ice and act as the fourth forward off the rush. He demonstrated good offensive instincts in transition, often driving the middle of the ice to draw pressure before delaying and kicking it back to a teammate who could attack downhill into space. Off-puck he was doing a great job of activating down low in the offensive zone and jumping into space to make himself a cross-ice passing option for his teammates. He uses his lateral mobility to stick with attackers off the rush, often forcing them to the exterior and limiting any attempts to get to the middle of the ice. The puck-moving looked improved from what I saw at the beginning of the year, even if there were a few miscues on outlets that lead to loss of possession or icings.

Batchilder has displayed immense confidence throughout this event, showcasing his high-end physical tools and providing offence for Team Dobson. He wasn’t afraid to get down low in the offensive zone, either to pinch to keep pucks alive or to create a numbers advantage in board battles along the perimeter. I really liked the way he attacks the middle of the ice when rushing the puck up ice, which opens up room on the flanks for him to dish off too once pressure begins to surround him. The activation in the offensive zone has been a big boost to his game, as there were a few moments in this one where he jumped down from the blueline into an open pocket of space, but this teammates either failed to see him or their passes weren’t able to get through to him. The puck-moving for Batchilder is still a work in progress, as I found in this often he often tries to force pucks through sticks in order to complete the high-reward play, even if it has grown substantially throughout the year.

Batchilder was the best player for Team Dobson by quite a fair margin in this game. He was driving play for his team from the backend, often flashing his high-end skating ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone and create zone entries on his own. He was often taking the puck to the middle of the ice in the offensive zone, delaying for help then kicking it back to a teammate who was able to attack downhill with speed. I thought Batchilder did a great job moving the puck today as well, often spotting his outlet options quickly and making crisp and accurate passes on the tape. He scored one of his teams goals off a smart activation off the rush, getting in behind Team Lecavaliers defenders and firing a one timer shot off a cross-ice pass that found twine.