Alongside Sorochak, I thought Waugh was the other defender who did well to provide Team Red with a sense of stability on the back end, shift after shift. What immediately stands out with Waugh is how incredibly balanced he is over his feet. He loses almost nothing in transitions and can change directions on a dime. That effortless stride and four-way mobility means that he can stick with even the quickest forwards with ease. It also serves him with a great base in board battles as his strength over feet allows him to knock bigger forwards off balance so he can escape with possession. Of any player on Team Red, I think Waugh’s path to the junior ranks is the clearest as his skating abilities and defensive instincts are built for a depth role at higher levels. I have some question marks about his ultimate ceiling as he doesn’t seem to have the stick skill, creativity, or frankly desire to be a difference maker on the offensive side of the ledger. He makes simple passes up ice, isn’t overwhelmed by pressure, and possesses a hard shot from the point but he isn’t a play driver up ice.

While other defenders on the Edge roster have their big strengths or interesting quirks, Reeve slots into the mix as simply well-rounded and mature. This game was a prime example of some of the little details he exemplifies such as tying up defenders on the backdoor, talking and communicating with his defense partner aggressively, and using his skating stride to adapt to his defensive partner in order to know when it is smart to join the rush or avoid the risk. Reeve spent a bit of time joining and leading the rushes into the middle of the ice in order to use his heavier snap of a shot from distance. He showed the ability to see the backdoor pass to a teammate for a tip or to simply keep the goaltender honest and snap a shot from the wing. He’s someone who most likely gives you quality defensive play and continues to just be that dependable player as he moves up levels.