I noticed Sawaya over the Titans Tournament, but he definitely jumped out at me more during the OMHA Showcase. Sawaya is a mobile and powerful skater who, I thought, played a well-rounded game that showed flashes of many different elements. Connecting on the first outlet pass, keeping play in the offensive zone, and confidently walking the line were all some of the flashes that spoke to what Alexi was all about. On the defensive side, he had a few nice moments of taking away time and space in the neutral zone, applying pressure and making zone entries difficult.

I liked Alexi’s game in this one. I thought he did a solid job breaking up plays, being aggressive on the defensive side of things to shut down offensive sequences and win possession. When he had the puck, you saw the flashes of mobility and confidence to wheel up ice and carry pucks end to end when the opportunity presented itself.