Michaud was highly engaged in all facets of the game throughout the tournament, applying a physical edge in his own end to kill cycle plays and showcasing some intriguing puck-rushing ability for a larger defenseman. He took away time and space effectively in his own end, using his reach to close in on puck-carriers along the boards and angle them off the puck. He was active in the offensive zone as well, always looking to get into space off the offensive blueline while also showcasing his hard and accurate slapshot that was able to find its way through traffic and create rebounds in front.

I came to appreciate Michaud’s simplistic yet mature style of play as the camp went along. He’s already quite physically advanced for a player his age, but it’s the way he utilizes it that makes me believe in his developmental pathway. He was able to defend one on one situations quite effectively using both his large frame and an active stick, either guiding them to the outside before closing them off along the boards or timing his step ups well to catch them off stride. He uses his reach advantage in his in-zone defending to wrap around opposing forwards, pin them to the boards and strip them of the puck, neutralizing on-puck threats and killing many cycle plays in the process as well.

As one of the more physically developed kids at this camp Michaud was able to utilize his frame and long reach to execute defensive stops both in the defensive zone and off the rush. He was difficult to get around in one on one situations thanks in large part to his wide wingspan. He was making timely poke checks on forwards attacking off the rush and timing his step ups well to use his frame to remove them from the puck. He was leaning on opposing forwards along the boards in the defensive zone, killing cycle plays and using his size advantage to come out on top in the ensuing board battles.