He continues to be one of the most pure skaters as far as stride extension, power in the pushes, and ability to accelerate through turns. There were moments off the rush through the tournament where he was attacking one on one and either a bobble or a quick stick poke didn’t quite work for him. He’s still exploring new ways to score. I think he’s at his best when he’s challenging defenders as a quick forechecker, finishing checks, driving the net hard without the puck, and burying opportunities by winning pucks down low in the zone. I think his skating stride makes him one of the safer floor players for the draft to move up levels and how high he goes will be determined by how much offense can still be discovered. As a floor, he can play in a WHL bottom six and excel on the PK regardless.

I thought Lewko was fantastic in this tournament and I think he’s the kind of player that you fight for at the draft table as his effort level, leadership qualities, and ability to raise the play of those around him is rare at this age group. Every coach wants a Cohen Lewko in their lineup as he impacts that game in so many ways. His work rate is second to none and he uses his intensity and physicality to bully opponents into turnovers. His crash and bang style also has a cumulative effect over the course of a game as hesitation begins to build in opposition defenders as they look over their shoulders in fear of Lewko on the forecheck. While Lewko is highly aggressive in all three zones, he is far from mindless and his ability to stay sound positionally and understand his defensive help, given the ground he covers in a shift, is admirable. While Lewko brings the desperation and hustle of a lower line player trying to keep his job, he has the skillset and impact to lead on the offensive end as well. He lives around the net-front and attracts a lot of opposition attention with his ferocity in the danger areas on the ice. He isn’t a player with untold skill, but he has soft feel around the net front, pulls pucks out of piles and gets his stick on rebounds/tips. He also shows understated instincts with timing and getting loose into space when needed. Most impressively his impact on the ice surface is matched by his emotional impact on the team as well. There is a reason he wears the “C” for Rink Winnipeg and his injury in the championship game seemed to turn the tide in NAX’s direction.

The long legged, long stride forward should certainly not have any issues with pacing as he moves up to U18 and U20. He can be very quick to pressure defenders off the forecheck and adjust laterally as well to pester their breakout passes and push them to make decisions earlier. After he makes stationary touch passes along the boards, Cohen is one of the fastest players to close the gap from a standstill by bursting into complementary pacing and get back into the action in the offensive zone. He’s been a consistent producer for Rink Winnipeg this season but it doesn’t come with all the flash and flair that some other players have shown early. Instead, it’s come from quality, well-rounded play. He drives the net hard with and without the puck, is consistently looking to tip pucks in the slot, has his stick down for backdoor options, and cycles the puck well back to the point. His speed and power give him the ability to gather loose pucks and join the rush on the backdoor. There are WHL teams who are looking for players like Cohen in each and every season, knowing the pace and aggression is the difference maker.