I thought Nicolay was Red Deer’s most noticeable defensive presence bringing size, mobility, and skill to the table. His skating is so smooth and fluid, with the power and agility to cover a ton of ground effortlessly. He gets up to speed quickly, overwhelming opponents with pace and showing an extra gear at full speed. I really like how Nicolay uses his speed, using the threat alone effectively to drive defenders back, creating space, before darting east/west, changing the attack angle and creating missed assignments to exploit as a passer. While he’s advanced as a breakout threat, I think he has way more to give in the offensive end. I will be looking for him to use his same tool advantage in the offensive third as he does in the defensive and neutral zones.