Projection: Puck Moving Upside

Tools: Mobility, Puck Management, First Pass

Development Opportunities: Physicality

I've always had time for Hulbert's game. The mobility and smart decision making have always drawn me in, bringing a good foundation to bet on moving forward. He can make plays under pressure, leveraging his lateral footwork to evade forecheckers, and plays with a sense of confidence and patience with the puck on his stick. Drew defends well too, relying on that same footwork to maintain gaps and apply pressure, especially in the neutral zone where he'll often shut down transitions early. He's shown all year the makings of a smart puck-manager who can reliably turn plays around and be a solid transition driver for the Don Mills squad.

It all presents a blend of puck-moving and defensive upside. Someone who can skate at the OHL level, makes the right decisions with the puck, and closes down plays. The mobility and defensive instincts offer a solid base to build on, and I can see Drew developing into a capable piece on a defence group in a few years.

Hulbert has impressed me every time I’ve seen him this summer and the Draft Day Showcase was no exception. I thought he was asserting himself with the puck, looking for moments to carry pucks up ice, and be a difference maker in transition. He didn't hesitate to use his feet to his advantage, exploding up ice, and carrying pucks into the offensive third himself. Drew had some nice moments of defending well with his feet, jumping passes and shadowing attackers, but the pushing pucks up ice was what I saw the most from him.

Hulbert was again the top defender on this squad, controlling everything from the back and being the focal point of so much of their transition game. He was confident and calm whenever he had the puck, whether it meant a quick retrieve and pass up or escaping forechecks and skating it out himself, Drew could find ways to spark controlled exits. Even when faced with pressure, Hulbert didn't panic and still was that confident puck carrier, relying on his feet to get him out of danger and keep play flowing up ice.

Hulbert was one of the best defenders in this one, showcasing his impact at both ends of the ice. His involvement revolved around his mobility and how he moved around the ice in all directions. On the defensive side, he leveraged his footwork to take away space and close gaps early to disrupt opposing rushes. In the offensive direction, Drew was assertive, pushing play through the neutral zone and displaying a tactical approach with the puck, using calculated handling to maintain control under pressure. Finally, he tallied a goal, activating to get up ice and receive a pass as a trailer on the rush that he quickly fired home with a wrist shot.