Projection: Bottom Four Shut Down

Strengths: Defensive Stick, Size, First Pass

Development Opportunities: Gap Control, Aggressive Defending

Davidson brings a reliable defensive presence to the Central Ontario Wolves backline. He keeps things simple, shuts plays down, and can make a clean pass up ice to get play going the other way. The defensive instincts are sound, smartly using positioning to keep threats to the outside and leverage his long reach to take away options and break plays up. He moves well in his 6’1 190 lbs frame, having the necessary footwork to project as a regular at the OHL level. It isn’t flashy or anything fancy, but the value is in the reliable defensive impact and capable puck-moving.

Ethan does a pretty stellar job at using his stick and size to prevent opponents from getting to the scoring areas. However, the next step for me is using those same tools to disrupt plays earlier in transitions. He does this well at times, I’d like to see him show a bit more eagerness to apply pressure and be more of a suffocating presence in the neutral zone. Maintaining a close gap through the middle of the ice and defending his blueline more aggressively to shut things down well before they get near his net. The puzzle pieces are there for a reliable defensive defender at the OHL level, and I can easily see him getting there.

Davidson was his usual self in this one, flexing his physical tools, mainly his reach to break up plays and win possession for the Wolves. He was constantly looking to apply pressure, especially in the neutral zone, to take away time and space, providing tons of defensive value to his squad in a matchup against a tough opponent. Upon freeing up pucks, he was calm with the puck on his stick and showed to be a more than capable puck-mover, quickly turning pucks around to help COW get back on the attack. The frame and skating are certainly there with Davidson, and game after game I note him as someone who constantly wins pucks, using his tools well, easily putting him as someone I needed to include in my latest rankings.

Davidson was the lone Central Ontario defender I noticed in this one, as he brought a steady defensive presence. Ethan was looking to apply pressure, defend against zone entries, keep attackers to the outside, and use his physical tools to take away options and free up pucks. Davidson didn’t have many puck touches, but when he had a chance, he was moving pucks with control and had a few moments where he was showing ambition to carry pucks out of his zone and push play forward. On the surface there were the obvious physical tools in his frame, and I just thought he used his physical tools well on the defensive side of the puck to add value.