Bannister was out of the lineup for the Credit River game I watched, so I wanted to give him an isolated check-in to get an evaluation on his play. Evan dominated and controlled the game in this one. He’s so strong on his feet, protects the puck incredibly well, and can easily create separation using his physical tools to his advantage. Bannister could easily play through contact, shed checks, and just be a force with the puck on his stick making it impossible for his opponents to shut him down. His main impact was as a puck transporter, exploding up ice, carrying pucks through the neutral zone, and then dishing off to his linemates once play has been established in the offensive third. Evan recorded a goal and two assists, his goal being a strong shot from the wing and his assists both being off downlow plays and then hitting teammates in the slot. Entering the year I knew Bannister was a player to watch, but I certainly didn’t think he’d be this dominant, so that’s been great to see early in the year.

Bannister stood out with his speed and explosive skating, consistently carrying pucks up ice and attacking off the rush. In open ice, his strong and powerful strides propelled him through the neutral zone, blazing by defenders and making transitions seamless with him leading the charge. There was a good balance in his rush sequences, showing he can be a dual-threat attack the net and also bring a playmaking element as well. Shift after shift, Evan was driving play, carrying pucks into the offensive zone, and setting up chances for this Credit River squad. While he displayed a lot of positive offensive characteristics, there was a solid physicality and competitiveness aspect to his game, always battling for pucks and frequently coming away with possession after an engagement. It was only a preliminary view, but he seemed to have the intriguing combination of dynamic offensive tools, skating, and physical abilities that make for a player to keep a close eye on.

What a tenacious player. He continued to use a combination of awareness, quick reactions, and determination to continue to challenge defenders in multiple situations. There were shoulder checks in nice spots, knocking down loose pucks, getting pucks on net quickly, and great awareness of pressure down low to chip pucks to himself and set up more space to pass out of. I think in open ice, there were moments where others would catch him or really pressure him fast so he had to adapt. Still, he found breakaway opportunities and even challenged defenders by trying to slice right between them. I like his attitude and his approach to the game.

I thought his play was solid today. He was using shoulder checks before centering passes, knocking down loose pucks in the offensive zone, and getting pucks on net quickly. He’s a quick reactive player and jumped on a few key moments to create something out of the chaos. That tenacity worked in his favor today as he finished a breakaway attempt, was chipping pucks up to himself, and showed great battle down low as the game got feisty.