Projection: Middle Six Forward

Tools: Compete, Forechecking, Goal Scoring

Development Opportunities: Small Area & Cycle Game, Inside Drives

It took me until the midway point of the year to fully appreciate Evan’s game, but the more I watched the more I saw the energy and compete really continue to shine. He’s always working hard on the forecheck, battles for pucks down low, and can lean into the physical side of things. It all makes for a projectable profile of a player who brings consistent work rate to make a difference. I like his off-puck game within the offensive zone, always looking to sneak into open pockets of space, be in the right spot to pounce on a rebound, and offer some goal-scoring upside to the Vaughan Kings.

There have been enough moments of skill and offensive pop that have made me think there is more potential here. With some continued development there, I think he can lean more into the small-area / cycle game, drive the net more, and bring more offensive pop to go along with the solid forechecking foundation. There is a projectable depth forward who can earn a role with the effort alone, and someone I think could hit a higher ceiling as the years go on.

Fitzgerald has been stringing together good performances in many of my latest viewings of Vaughan, making me feel like I may have discounted him in the early days. In this game, he was always motoring, playing with pace and using bursts of speed to carry pucks through the middle of the ice. Evan was the transition engine for his line, controlling the puck across the offensive blueline, and dictating offensive sequences. There’s an element of peskiness that has become more and more obvious as I’ve watched, attacking the scoring areas and being engaged on the forecheck have made me a bit more of a fan of Fitzgerald’s game.

I thought Evan rose to the occasion and came to play in this one. I noticed him first and foremost for bringing an element of forechecking and physicality. It was only a handful of moments, but Fitzgerald was trying to make his mark with hits, applying relentless pressure and finishing his checks when the opportunity arose. He had some nice passing moments, controlling pucks on the outside of the zone, handling with his head up, and spotting an open teammate cutting in the interior. In viewings of Vaughan I typically notice a few other forwards as more primary standouts than Evan, so it was great to see him a bit more in the foreground here.

Evan is the first of a duo of Vaughan Kings’ forwards who I didn’t notice a ton throughout the game but had some plays that found the back of the net. He scored two in this game, the first with a powerful drag release on a two on one, and the second a power move to protect the puck from a defender and drive toward the goal and finish with quick hands in tight. While his involvement only came in spurts, they were some positive moments that spoke to some degree of offensive skill and finishing ability.