Walker’s size, skill and confidence from the backend make him one of the more intriguing defensive prospects out of Atlantic Canada this year and I thought his play throughout the tournament was a definite step in the right direction in terms of his progression. He seemed much more calculated in picking his spots to jump in offensively rather than just stepping on the gas pedal throughout the entirety of games, which in turn helped limit his defensive risk. He seems to have shored up his puck-moving ability as well, demonstrating the ability to slide pucks through sticks and traffic while he moved up ice to hit teammates in stride and initiate entries into the offensive zone with control. Some of his best moments came from the offensive blueline and in where he made some shrewd pinches at the hashmarks to keep plays alive, activating down low into space to make himself a passing option and showing great confidence with the puck on his stick to walk the line and get pucks on net. I liked his scanning habits on retrievals that allowed him to anticipate pressure and make quick reversals to his partner to facilitate the breakout. There’s still some work to be done in terms of his rush defending, but he does possess a lot of the tools that could make him a productive offensive defenseman at the next level.

Walker’s physical stature and willingness to consistently activate on the offensive side of things made him an effective defender for New Brunswick in all three zones. He demonstrated some good edgework on his retrievals by spinning away from forecheckers with quick turns up the ice, gain separation and make a quick outlet up the ice to allow his team to exit out the zone. He was also able to utilize his frame along the perimeter in the defensive zone to lean on opposing forwards, rub them out along the boards and kill cycle plays as a consequence. Walker’s best work in this tournament came on the offensive side of things where he showed high level instincts and activations to consistently create offence from inside the offensive blueline. I noted a plethora of times where he was able to pinch in below the hashmarks to either break up outlet passes or keep pucks alive before firing quick centering feeds to the middle of the ice. Walker also made some smart activations in transition to join the rush and act as the 4th forward for his team, which gave puck-carriers options up high and generated looks for himself from the high slot where he could get shots off attacking downhill.

It was a mixed bag for Walker throughout this camp, who came in as one of the more heralded defense prospects from the province this year thanks in large part to junior-hockey frame (6’1 and 183 lbs) along with his 58 points in 34 games playing U15 AAA last season. Although the warts in his game rear their head on occasion, I was able to get a glimpse of the confidence and overall toolkit that could make Walker an early pick in the 2025 QMJHL Draft. For one, he’s extremely active in transition from the backend, especially as a puck carrier where he combines a powerful skating stride with good enough puck control to weave through the neutral zone and attack the offensive blueline consistently. He showed some creativity with the puck as well once entering the offensive zone, using a series of drop and slip passes to get pucks to teammates in space after drawing defenders the opposite direction. Walker also showed some really strong instincts off-puck from atop the offensive blueline, often picking the right moments to jump off the line and make himself a backdoor passing option for teammates. At this juncture in his development the puck-moving is a work in progress; there were times when Walker would rush his decision-making and force an outlet to an already covered teammate and often fail to look off his primary passing option. He’ll definitely be one of the more intriguing defenders to keep tabs on this season.

Walker’s overall toolkit allowed him to orchestrate breakouts from his own end on his own terms, either using his size to shield the puck from forecheckers to buy himself time to make an outlet or utilizing his edgework to spin away and gain separation where he could then use his feet to execute a controlled exit. His confidence with the puck carried over the offensive zone as well where he demonstrated patience and poise at the top of the line to outwait sliding defenders and wait for shooting lanes to open up so he could get pucks on goal. Walker also had his moments defending the rush by using gapping up quickly to attackers, forcing them to the outside and sealing them off along the boards to remove them of possession.

Walker’s overall aggressive style of play, both instinctually and physically, helped create advantages for New Brunswick all over the ice. In the defensive zone he was using his size advantage against some of the smaller PEI forwards to hit them off the puck and kill cycle plays as well. He had a few strong sequences going back for retrievals in his own zone, drawing the forechecker towards him before making an explosive cut to gain separation and make a short area pass to initiate the breakout. I thought his best work came in the offensive zone where he was very active along the halfwall, consistently timing his pinches well and keeping pucks alive which lead to plenty of sustained pressure. He certainly wasn’t shy to activate down low into space either, which helped him get a few looks from some dangerous areas.

Walker looked much more comfortable in this game than the last. He was very active in transition for Team White, often acting as the fourth forward off the rush and making himself a passing option in pockets of space up high in the neutral zone. He wasn’t shy to activate down from the offensive blueline either, often planting himself backdoor or getting in the crease area looking to pick up rebounds. He earned himself an assist on a really strong sequence in the second period when took to puck from his own end to the offensive zone, demonstrating good route taking as a puck-carrier, before executing a drop pass to a teammate in space that lead to a goal. The puck-moving is still a work in progress, but I saw more of the tools that made him one of the more productive defenders in his province last season.