I noted Del Priore in my OMHA Showcase report as someone I saw bits and pieces of, but he impressed me way more during the Silver Stick. I mainly noticed the goal-scoring touch and tight hands in my initial evaluation of Giacomo, and while that was apparent here, I wanted to highlight some other elements. I came away thinking way more highly of his playmaking game and how he used his hands to create passing lanes. Giacomo was patient with the puck on his stick and always had the right move to skirt his way by defenders, opening up space for him to operate. It just seemed like no matter what the defence tried to do to contain him; Del Priore could find a way to escape and spark a scoring chance with a pass after a successful move. His playmaking contributions were evident on the scoresheet, as he recorded six assists in the four games Oakville played in the event. I think getting quicker and more explosive is the key to projecting him to the junior level, but needless to say, he shattered my expectations of his game and put him well on my radar to include in my rankings.

With Del Priore joining Oakville a few weeks into the season, this was my first chance to see him in action. I really noticed him buzzing around the net, leveraging his hands in tight to spark some quality chances. He had a handful of clever moves in small areas to dodge sticks and create the smidge of separation required to generate an opportunity, and these sorts of sequences were my main notes on his play. My initial thought was I’d like to see him get a little quicker over the season, but it was only my first view of him, and it was a positive first impression, and that’s what matters the most.

Right off the bat you could see the powerful hands in tight spaces. He can shift laterally and burst to attempt short side backhanded roof shots if he wants to. He can drag pucks behind his hip and snap with a little extra juice too. I think the most noticeable quality in Gianomo is that ability to read the gap against defenders on the outside while attacking and make toe drag moves at the proper timing. He seemed like he was in total control of those high level interactions. I would have liked to see a bit more of ABC attack from him though. Step into some heavier wrist shots when you have that nice spacing.