Wycisk, once again, was the star of the show for the Panthers. His ability to combine slick handling and smart body positioning to protect the puck from defenders was outstanding. In open ice, defenders didn't have an answer for his ability to change direction and handle the puck, and he had his way through the neutral zone time and time again. So often, Wycisk was creating space with an impressive skill move to beat a defender to the outside and then smartly hit a pass to an open teammate on the interior. Jaakko set up scoring chance after scoring chance through these types of sequences and was the primary creator for the Panthers. All of this is consistent with my assessment of Wycisk all season long; it just was nice to see it against some strong teams in Barrie & the Red Wings. Wycisk sits in a trio at the top of my list that I could be convinced to put in any order, and I plan to focus on that group a bit more over the back half of the year to really add some precision to where I think he belongs.

Just like at the OHF Championship, Wycisk was the top performer at the Draft Day Showcase. Jaakko's line, along with Edgar and Lappalainen, was the most dominant trio at the event, and Jaakko was the primary catalyst behind much of their success. As with Edgar, many different elements resulted in his success, but I'll focus on one key area to avoid rambling on and on. Wycisk's ability to invite in pressure and then make the perfect move to escape was so impressive and was the central theme of so much of his impact over the weekend. Defenders constantly thought they could contain or dispossess him, and the second they tried to apply direct pressure, Wycisk had every tool imaginable to navigate to safety. His ability to play in motion and in tight quarters was the heart and soul of this, as no matter where he was on the ice or how many defenders tried to close him down, he could maneuver himself or the puck in any direction necessary. The end result of these sequences was defenders shifting out of position to try to close him down, Wycisk escaping them with ease, and then there being so much open space due to the opposition overcommitting towards Jaakko as the puck handler. It just seemed like he could manipulate the defence so easily, create passing lanes to the dangerous areas every time he touched the puck, and spark dangerous chances almost at will. Through his play over the OHF and Draft Day Showcase, Jaakko has cemented himself near the very top of my unofficial rankings for the 2025 OHL Draft, and I suspect he'll begin the year quite high on my list when my first rankings are officially released.

Across many views of Wycisk, both at the U15 and U16 levels, I've known he was going to be a top player in the province, and his performance at the OHF was certainly at that level. Almost every time he was on the ice, the play flowed through him, and he made everything happen for the Panthers. He had a tactical approach to every puck touch, weaving in and out of any defender trying to close him down, relying on swift and methodical moves to navigate to safety no matter the situation. Of course, there were some "flashy" dangles and toe drags, but the practical nature of his touches was what caught my eye 99% of the time. He seemed to understand how to put the puck just out of reach of defenders and just be challenging to contain. Whether it was to carry the puck in the neutral zone, maneuver his way to the middle of the ice, or simply protect the puck, Wycisk was nearly unguardable, and he could more or less access anywhere he wanted on the ice. This ability to manage the puck so effortlessly enabled Jaakko to create so many scoring chances, both as a playmaker and driving to the interior for premier chances, helping the Panthers find the back of the net all weekend long. The cherry on top of this was Jaakko's two-way impact, as he frequently broke up plays in the neutral zone and backchecked to apply pressure. The offensive impact was surely the most noteworthy part of his game, but seeing him shine on the defensive side of the puck was also great to see. It was a terrific performance from Jaakko and helped establish himself closer to the top of the '09 Ontario class than I previously had him.

Entering the year, Jaakko was a player I had pencilled in somewhere in my top 5, and the Titans Tournament was really about focusing on him to see if that assessment holds and where he stacks up against some of the top talent across the province. And as expected, Jaakko looked terrific throughout my viewings of the Sun County Panthers and he was one of the top skaters in the tournament. I could outline many different elements here, but the central theme was his domination as a puck carrier and how he could access the dangerous parts of the ice on nearly every possession. The combination of high-end puck skills and fluid skating enabled Wycisk to skirt any and every defender in his path, control the play down the middle of the ice, and enter the offensive zone untouched on so many sequences. Defenders would try to close him down, and he had either a smart tactical touch, a shifty lateral cut, or a flashy toe drag ready up his sleeve to escape pressure and keep play flowing up ice. Upon entry, Wycisk found so much success driving wide, relying on his frame and handling to protect the puck from opponents and driving the net for quality scoring chances repeatedly. While Jaakko created plenty of chances as a passer, showing a quality dual-threat offence player, I was mainly impressed by his constant desire to flex his tools to attack the middle of the ice and, impose himself on opposing defenders and dictate the game. Wycisk is, without a doubt, a top player in this class, and while I didn't doubt that he would, he has more than solidified that status with his play over the Titans Tournament.

It wasn't the best game I've seen from Wycisk, but there were still flashes of what makes me so optimistic about him. His ability to control the play, draw defenders toward him, and then make a move to escape was once again the focal point. Especially down the wing, he used his reach and frame to protect the puck, win lanes to the exterior and create chances. Jaakko recorded a goal and an assist in the game I watched, blasting a one-timer on the powerplay and recording an assist after winning the puck in the corner and spotting an open Lisi in the slot.

Without Jaakko Wycisk Team Canada 4 likely doesn’t win this game. The fluidity and seemingly effortless skating ability when in control of the puck let him wiggle his way into dangerous ice repeatedly. Excellent deception, puck touches, patience, and reactive play let him walk through-and-around opponents, further opening up his options in which he owned the dual-threat capability to shoot or pass the puck once in dangerous locations of the ice. He scored the third goal to give his team a 3-0 lead early, finding soft ice as the high trailing forward on the rush, he wired the puck past the goaltender before they could even react with a wicked release. He later scored the game winning goal as he swooped around a defender coming into the offensive zone with speed, picking up a pass in stride and heading towards the let from the left-flank, he snapped a strong backhand shot on net that overpowered the goaltender and gave his team the 4-3 lead. Ironically, I found him to be most effective as a playmaker, pushing and pulling defenders around with nifty fakes and dekes, along with bouncing pucks off his teammates creating give-and-go situations from a standstill – yet his most effective plays came as a result of finishing off plays. This just goes to show the duality of his offensive attack and how difficult he is to contain.

Wycisk is the second player who came highly regarded by our team after his standout performances at various events last summer. In this game, I thought he was the primary playmaker for Team White, constantly controlling play in the offensive zone and moving pucks to the middle for scoring chances. He was great at protecting the puck along the wall, spinning off pressure and checks, and being an impactful force in the offensive zone, mainly as a puck manager. There were moments when he dangled his way to the middle of the ice which was impressive, but his play-driving and playmaking ability truly stood out.

As I've been working through getting to know the Ontario '09s, I've become quite familiar with Jaakko's game, so seeing him playing up with the '08s was a nice change of perspective. I thought he fit in well playing up an age category, showing his ability to excel as a puck carrier, using his reach and tactical touches to escape pressure and drive play. He didn't quite take over as he has in my views of him at U15, but there were enough flashes of his powerful skating and puck skills that made him jump off the page. Jaakko notched one of the Panthers' two goals, securing a zone exit with a pass up ice, continuing his route through the middle lane to the net front, and swiftly catching and releasing to the back of the net from right on top of the goalie. It's certainly early in my assessment of the '09s, but he's definitely among my favourites and will be an exciting player to see how he continues to develop over the next year.

Playing up an age group last season with the Sun County Panthers, it is no surprise as to why regarding Jaakko Wycisk as he’s an incredibly talented puck carrier with wicked puck skills in a pinch. Despite maybe not being the strongest player, nor the quickest, he makes do with great passes and space creation as he draws in defenders, outwaits them and buys time with quick hands and evasion twists and turns, before funneling pucks to the middle of the to open teammates. He possesses both the courage needed to handle the puck for prolonged periods, along with the talent needed to execute dangerous passes through seams and bodies to generate scoring chances from within the house. There were a few opportunities when Wycisk was able to display his shot as well, I’d suggest an equally as strong scoring threat as he is a playmaker, the puck pops off his stick in short order, giving defenders difficulty getting in the lanes along with not allowing the goaltender to get fully square to the shot. Overall, a very strong dual-threat skilled player who succeeds thanks to his agility, hockey sense, and overall talent with the puck on his stick.