A highly mobile defenceman possessing good size, Jaden Licastro was able to be a steady two-way force in this game for the Marlboros. Licastro has a really good sense for the game and is able to read plays well and knows when is the appropriate time to activate or not. He can carry the puck in transition and flashes some deception with it. Despite not factoring into this game offensively, Licastro was able to help generate chances for his team while also helping out on the defensive end.

As always, Licastro was the backbone of plenty of transitions for the Marlboros. He was active defensively, breaking up plays, and could reliably chip pucks up to his forwards to spark a zone exit. Most of his plays were these simple actions of breaking up a play or retrieving a dumped-in puck and then connecting on a first pass up to make a play with control. There were flashes of showcasing his mobility and ambition, evading a check and then carrying pucks up ice, but for the most part I just liked that he was engaged defensively to win pucks and facilitate breakouts. A well-rounded performance from one of the top defenders in the class.

Similar to McNally, I thought Licastro was noticeable for his play in the defensive zone and being impactful at all the things that go into facilitating exits. He was winning pucks, jumping passes, and being a suffocating presence in his defensive third, constantly freeing up pucks and securing possession. He was rarely sitting back in defensive situations, but looking to apply pressure and give up little time and space for the opposition. With the puck, Jaden kept things simple, connecting on his passes and chipping pucks up to his forwards to help get play going the other way. This game didn’t have the usual flashes of high-end moments from Licastro, but I thought he was effective and a key piece on Team Blue’s backline.

It wasn’t one of the jump off the page performances that I’ve seen plenty of from Licastro but I thought he played well. He was constantly breaking up plays and using his feet to evade pressure to facilitate exits. It was a solid sample of showing how quickly he can shut a rush down, pivot, and then spark a play the other way. Jaden was calm and confident when handling pressure and was able to make smart plays to get pucks out of his defensive third with control.

It was a tough game for the Marlboros in a lopsided affair against the powerhouse Caesars squad, but I liked that Licastro was still trying to play his game. He was looking to carry pucks up ice, play that active push the play style that I have raved about all year long. It didn’t amount to much in terms of offence or goals, but I just liked that he was still confident and not backing down against such a strong opponent. Games like this are where you see what players still can shine and I thought Jaden still showed positively despite the ice being tilted in this one.

Consistently performing end-to-end rushes, Jaden Licastro showed off his mobile, high end puck moving ability weaving in and around opposing players. He flashes some deception and creativity with the puck on his stick, drawing in opposing players to then side-step them and carry it up himself or throw a pass tape-to-tape. On top of his offensive abilities, he is good on the other side of the puck, using his vision to read plays and angle opponents along the boards where he is unafraid to physically engage.

Licastro’s skating was the focal point of what impressed me. He gets around the ice so effortlessly, strong straight-line skating, powerful pivots and turns, and just all around a really mobile defender. There were a few moments where he took over a play, evaded a handful of forecheckers and was able to transition the puck so cleanly all thanks to his footwork. In terms of impact in this game, I thought he brought a strong puck-winning game, securing possession in his end and keeping plays alive in the offensive zone. He was just doing a lot of the little plays that help get pucks in the offensive zone and keep them there to establish zone time. Without a doubt a top performance from one of the top 2010 defenders in the province.

In my views, Licastro was the best defender over the course of the Toronto Titans Tournament. He was incredibly assertive with the puck, always influencing the game, playing a strong, confident, and all-around involved style of play. All over the ice, in all three zones, Jaden was at the center of the play and making things happen. Whether it was winning pucks, activating to carry play through the neutral zone, or being eager to attack within the offensive third, Licastro showed to be more than capable in all facets of the game. There was this sense of every time he was on the ice, he wanted the puck, he wanted to control the flow of the play, and wanted to take over that was really fantastic to see the more and more I watched. I already knew he was a top player in this age group, debuting him quite high on our first roll-out of the Canadian 2010 rankings, but somehow he still exceeded my expectations with his play over the tournament.

I saw bits and pieces of Licastro at the OHL Cup, but this was my first real chance to evaluate him, and I saw some promising elements in his game. There was just an overall solid blend of mobility, puck-moving, and defensive habits that I noted all game long that made for a strong performance. I thought he did an excellent job at shadowing oncoming attackers, keeping them to the outside, not giving them much space to operate, and shutting down their rushes. Upon forcing turnovers, Jaden got his head up, scanning for options, and routinely hit on his exit passes, making for a strong performance as a defender who could quickly turn plays around. Licastro had some flashes in the offensive zone, using his feet to walk the line and evade checks, but I was mainly impressed with his play in his defensive third.