Projection: Middle Six Upside

Tools: Shifty, Explosive, Play Driver

Development Opportunities: Shot Selection, Inside Drives

Every time I've watched the Reps, I've been intrigued by D'Addario's game. He's quick and explosive, pushes the pace, and uses his speed to move the needle all over the ice. The processing and smarts are clearly there, consistently finding the right spots to support the play, making correct reads, and dictating the game down the middle of the ice with his hockey sense. On a team where things weren't always clicking, he was often the one sparking a zone exit with his feet, leading the charge in transition, and generating chances off the rush with impressive end-to-end carries. The playmaking and shot release offer a dual-threat source of offence, making him a primary catalyst for the Reps this season.

He's simply a player I am willing to bet on to see what happens. The speed and smarts provide a great baseline, and as we get to the tail end of a top 100 it really becomes a matter of picking your guy. I've seen more than enough flashes where he's impressed me and left me thinking there's something here worth developing. An upside pick, but exactly the kind of swing I'm inclined to make in the later rounds.

D’Addario’s non-stop pace was at the forefront of my notes after this one, as he used his quickness to create separation and generate dangerous chances. He attacked with speed in transition, winning entries and more than a handful of quality looks off the rush. He was attacking defenders with his combination of speed and handling, beating them with moves to the interior, turning a few inside out while gaining a lane to the middle of the ice. Joshua scored two goals, both speaking to a sense of offensive awareness and finishing touch to be in the right place at the right time to capitalize on net-front opportunities. D’Addario has always been at the top of the list whenever I watch the Reps and this game was yet another addition to that sample.

Joshua was another one where I liked the physical tools and the promise they provide moving forward. He used his speed and strength to drive play wide, blaze off the rush and attack the net on a handful of sequences that really jumped off the page. I thought he controlled the play well on these rush sequences, dictating the flow, and making solid puck decisions. He scored two in the Reps game I watched, one rebound and the second an entry off the rush that he continued down low and beat the goaltender with a wrap-around. As always, these first few views are about getting a general feel for players and I just liked some of the elements to D’Addario’s game landing him on my list to keep an eye on.

The first thing I noticed in D’Addario was the pace and raw power in his skating, and how he got around the ice efficiently. Especially off the rush, Joshua could blaze through the neutral zone, and gain steps on opponents through his skating, sparking a handful of chances utilizing his footwork to his advantage. Joshua also brought a powerful shot release that I noticed on a few occasions, but namely when he wired one home from the slot to the top corner. There was just a solid all-around set of physical tools and add in some flashes of playmaking and slick handling, and it was a noteworthy first impression from the Reps forward.