Bergeron was one of the more impressive players for both sides throughout the entirety of camp, flashing high-end offensive ability along with an intelligent off-puck game that allowed him to generate scoring chances at a high rate. In the initial stages of camp, he looked more like an elite complimentary player, consistently getting himself into dangerous scoring areas in the offensive zone to make himself a prime passing option while also facilitating play in transition with quick one touch feeds. Towards the latter half of camp, he started to command the puck more and turned into a legitimate playmaking threat while also flashing highly impressive 1v1 attacking ability. A handful of times he was able to pull pucks between his legs to get around a defender and attack down low before either firing a shot from below the circle or hooking a pass to the middle of the ice. I liked how engaged he was in battles along the boards in the offensive zone as well, providing support to create number advantages in order to fish pucks out of scrums and make quick feeds to the slot.

Bergeron may have been the most individually skilled player on this entire Québec White roster, combining high-end puck skills and shooting ability to go along with an above-average frame that allowed him to dominate shifts at times. He made some dazzling moves while attacking 1v1 on defenders which allowed him to generate some chances in tight off the rush, often putting pucks through defenders’ triangles or between his legs to generate space and snap a quick shot off from a scoring area. His vision and playmaking really stood out as well, as he was often able to spot options through traffic and connect on low to high passes in the offensive zone that lead to some quick one timer opportunities in dangerous areas. He’s a very dangerous shooter as well, combining a deceptive release with high-end accuracy that allowed him to be a scoring threat from all over the offensive zone. His off-puck intelligence shone through frequently as well, as he was able to consistently find the soft spots in defensive zone coverage and make himself a prime passing option for his linemates.

A big, strong power forward who did a great job at using his size to his advantage at this year’s Kings of Spring event, Julien Bergeron proved to be difficult for opposing teams to slow down with the many different ways he attacked defenses. He was at his most dangerous in transition offense where he would always be looking to take advantage of the open ice in front of him and take off down the wings using his size and speed to blow past opposing defenseman or putting his shoulder down, cutting to the net and overpowering his opponents. He used his reach and large frame to keep the puck away from defenders but also had a finesse to his game where he could use his footwork to quickly attack into open space with the vision to fire passes through tight seams in the defense or use his deceivingly fast release in stride to wire a shot past the goaltender. He controlled the puck extremely well during offensive possessions, prolonging plays by moving his feet and allowing for plays to open up with the decision-making ability to quickly capitalize on lapses in the defensive structure by looking to funnel pucks to the middle of the ice and get chances in the dangerous areas of the ice for himself and his teammates.

What impressed me most about Bergeron while flanking Châteauguay’s top line was his versatile attacking style which allowed him to make positive plays in a multifaceted way. He could either connect plays together in transition through quick and accurate passing in the neutral zone or carry the puck up ice himself, often looking to attack the middle of the ice in order to expand his options and maximize his space. He had a handful of strong shifts in the second period where he showcased a physical side to his game which lead to sustained pressure in the offensive zone, particularly by boxing out defender s below the goal line in order to win battles for loose pucks before connecting on low to high passes to create slot opportunities for his linemates. He nearly scored not too long after, demonstrating intelligent off-puck play to work his way into space, catch a hard pass in stride while simultaneously maneuvering around a stick check to work his way to the slot to get off a backhand shot. I’ll be interested to see just how much more effective he can be as his confidence grows through more puck touches as the season progresses.