He’s one of the players in this draft who is able to use that frame in high traffic and understands how to protect until he can release a heavy shot in motion. He can extend, snap releases, and push and shove his way into possession of the puck along the walls. I felt like he was quite spicy and was leaning into the physicality before and after the whistle more than I’ve seen. At times though, he doesn’t quite find those moments and players can get sticks on the puck and throw a wrench into his tactics and timing. At this point, he has others dominated with his size and reach so I want to see him leaning into the swagger of being able to find space in ways others can’t at this level.

Right away, he already has the size and length of stride that you’re looking for in potential WHL players down the line. He’s strong on the PP, can track sticks defensively, and slice through traffic at high speeds with the puck. That reach can extend as he’s sweeping through coverage and adapt which is nice to see for a player with size. I noticed the awareness in his passing angles and how his overall motions are more flowy and smooth than they are choppy or abrupt. It means that his puck control is often steady but without the puck I’ll be looking for improved urgency in how he changes direction and applies pressure in all three zones to effect turnovers. NAX features a top BC offensive player in Liam Bordt and a top Saskatchewan forward in Danel Ramazanov so Justin’s style of play should be fun to uncover as he finds a spot among an offensive top-6.

I’ve had the opportunity to see Castonguay’s progression throughout the season and he is really rounding into form as KC’s dominant offensive threat. He is such an intriguing blend of size, skill, and poise. Despite his young age he is already so comfortable using his frame to protect the puck. He has excellent instincts when reacting to pressure showing slick hands to reposition his body between the defender and the puck to buy more time. Even when teams threw multiple defenders at him, he seemed to have a knack for calmly absorbing the pressure, keeping the puck out of reach, before maneuvering interior. That blend of size and skill; of planning and improvisation; is tough to teach and makes him incredibly difficult to gameplan against. He seemed to be able to outwait every defender, forcing commitments before manipulating the puck around them into empty space. His stride has also become much more fluid as the year has progressed, giving him an extra gear to attack with pace and his efficacy on the rush is starting to match his comfort level on the cycle. I’m excited to see how his progression continues as he enters his WHL draft year next season as he is sure to be one of the top players available out of Alberta.

I think this game for Justin is a great example of getting down to the nuts and bolts of why plays work and why they don’t. He’s got ample reach, lots of room to drag around players laterally, and found success in this game by using that to make lateral passes work or to force the goaltender to stretch quicker. He was able to keep control of pucks long enough to make those sequences work despite not entirely being in control of the puck throughout it. However, his size and bursts to the middle of the ice give him the space to operate and at least get separation when others might not be able to. It means that as he’s working on better puck control in higher stress moments, it might still work out for him in the longer run. He grabbed a goal and an assist in this one.