The trio of Liam, Tatum, and Marek are going to be ones I watch very closely moving forward. I don’t think we see them go very far apart in the draft either when all is said and done. There were flashes and moments of his mobility, composure in motion, and ability to skate through layers of coverage. Another really solid defender with upside.

Marek was another player I thought played rather excellent at the event. He was someone who I haven’t watched as closely as of yet who moved his way up my bigger list. The skill elements were present with heavy snap releases, keeping his feet moving under pressure, and receiving passes in motion with an ease and control. Once he’s driving the puck up ice, I loved how smooth he can shift his balance or pivot to the backhand. Those elements of pull moves, transition play, soft hands, patience to wait for small space passing lanes to open, and a general ease to his front and back crossovers made him an easy player to make tons of notes about. I want to make sure I’m not getting ahead of myself in pushing him up the ranking too early but I could see him rising as we go along too.