I got to see what I’ve seen from Micah at other events, which is that he can make pockets of dangerous space work for him. When he has the puck in spots to score, his accurate shot, good positioning for rebounds, and big frame to protect in motion allow him the space needed to get the job done. During these games, he did struggle with behind slightly behind the overall pacing of the playdrivers and his power moves on the exterior got met with good defensive positioning and put him to the corners or made him make drop passes as well. He’s good at protecting the puck in the cycle once its there against smaller opponents and can even give you that little cut away from pressure along the boards if he has momentum built going into it. He’s smart, calculative, and uses his natural wingspan and frame to assist in what he needs. I wouldn’t want him to be the person with the puck on his stick in the slot while he has momentum. I think his best hockey will be played when he isn’t relied on to drive possession by himself. With a strong team-style approach, he can find that offense in the dangerous windows.

One of the oldest players available this year shows that physical maturity on the ice at 6’1 175lbs. In games from last season, summer, and early this year, Micah brings that peaceful deameaner to his approach to the game; seemingly always ready to control possession and protect on the exterior of the ice. He’s shown that he’s a solid passer in motion while problem solving against stick pressure. It tells me that he understands positioning of both the puck on his stick and his own against defensive units. When he can slip to the inside shoulder and find intelligent spacing, he will do that. I think he has the stride length, intelligence, and power to his motions to be a very hard to stop player when he’s activating at full pace. At times he can move to more of a glide and drift in and out of space too without that urgency. It is the push and pull of a calm demeanor. I expect him to be a point producing presence on OHAE this year.

I’ve seen Micah play quite a few times last season and was looking forward to see how well he used his size and IQ to create at this level of competition. He’s such a calm processor, often making you feel like he’s going to hold onto the puck too long because protecting it effectively and finding that next play. I liked that he understood how to press in physically to protect wide and implemented sharp cuts at times to open up passing lanes. I think if he can gain a little more quickness to his approach to the game physically, he’d really begin to explode in potential. It would bring out the harshness of the cuts while making him a dominant pace protection player. He understands how to really get inside the shoulder on players and even how to step into gaps to cut off passing routes defensively.

Another 2011-born OHA Edmonton forward who really impressed me was Micah Montgomery. He created a lot of scoring chances for teammates through quick, creative touches on the puck, especially along the walls. He made little chip passes, area passes, and no-look feeds to teammates swinging through the middle of the ice. He also took over the semifinal against Northstars with four points, scoring twice by getting loose at the backdoor and elevating in tight.