Blanchette’s physicality was the main attribute of his that stood out throughout this tournament. He was able to kill a few cycle plays by taking proper angles on defenders and outmuscling them off the puck, helping to facilitate breakouts in the process. He wasn’t shy to assert himself into passing or shooting lanes, breaking up cross-ice opportunities and blocking shots that helped end the oppositions offensive zone sequence. His shot from the point was a weapon in the offensive zone, more specifically his slapshot that came off his stick with velocity and was able to find its way through traffic from time to time. His handling ability limited him as a puck-mover and his role in his team’s transition game, but overall it was a positive performance.

Blanchette is a physically mature defenseman who can make positive plays in all three zones. He possesses a calmness and poise with the puck that at allows him to either out wait or beat the primary wave of forechecking pressure, skate up the ice into space and get the puck up to his forwards. He’s aware and engaged in his own zone, always keeping his head on a swivel to anticipate any threats and get his stick into passing lanes. He often uses his body to lean on puck-carriers along the perimeter to pin them to the boards, dislodge the puck and kill cycle plays as a consequence. He possesses a hard shot from the point that absolutely pops off his stick, but it could stand to be more accurate