Paxton wasn’t only one of the best draft-eligible defenders at the tournament, but simply one of the best defensemen in general, finishing at a point-per-game rate with 6 points in 6 games and was a key offensive catalyst on the backend for the Cantonniers from start to finish. He was helping drive play in transition by consistently beating the primary wave of pressure when carrying the puck up the ice before drawing pressure towards him in the neutral zone and threading pucks through seams which lead to many controlled entries. His work head manning the first powerplay unit was extremely impressing, showing great command with the puck at the top of the zone and using subtle head fakes and deceptive tactics to hide his intentions and create space for his teammates as a result. I would’ve liked to have seen him be more aggressive in his rush defending, but he did a good job of denying any dangerous opportunities by sticking with attackers one on one and thwarting attempts to get to the inside with an active stick. He’s not necessarily a dynamic skater for his size, but he showed in this event that he’s able to make up for his lack of truly dominant physical tools with his intelligent and tactical approach to the position.

It wasn’t the most dynamic performance from Paxton from inside the offensive zone, but his play with the puck was still an instrumental part of his team’s transition game. He’s a very confident puck-transporter in transition, often option to wheel behind his own net and beat the primary forechecker with a quick feint before moving the puck up the ice to a forward. His puck-moving was very consistent and effective from start to finish, fitting pucks through seams and directly on the tape of his forwards which allowed them to maintain their momentum and enter the zone with speed.