Projection: Top Four Defender

Tools: Hockey Sense, Strength, Defensive Stick

Development Opportunities: Skating

Beaulieu is an intelligent defenceman who can tilt the ice in all three zones with his high end tools. He has size and a solid frame that allows him to impose himself on offensive players as they try to break into his zone and battle for ice, also using his stick and defensive awareness to break up plays and create turnovers. When he wins pucks back, he has a strong first pass and has enough mobility to carry it up ice himself. His best offensive weapon is his shot, he picks and chooses when to move up to support and can simply fire pucks into the back of the net.

Looking ahead, Beaulieu would be well served to continue to round out and smooth his game. He lacks an explosive element with his skating and he could generate a little more power and speed with his skating. This will help him on the backcheck to close gaps and when he joins the rush.

The Knights’ workhorse on the backend, Ryan Beaulieu is a strong and mobile two-way defenceman. Aside from a major gaffe that resulted in the opening goal by Brady Nash of the Flyers, Beaulieu is a responsible and smart defender who can read the ice well. Defensively, he is able to stop the opposition from advancing and he can disarm opponents well using his stick to steal pucks back. Offensively, he knows when to activate and was able to use that and command the blueline, moving the puck well to his teammates to try and generate chances for his team.

The left shot blueliner Ryan Beaulieu is a smart and mobile defenceman who displays a mature and well refined two-way style of play. From the moment opposing players challenge his blueline onward, Beaulieu has an array of tools at his disposal to disarm them defensively and that was all on display here. As well, he was quick to activate when appropriate and join the rush or kick it off with a well-placed breakout pass. His intelligence and hockey sense is one of the most wowing traits he has.

I typically notice Beaulieu for his mobility and confidence with the puck, but in the final I thought he played a simple and strong defensive game. He was constantly winning pucks, jumping passes, securing possession, and making key stops to thwart the Marlboros’ offensive efforts. Upon forcing a turnover, Ryan was almost perfect in turning plays around with passes up ice, bringing a stellar puck-moving element to go along with the defensive effort.

Ryan Beaulieu showed a lot of value as a two-way defenceman, with his calm and poised demeanor. He was active on breakouts and puck retrievals, even at times drawing in opponents and stepping around them. He is not afraid to get involved physically, using his body to pressure opponents and using his stick to get pucks free. Inside the offensive end he is a legitimate shooting threat, taking a high volume of shots on goal. He was easily the Knights most effective defenceman in this contest.

I thought this was one of the better games I’ve seen from Beaulieu. He showed flashes of his confidence and mobility, connecting on a handful of impressive spin moves to shake forecheckers and keep play flowing up ice. I’ve seen those abilities in bits and pieces in past games, but I thought it all really jumped off the page here to showcase some of his high-end tools. In the offensive zone, he was pinching to keep plays alive and showing the same confidence to try to take over and make an impact. Ryan has been someone I’ve liked in almost all viewings, but games like this are ones that I needed to see to start to think about him in a bit higher of a tier with some of the top defenders in the province.

Much like Van Spronsen, Ryan Bealieu was showcasing his two-way excellence in this game. Himself, he took it up ice on numerous occasions, showing off good power and acceleration. Defensively, he was killing play with his stick, creating turnovers and battling along the wall. A play that stuck out was a good defensive effort, leading to a breakout pass that created a breakaway and almost resulted in a goal.

Beaulieu brought a good blend of mobility and activations, along with a simple but effective passing game. There were moments where you saw the mobility and confidence to jump up with the play or walk the line to get a shot through, showcasing the tools he possesses. On the flip side, he wasn’t trying to do too much and was an effective passer, moving pucks up ice with control, being that steady puck-moving presence. It was just a solid all-around performance that showed a balanced game from the Knights’ blueliner, and I am curious to see more of him this season after a strong first impression.