He has the size and ability to power himself into the offensive zone quickly while driving the play down low. That higher-end pacing combined with these flashes of toe drag snapshots in the high slot give him an interesting longer-term projection. He’s already listed at 6’1 and 185 pounds and it shows in his power, length of stride, and shot release too. I find with him that there are more situational refinements that can be addressed to take advantage with more consistency the types of advantages he can create but overall the potential is still very high. He can swat at pucks, protect on the outside, play with others in motion, and give you a little bit of all the things he will need to continue to succeed. He’s someone that could put up points in big bursts in the second half of this year potentially. His ability to finish makes him even more interesting.

The last 2011-born skater on OHA Edmonton that I want to highlight is Steven Leavitt, mainly because of his size and sheer athletic ability. He’s already six feet tall with tremendous skating ability—long, powerful strides paired with quick bursts of speed, great edge control, and sharp changes of direction made him an unpredictable threat on the rush. I really liked how he used his body positioning and head fakes to freeze defenders as he attacked wide with speed. One goal saw him sneak up on a defender in the neutral zone, steal the puck, and instantly turn on the jets to blow by everyone for a breakaway goal. Leavitt is someone I project will only get better as he gets older and should become a very impactful player.

I made note that his ability to generate speed and momentum is a huge translatable quality. He gives those big, heavy bursts on the outside and can quickly turn plays around in the NZ to push deep in the zone. With that skating and reach advantage, Steven showed he can battle along the wall and take his time on lateral passes or shot attempts. I think it’s a beautiful amount of chaos at this moment. He creates advantages and gets rewarded with a goal off a shot that he didn’t get all of. It doesn’t always matter though. As long as you are creating those spots, some greasy goals will find their way too. It means the baseline is high and he can start experimenting with more creativity in those moments.