I remember really liking Tremblay’s game over the summer, so I wasn’t entirely caught off guard by his strong performance throughout the tournament. He’s not the most physically gifted player, but he more than makes up for it with shrewd puck distribution and his compete level off the puck. He showed flashes of dangerous playmaking off the rush, using a series of delays to either hit trailing options or open up passing lanes inorganically with subtle fakes to thread pucks through. Tremblay even showed some instances of strong puck-carrying in transition, utilizing his puck skills to weave through defenders in the neutral zone and execute entries with control. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on our draft board towards the end of the year if he continues to trend in the same direction.

If there was one player I was surprised wasn’t named to the QMJHL Cup roster, it’s Travis Tremblay. While he may lack a certain dynamism and wow factor to his game, the cerebral and tactical approach to his game made him one of the more effective forwards throughout the entirety of the camp. His vision and playmaking, especially off the rush, lead to plenty of chances from the slot area as Tremblay was consistently able to spot cross-ice and trailing options. The patience he possesses with the puck allows him to wait for the play to unfold, reading and assessing as he calculates hiss next move before using his passing ability to execute difficult passes through traffic. He even had some flashes of deceptive playmaking, using a series of look-offs to manipulate defenders and open up passing lanes for himself. Along the boards in the offensive zone he demonstrated good anticipation of pressure which allowed him to spin away from checks at the last moment to get himself into space. Tremblay was equally intelligent off-puck by providing constant support to his teammates and getting himself into good positions to receive a pass and make things easier for those around him.

While it wasn’t his best game of the camp, I wanted to highlight Tremblay due in large part to his intelligent puck management and passing ability. He was connecting plays in transition with quick and precise passing, whether it was a long stretch pass through traffic in the defensive zone or a quick one touch pass in the neutral zone to a streaking teammate. In the offensive zone he was making shrewd stick checks on defenders which were followed by quick centering passes to teammates who at times weren’t ready to receive them.

Tremblay’s vision and playmaking made him one of Team Green’s more dangerous forwards off the rush. He was consistently spotting trailer options in the high slot, generating a plethora of dangerous scoring chances in the process, while also using subtle fakes to open up passing lanes for himself. I thought Tremblay was doing a good job at pressuring opposing defenders in the offensive zone to win back possession before executing quick passes to the slot area. He scored his team’s second goal of the game in the third period by going to the front of the net and banging home a loose puck in the crease area.

Despite the losing effort, I thought Tremblay was the most effective and efficient player in this game. There was no other player in this game connecting on more of their pass attempts than Tremblay did this game, showing tremendous patience with the puck to wait for lanes to open up before sliding hard and accurate passes through traffic. His quick processing ability allows him to play with pace with the puck on his stick, even if his physical tools aren’t within the realm of dynamism, and also allows him to quickly get to his second and tertiary passing options if the play breaks down in front of him. He just always seemed to know where the pressure was coming from, drawing in defenders off both the rush and the cycle and putting pucks to areas where his teammates were or were going to be. Off-puck I thought he did a great job of supporting his teammates, always giving them an extra option if they ran out of real estate and acting as the connector on give and go opportunities.