Igor Verbitsky

Verbitsky is a below average sized right shot defender with a hunched over inside edge skating posture. He has above average lateral quickness while defending line rushes, but he does cross-over before he angles an opposing forward at his defensive blueline. Although he does not put up the points to be an offensive defenseman, offensively he plays with confidence and creativity. In transition his passes are well timed and he consistently shows the puck poise to draw multiple opponents to him before making the pass to a teammate who’s got time and space. We like the game awareness he shows on line rushes as he understands to attack the offensive zone at different levels, speeds and he fills lanes. During defensive zone coverage Verbitsky looks to separate his man from the puck quickly so he can start transition. When he is successful at this he is a breakout machine, but there are too many times when he becomes physically engaged with an opposing forward and all of a sudden his shoulders are way out over his toes and he is spinning in circles. This might be a trait that can be corrected through off-ice strength training and consistent battle drills, but there is no doubt that if it’s not corrected he will have a difficult time defending in North America.