Justin Barron (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — A) Defense
Justin is our 7th Ranked 2020 NHL Draft Prospect, but he is out indefinitely with a blood clot. Our overall thoughts on Justin heading into his draft year say that he is a “Lanky smooth skating right shot defenseman who makes plays with his head up and while his feet are moving. Is a weapon on the power play as he can walk the line quickly in either direction, has a hard accurate one timer, quick release on his snap shot and his shots do not get blocked. Excellent at joining the rush as a late attacker & has the poise to carry the puck out of danger when needed. He thrives in transition and has an uncanny ability to hit the stretch man in stride.”
Senna Peeters (4 Star Amateur Prospect, NHL Grade — C) Forward
The Belgian born forward is away from the team, competing for Austria in the Division I World Junior Championship. A Neutral Zone scout describes his game – “Senna is a smooth skating forward who sees the ice well and has good agility and quickness. After putting up big numbers at Selects Academy, he is moving on to the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads. Senna has a quick release and has a chance to be an elite goal scorer.”
Benoit-Olivier Groulx (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, 2018 Anaheim Ducks 2nd Round Pick #54)
The big center-man had a huge impact on the game. His line was effective all evening and generated chances each time they were on the ice. Groulx is used in all situations, spending some time on the penalty kill where he is hard on his stick, and really shining on the PP–where his hands and shot stand out. He had two power play goals, one that took a favorable bounce off a defender, and one that he ripped home up high on a one-timed shot. He also scored on an empty net tally that ended up being the game winner with Cape Breton pushing hard to try and tie the game. He was not afraid to throw his body around either. Groulx has good speed, work ethic, and vision–setting up chances for his line mates along with putting 12 shots on net. Finished at 22/34 on draws and credited with 6 hits. A dominant performance for the 2018 Anaheim draft pick. Game Grade: A
Raphael Lavoie (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, 2019 Edmonton Oilers 2nd Round Pick #38)
The rangy Edmonton pick displayed high-level offensive instincts in this match-up. His line was dominant and created opportunities to score each shift. Lavoie showed good speed carrying the puck down the wall on entries, and finished most of those carries off with chances for himself or with passes to teammates in the slot. He has a good reach, which he used to poke pucks away from guys while he was on the PK–showing that he is a threat to score no matter the situation on the ice. He had two assists, both coming on the power play. He showed good effort in getting back to the house defensively, though would like to see a bit more engagement in his own end playing defense. Finished with 8 shots on net. A top notch performance for the 2019 Oiler pick. Game Grade: A
Maxim Trépanier (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Free Agent Grade — C) Forward
The over-age forward benefited from playing with two elite junior players, but also created several chances on his own. Both of his goals came in the first, and both came on good reads in the neutral zone where he picked off dangerous passes and took them the other way. One came off of a hard shot and the second from a great move to his backhand, leaving the goaltender flat on the ice. Trépanier was around the net all night, trying to find that third goal to complete the hat-trick. Though he didn’t get it, he did finish with 3 points following an assist on the PP. He displayed good speed and good work ethic–carrying for entries but also chipping pucks behind the Eagles’ defense and winning races. A solid game for the ’99 born skater. Game Grade: A-