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Alex Gagne


Alex Gagne
Muskegon LumberjacksUSHLLD6’3″207New Hampshire | 2021Bedford, NH20022020-2021: C+

USHL: Dubuque vs Muskegon, January 2, 2021: Gagne was steady for Muskegon in this game. He is good positionally, has a long reach, and reads the play well coming at him. He is very effective on the rush, angling opponents into tight areas and forcing them to make tough plays with the puck. He has a big frame and uses it well, playing physical along the boards and in front of his own net. He is strong on his stick and does a good job in 50/50 battles. Gagne is smart and simple with the puck, he makes a hard first pass on the breakout and isn’t afraid to use the glass if he is out of options. Overall, Gagne played solid defensively for Muskegon in this contest and was responsible in his own end. Grade: B

USHL: NTDP U18 vs Muskegon Lumberjacks, December 19, 2020: Gagne is a big bodied defenseman that has a solid active stick and uses his reach to his advantage. Gangne uses his size well, taking away passing lanes in his defensive zone and closing time and space quickly, forcing opponents into making hurried plays. He also plays physical in his own end, finishing hits along the boards and below his goal line. After closing space, Gagne does a good job of winning loose pucks and making a solid first pass on the breakout. On the offensive side of the puck Gagne was fairly simple in his game. He did a good job of making the right decision and looking for lanes to the net in the offensive zone. Overall, Gagne did some good things in this game for the Lumberjacks and used his size well. Grade: B

USHL: Dubuque vs Muskegon, November 2020: Gagne was solid and consistent from the backend for the Lumberjacks. Gagne wasn’t flashy in his game, but he was consistent in his efforts and did the little things right shift after shift. He used his size to his advantage and was able to take up a lot of space with his long reach, shutting down rush attacks. He was also effective below the goal line in his own zone, winning battles and helping his team start the breakout from his own zone. Overall, Gagne didn’t necessarily stand out in this contest but sometimes as a defenseman that can be a good thing. Grade: B+

USHL Pre-Season: NTDP U18 vs. Muskegon, October 2020: Gagne was another solid defenseman for Muskegon tonight. He was especially effective in his defense zone below his own goal line. He won battles and immediately looked to move the puck up ice with simple, hard plays. While Gagne did not exhibit the same type of affinity for large collisions as his teammate Hank Kampf did, he definitely did not shy away from playing the body either. He was controlled in his play and used his frame to rub guys out and out muscle them on the puck. He dominated his board play and was effective in using his stick to disrupt the passes and take away lanes. Gagne also showed some flashes of offense too when he rushed the puck up ice from his defensive zone and through the neutral zone. He was a smooth skater and looked like he had the ability to do more offensively if he wanted to. Grade: A-

Scouting Report – Alex Gagne, December 2019: (1) Brain – Alex is coming out of a league and level where he physically dominated everyone. This allowed him to cheat and take chances that he won’t be able to take at higher levels. We felt Alex got up to speed pretty quickly which is obviously a positive for his hockey IQ. (2) Vision & Poise – He was a point a game D-man playing midgets, so we know he has offensive skills, but from what we saw he is not a lead the rush type of defenseman. We saw him make quick outlets and join the rush on a consistent basis. Alex also hit the stretch man with ease on both direct and indirect passes. (3) Feet – Alex has good feet for a 17 year old who is almost 6’4. He has a nice stride and a strong base. I would not say he is quick, but he is agile enough to maintain tight gaps and accelerate in or out of corners. He also has a strong base and is not knocked off the puck.  (4) Compete & Effort – There are times when Alex looks effortless while defending. We feel that is in indication of his ability to process the game quickly. (5) Contact & Physicality – Although Alex is big, he is not a bruiser. He maintains gaps through his feet by finishing off opponents through good angles while playing stick on puck. When protecting his net Alex prefers to get there first and is strong enough to maintain net side positioning through his strong base. (6) Release – He has a quick release while walking along the blue line and does not telegraph his shot. Alex hits the net and has the offensive instincts to shoot for his forward’s sticks. (7) One Timer Ability – Although we did not see any in Pittsburgh, we did see Alex Fire a few this past summer in Buffalo so we know the ability is in there. (8) Body Language – Looks more mature and confident in his game every time we see him play (9) Special Teams Potential – Physically has the ability to play both PP and PK minutes at a professional level. Again, he is coming out of a midget league where he was able to cheat in every situation. Will this continue or will he understand that there a limitations to what he can try? This understanding will have a huge impact on where he goes in the draft and how he projects long term. (10) Intangibles – Alex is a New Hampshire kid committed to The University of New Hampshire. Why does this matter? UNH plays on an Olympic sized ice sheet. This can be viewed as a positive or a negative depending on the prospect. For Alex, we view this as a real positive. He’s not projected as a top pairing guy and his ability to defend is going to make or break him in the long run. So for his time in college he’s going to be playing games against skilled players on an Olympic sheet… meaning his feet have to develop or else he’ll struggle. We think he’s a project who will get better and better over the next 2-4 years and will end up going in the late 3rd round.

Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images

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