Neutral Zone – Men's
In-Depth Amateur Scouting Coverage and Rankings

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WHL: Regina at Vancouver

Game played on 12/04/2024.

Jaden Lipinski (C, R, 6’4″, 205, Vancouver Giants, 12/02/2004)

Grade: B+

Comments: Jaden, a fourth-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2023, returned to the Giants after starting the season in the AHL. As a bigger forward, he was able to impact the game physically and stood out with his play in traffic and along the wall. Jaden’s edgework is very strong, allowing him to create separation from defenders. He overpowered opponents physically, getting into their hands to force turnovers before making smart passes to his teammates. The best play we saw him make was an excellent indirect pass off the wall onto the tape of a teammate moving at full speed through the neutral zone—a very high-skill play. As it stands, Jaden should be able to step back into the AHL next season and make an impact at that level with his size and skill.

Tyson Zimmer (RW, R, 6’0″, 195, Vancouver Giants, 09/05/2004)

Grade: B

Comments: Tyson returns to the Giants after joining them partway through last season from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. His two-way play stood out, as he was responsible on both sides of the puck. Defensively, he consistently won the blue line to clear the zone. On one play, with his back to the wall, he made a smart backhand pass to one of his defensemen to clear the zone. While defending through the neutral zone, he showcased great effort by pressuring the puck and forcing opponents to rush their decisions. Offensively, Tyson displayed a heavy release and smart passing. On one play, he carried the puck up the left wall, cut back, and fired a cross-ice pass to a teammate. He also used his size to his advantage, carrying the puck through contact to create opportunities. Tyson is a skilled two-way player who would excel in middle-six minutes at the NCAA level.

Connor Levis (RW, R, 6’1″, 190, Vancouver Giants, 10/05/2004, Bowling Green)

Grade: C+

Comments: Connor, the Winnipeg Jets’ seventh-round pick in 2023, is committed to Bowling Green for next season. He played a physical game at times and made smart passes to teammates. He also saw time on PP2. However, in this game, he appeared heavily reliant on his teammates, particularly Thorpe, to get the puck to him. Moving forward, he needs to work on creating more of his own offensive chances.

Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images

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