"The rest of his game has to round out, no doubt about it, but the progression that we saw this season leads us to believe that he'll be able to make it to the NHL," Brière said.
Former coaches praised the athletic baseline of modern defensive prospects. "He skates like he's 5-foot-8," said Mike Taylor of Atlantic Hockey Academy.
Analyses of late-round prospects noted distinct trends in playoff performances driving draft weekend decisions.
"I watched him in the playoffs a lot, and that's where I think a lot of this late buzz is coming from, is that he was a really good shutdown guy for London in the postseason.
And he was playing a physical, mean brand of hockey, the kind of hockey that helps you win in the playoffs," said Chris Peters of FloHockey.
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The event concluded its final rounds on Saturday with teams shifting focus toward the opening of NHL free agency.
