Lucas Ambrosio:
Projection: Bottom Pair Defence
Strengths: Defensive attributes, Hockey IQ, Mobility
Weaknesses: Offensive impact, Straight line speed, Active stick in
defensive zone
Analysis:
Lucas Ambrosio will become an excellent defensive defenceman for
whichever NHL team drafts him. The biggest thing that stands out in
his game is how effective he is as a defender. He utilizes his size to
his advantage, whether that be battling along the boards or in front
of the net, defending the rush with his extreme reach, or sacrificing
his body to block shots. His size helps him become a super-effective
defender in any situation. His hockey IQ is amazing too, reading and
anticipating plays with ease to disrupt passing lanes or interrupt a
pass entirely, jumping up on his assignment when needed, and even
joining the rush or carrying the puck himself out of his own zone when
necessary. It helps that he is very agile for a guy of his size, using
good edges and lower-body strength to maneuver around the ice with
relative ease. His passing is also a strong suit of his, being able to
break out or find open teammates in the offensive zone with crisp and
clean passes.
The biggest flaw in his game for me would be his offensive impact.
Apart from joining the rush or pinching in the offensive zone when
appropriate, he doesn’t provide a whole bunch in terms of offence. He
also needs to work on his straight-line speed, as he’s not the
quickest at being able to retrieve dumps in pucks or blow by defenders
if he chooses to rush the puck himself. My only schtick with his
defensive game is that I wish he used his long reach more often when
keeping opponents to the perimeter and taking away passing lanes. He
does it occasionally, but he would be even more effective than he is
now if he did it constantly.