Zac Olsen:
Projection: Bottom 9 Forward
Strengths: Skating, Offensive awareness, Poise, Compete
Weaknesses: Defensive awareness, Discipline
Analysis:
There is a tremendous amount of upside in Zac Olsen’s game. He is
super versatile and brings a level of compete with him to each and
every shift. The first thing that catches your eye is his speed. He is
surprisingly quick when he has the puck on his stick or when he’s
chasing down attackers. He can suddenly explode for a burst of speed
you don’t think he could have whenever he wants, making him a
dangerous transition player. I think he has an elite level of
offensive awareness too. He is constantly reading the play in the
offensive zone, putting himself in the best position to be a dangerous
threat, and causing trouble for anyone defending him. Whether it be in
front of the net, at the circle, or on the goal line, he has an
offensive skill set to make him dangerous from any position in the
offensive zone. He is very poised with the puck as well, making use of
his stick handling and body positioning to protect the puck and make
the best play as consistently as he can.
On the other hand, his defensive attributes could use some work,
primarily his defensive awareness. In his own zone, I think he can get
caught watching the puck and leaving his assignment open for his
opponents to use as an option. From what I have seen, he isn’t the
most willing to block shots and his stick isn’t as active as I would
like it to be. I also think he struggles with discipline. Though he
has a super high level of compete, he struggles to remain calm and
composed when he is frustrated, occasionally taking bad penalties for
no reason.