23. Tnias Mathurin - Defense - North Bay Battalion
Mathurin has to be considered one of my favourite potential middle round selections available this year. I think he possesses immense upside as a defensive player. The size and length are there. He's a strong four way mover. He is learning to play more physical. He makes a quality first pass. Even if injuries were a bit of an issue this year, he was a huge part of North Bay's success this year in the defensive end and I don't think enough people are giving him credit for that. I think we also saw him starting to flourish offensively in the first half before he got hurt, which suggests to me that there is some hidden offensive potential in there once he gains the confidence to use his quickness to carry and move the puck. Later in the year, the offensive game was much less noticeable, but that's alright. Even if his play with the puck remains safe, he still has upside as a strong stay at home defender. One hundred percent, the key will be becoming more difficult to play against in traffic. He defends transitional attacks really well, but he needs to take away space more aggressively and really assert himself. I think he could easily develop into a John Marino type.
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