He has been an absolute beast in the playoffs. Complete puckhound and not many players can deal with his combination of strength and speed. His shot is ridiculous, he can snipe corners from above the circles and has great awareness about when to move to the net for a tap-in or deflection. His hands are very good and it's hard to take the puck from him when he has it.
The negatives for him are that he's an older player for his draft year so is more developed than the rest of the class, and his size is often too much for junior players (though you could make the argument that a 6'4 winger is big for the NHL as well). His playmaking and passing leave a bit to be desired, often takes the puck and is then determined to use his shot, although that is clearly working for him.
And finally if anyone is wondering how all of this compares to our own big Q goal scorer in Comtois, Comtois is a much better defensive player and more cerebral in all 3 zones. His vision and passing are both better than Lavoie's, and is more of an agitator. Max is the more well rounded offensive threat, although I would give Lavoie a slight edge in terms of his shot.
I like him a lot but he wouldn't be my choice at pick 9, although I wouldn't hate it either.
Edit: Also worth noting that he's a big game player and elevates his game when it matters. He scored so many game winners last season and a bunch were in overtime. Made the U18s last year when he wasn't expected to and had 4 goals in the tournament. He was invited to the U20 camp this year when he wasn't expected to. And now this run in the playoffs after not having the greatest regular season compared to expectations. He's a gamer.
