Lernout is a big defenseman who plays a tough style. We really like how he defends his own zone, using his strength and frame to muscle guys to the outside. Doesn’t run around chasing checks, but he calmly approaches and then buries his opponents against the boards. Showed very good improvement this season in his confidence with the puck. Lernout was very solid in the neutral zone, using patience and crisp execution to get the puck up ice. Very simple and very precise. Can get off some very hard shots on net. Prefers taking hard wrist shots, but can also let a huge slapper go when given time. He may not have huge offensive upside, but his ability to get hard shots on net and his ability to make simple passes accurately is encouraging. His skating is pretty good for a big guy. Very smooth on his feet and gets around using hard work rather than technical skating skills. Does not display any elite hockey sense, but does show poise with the puck and good positioning on the ice. He is a serviceable skater and has the raw physical tools to become a shutdown defenseman. (May 2014)