Fitzgerald is a very smart player at both ends of the ice. He is a speedy defenseman with great feet and agility. He moves very well and is able to get end-to-end with tremendous speed. He handles the puck with very crafty hands and is poised and strong with it on his blade. He has great hand speed and creativity with the puck, and he has a very quick stick both with and without the puck. He has elite vision and moves the puck well from his own end and from the point on the PP. He packs a powerful shot with a strong release but does not use it nearly enough, instead opting to pass even at times when he has an open look. He gets it through and on goal when he does shoot. When he is on his game, he can move the puck out of his zone or through the offensive zone onto a teammate’s stick in an instant. He isn’t extremely physical on defense and you would like to see him play a little tougher. He does play aggressively, with an offensive mindset, just not with his body. He has a great stick and he uses it well on defense to steal pucks, deflect pucks and generally make plays. He is very good defensively because he makes smart reads and plays his position well; although, he could tighten up his gaps at times. He exudes a lot of poise and confidence in the way he reads the game and makes plays. He communicates well on defense and can play in many different situations. Can be a somewhat frustrating player to watch due to his ashes of high-end ability but overall inconsistent play. (May 2015)