A towering, behemoth defender who is intimidating to come down on as an attacker, not only because of the threat of physical harm due to his imposing size, but because he has the reach and the wingspan of a wandering albatross. He will rub attackers out along the wall and bury them when they try to drive toward the net. He is not just a beast though as he reads the play and adjusts his coverage, keeping solid gaps and blocking his share of shots. His skating is an area that could improve as he possesses solid speed, but like all bigger defenders, he turns and corners wide. His shot is arguably the best in this draft class as it would go head to head with Shea Weber’s. Makes solid, yet simple passes, but lacks high-end creativity with the puck. Plays close to 20 minutes a game in the KHL and is effective while doing so. (May 2014)