He's a natural centerman. That's what he grew up playing. That's what he's played his whole life. He's been moved to the wing in Florida's organization for parts of his time in the American League, he can play the wing, but we think there's potentially a centerman there at the NHL level. And so I liked it a lot. I'm looking for any opportunity I can get him in the middle of the ice to see what that looks like.
Hugo Ekitike is a transfer-scouting Rorschach test: How you view him says everything about how you view the sport. More than any player I can remember, Ekitike somehow both reaffirms and rejects conventional wisdom and scouting biases. He's a physical marvel with glaring physical weaknesses. He's an analytics darling with massive analytical red flags.