[Sandman]

C Justin Robidas,5'7"172lbs (Val D'Or,QMJHL): 35gp/19g/17a/36pts, plus 10pts in 14 playoff games. The son of former NHLer Stephane Robidas wears the "A" for the Foreurs. Offensive-minded C with a detail-oriented game, and a well-rounded toolbox, he plays in all situations-offensive or defensive, and shows well with, and without the puck. Fluid skater, with tremendous speed and an explosive first few steps. Varies his speed to fool defenders and put them on their heels offensively and defensively. Pushes pace, and is an opportunistic player.

JR has immense intelligence and awareness-he knows where the puck will be, and where he should go. He finds open ice, and creates space for teammates-he's not flashy, but effective and fun to watch. Makes plays in full-flight, has great instincts, and reads the play exceptionally well. Runs the PP from the half-wall, and shows patience in waiting for passing lanes to open up. Good hands, and an accurate shot that he can elevate in-tight, along with amazing hand-eye co-ordination to score on tip-ins, and rebounds. Despite his height, he competes well physically, as he has packed some bulk and muscle on to his frame-that, along with his agility, makes him hard to catch and pin down, and very hard to knock over. Those attributes also give him proficient puck-control and puck-protection, against much bigger players. Initiates puck-battles, and wins most of them-battles hard, and gets his nose dirty. Competitive and fearless, with a great motor-he's a hard-worker, and doesn't quit. Off the puck, he's sound and smart, and rarely caught on the wrong side of the puck. Sound positioning in all three zones-creates chances off the puck by making himself available in high-danger for prime set-up chances. Pushes pace in transition, and makes himself a prime outlet option-often skates a bit further back with the D, making himself an emergency outlet if they are faced with pressure, and the team usually exits with control. Defensively, he's reliable, breaking up plays, picking off passes, and winning races to loose pucks. Trusted on the PK, solid 200-ft player.

JR is still quite raw, but he's got a solid toolkit of skills. The concern is that he might not be able to use his grit and strength the same way in the pros as he does in junior-he won't be able to push players to the boards as much, or knock them off the puck quite so easily. He likes to drive wide, which draws defenders and opens space, but he sometimes finds it hard to contend in the middle of the ice. He still needs to keep getting stronger, but he'll need to adapt his game somewhat. As he gets stronger, his skating will gain more explosiveness, and he, in turn, will be more evasive-another trait he will need at the next level. He also needs to build more power in his shot, and more accuracy in his passing. His consistency could use a tune-up as well-he always works hard, but doesn't always turn in the same performance. He has an excellent base to build on, and he has a chance to be an impact player on any line of an NHL team, depending on how he develops-but he's most-likely to be a two-way, complimentary, middle-6 player. 3rd round.