Who is Alexis Joseph?
Before talking about Alexis Joseph’s performance at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, it is important to understand why expectations were so high in the first place. From a very young age, Joseph was seen as a future first-overall pick, potential franchise center, and the next star of French-Canadian hockey at a time when the province of Quebec was struggling to produce high-quality hockey players.
When you look at the numbers, Joseph did nothing to calm the hype in his first year in the QMJHL after being selected first overall by the Saint John Sea Dogs. He produced at a historic rate as a 16-year-old in that league, scoring 24 goals and 36 assists for 60 points in 54 games, giving him 1.11 points per game. Since 2004, only three other players have reached that mark while playing at least 10 games in a season at just 16 years old: Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Angelo Esposito. With names like Crosby and MacKinnon on that list, it is easy to understand why expectations for Joseph became so high.
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Why All the Negativity Around Him?
You might look at his numbers and question why so many people who watched the Hlinka Gretzky Cup came away disappointed with his performance. Even if he did not have the best tournament, it is just summer hockey, after all. But the issues in his game are glaringly obvious when you sit down to watch him.
Standing at 6-5 and playing center is an easy way to get NHL scouts to like you, but in the modern game, you need to be able to move regardless of your size. That is an area where Joseph struggles. It does not take long to realize that he is not the fleetest of foot. His lack of speed also hurts him in transition, where he sometimes struggles to keep up with his faster teammates. In the eyes of many who watched the tournament, those skating concerns, combined with his inconsistent effort, ultimately contributed to his demotion to the fourth line for the gold medal game. There have been players, especially centers, who have been able to overcome a lack of speed. The first player who comes to mind for me is John Tavares. Tavares was able to dominate despite his lack of speed because of his shot, hockey IQ, and extremely high work rate. The last of those qualities is something Joseph did not show at the tournament. Especially in the opening game, Joseph simply was not working as hard as people expected him to, particularly when it came to getting back with urgency on the back-check when Canada would lose possession.
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What Alexis Joseph did Well
Despite all the criticism Joseph received, I still think he did a lot of things right at the tournament, particularly with the puck on his stick. In my time watching junior hockey, there have not been many players better with the puck along the boards or when driving the net than Alexis Joseph. Nearly impossible to knock off the puck, Joseph displayed what so many NHL teams are looking for: a true power forward who can contribute offensively. Even with players hanging off his back, he is still able to make high-level passes without it fazing him.
Even in the first game, where he struggled the most, Joseph’s patience with the puck stood out. Rather than forcing plays, he consistently waited to see how defenders reacted before making his own decision, allowing him to beat defenders by taking what they gave him instead of telegraphing his next move. That same patience occasionally worked against him. Joseph relied heavily on his size and strength to win battles, but there were moments when he needed to move his feet with more urgency, particularly when tracking down loose pucks. Too often, he relied on his frame instead of his feet to recover pucks.
He is also an incredible net-front presence on the power play. Even in the gold medal game, when he was demoted to the fourth line before the game started, Joseph remained on the first power-play unit that was so effective. The power play allows Joseph to show off all of his best qualities in a situation where speed is less of a factor.
Joseph also possesses tremendous offensive awareness. He is able to read plays and make passes through traffic that few others can. I truly believe that the majority of the criticism Joseph receives can be negated by working hard to improve his skating throughout the season. If he can improve his skating while continuing to build on the innate abilities he already possesses, the sky is the limit for Joseph. Now it is up to Joseph to put in the work and silence the critics. Improving his skating will be no small task, but doing so could go a long way toward quieting many of the concerns surrounding his game and allow the special traits he possesses to become the focus instead of what he cannot do.
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Josh Libfeld