NHL Director of Central Scouting, E.J. McGuire
Strengths: "Alex is very poised out there on the ice. A tall player, who is still growing in to his body, Alex brings a keen ability to know when to pass the puck out of the zone, when to carry the puck out of the zone and he’s unflustered in the face of a hard forecheck."

Areas to improve: "Alex probably needs to get a little more assertive. There are times that he plays with that calm, cool and collective attitude and scouts might often question his assertiveness. But believe me that is there and he certainly doesn’t play with any kind of fear for what is coming at him."

Outlook: "He might have the best top-end (potential), and he might have the most under the cover that an 18-year-old could blossom into maybe the best player in the entire 2008 draft. He has (Chris) Pronger-like size and visibility attributes. A lot of scouts say that he might be playing better now than Pronger played when he was in his last year of junior."

Niagara Ice Dogs assistant coach Mike McCourt
"Alex is an exceptional talent who possesses quality leadership traits. He has the ability to dictate the pace and tempo of games. His poise and vision combined with his physical attributes make him an extraordinary player."

Niagara Ice Dogs General Manager Dave Brown
"He has the ability to control a game with his skill set and do things that most kids are unable to do at 17 years of age. Alex, with continued hard work has the potential to be a very good NHL player. His hockey smarts, puck skills, mobility and physical play make Alex a can’t miss NHL draft prospect."