"He's really bought into playing a more 200-foot game," Panthers Director of Player Personnel Bryan McCabe said of Tippett in November. "He's going through bodies, tracking through the neutral zone, doing the other things that are going to make him successful at this level."
Corey Pronman, the head prospect writer for The Athletic, listed Tippett as one of just three prospects he viewed as "elite" during his mid-season rankings back in January, saying that his "skill level is elite, he makes plays many wouldn't even think of trying."
That's high praise, no?
At the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, Tippett tallied four points (two goals, two assists) in five games for Team Canada, earning playing time on the team's top line and power-play unit.
"He played on their top line, played on their first power-play unit and played to his identity as a shooter," Panthers Director of Amateur Scouting Jason Bukala said after the World Juniors wrapped in January. "He played hard. He's since been traded in the Ontario Hockey League to a contending team. He's tracking in the right direction as well."
Tippett, who signed his entry-level contract and scored one goal during a seven-game stint with Florida in 2017-18, is expected to compete for a spot on the Panthers in the upcoming season.