Brennan Ali is an energetic player who relies on his smarts and his high work-ethic to impact the game. He’s an excellent skater, generating speed with ease and using quick strides to accelerate quickly. He shows good agility while carrying the puck, too. He has the tools to be a point producer, and the strength and work ethic to play a grinding and puck possession style of game – a combination that not many players have. He thinks the game really well and can identify soft spots in the coverage and get open in the slot. If an opponent tries to box him out from the net-front, he has the strength to easily outmuscle them and get the positional advantage. He can be frustrating because he has the IQ and the tools to be an impact player on any team, but the execution just isn’t there all the time. He’s prone to making simple mistakes and simply offloading the puck under pressure when there are better options. He can carry the puck through the neutral zone and generate chances through the transition game, but when it comes time to make the pass or take the shot the play had a tendency to just die on stick far too often this season. It seems like his mind is two steps ahead of his body, resulting in poorly executed plays. This can improve as he continues to play in the USHL and he develops, but he likely caps out as a prototypical middle-six forward who can adequately touch both sides of the game. He will be able to chip in offensively from time-to-time because he does have some flashes of high-end skill, but he will likely make his presence felt by being a possession player who wears down opponents by working the puck below their goal line and waiting for the odd offensive play to fall into their lap.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide