Gavin White is an offensive puck-moving defenseman who is constantly challenging opponents with his high-end mobility and creativity with the puck on his stick. The standout aspect of his game is his explosive skating ability, as he is one of the fastest players on the ice whenever he hops over the boards. He is a gifted skater who is able to build speed quickly out of his crossovers and also owns very good agility and edgework with the puck on his stick. He is an excellent asset in transition, as he is able to start the breakout with a crisp outlet pass or by skating the puck out of his own zone himself. He is also a creative attacker who often looks to join in on offensive play, rarely passing up an opportunity to come down from the point to aid in the cycle or create a scoring opportunity. He’s a gifted puckhandler who can beat opposing players one-on-one to open up space, and also owns very good playmaking vision and can find teammates in the offensive zone with ease. Where he needs improvement is in his defensive zone decision-making. He is guilty of holding pucks in his own zone for too long by looking to beat oncoming forecheckers with his agility and stickhandling, and in turn, is too frequently turning pucks over in his end rather than making the safe play on the breakout. It’s a habit that will infuriate coaches. He has the offensive skillset to be an effective impact player at the professional level but will need to improve these defensive zone lapses and learn to make the simple, quick, and easy play a little more often. He could potentially be a second-pair defenseman, but likely caps out as a bottom-pair guy who finds a way onto a power play unit because of his offensive ability and puck skills.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide