Alarie is a big body who has a nose for the net and makes split decisions, but shows limited effectiveness unless plays are broken or he’s filling an open lane. Once a dominant bantam player who could use size as a tactic, he still attempts to default back to this style of play but is realizing this isn’t sustainable. His skating and ability to use his edges is a drawback. He’s got good stride length but the recovery and acceleration is sloppy, as he has issues using fine motor skills to deviate efficiently. He does not have the initial acceleration or lateral shiftiness to be much of a rush threat. The use of his body sometimes is ineffective as a result, and he can leave pucks out in front of his body unprotected as he plays largely a north/south game and defaults to bee lining to the paint. While he has an absolutely lethal shot when he gets space to use it, most of the pucks he gets were off quick passes or turnovers, which allows little time and space for him to make a really outstanding play or find other vantage points. He could use his reach or dexterity a bit better when controlling play, as he still tends to plant his feet, and often when doing this he defaults to not dusting the puck, limiting his deception and making him an easy guy to cover. As a result, a lot of the points he picks up seem to be from being in net-front areas or making the first sequential play, rather than off of expressive skill plays. Defensive efforts are middling at times due to the fact he’s slow or at times unresponsive in play recognition in open ice, and the use of body or reach isn’t maximized. There are definitely pieces to to work with, but Alarie’s game isn’t modelled for transition or offensive flow at the next level at its current state.

– FCHockey’s 2021 NHL Draft Guide