Ozolins is the best Latvian defender for his age group, and his toolbox is versatile enough to handle the duties of a number-one defenseman internationally for the smaller hockey nation. He’ll definitely get beneficial opportunities to develop with his league clubs and with the Latvian national program. There is nothing flashy about his game, nor are there any high-end tools, but there aren’t any glaring weaknesses either. He can help out in any situation, even though he’s not a specialist in any of them. His best asset is probably his comfort level as a focal point kind of player, someone who is willing to step up to make a play and isn’t afraid to drive play with the puck on his stick. Plays with a bit of jam, pace and confidence. Does a good job at winning 50/50 battles and at applying pressure. In his own zone he’s generally well-positioned and plays smart defensive hockey, defending the front of his net by keeping himself between opposing puck carriers and the goal. Shows a willingness to play physically and lay the body, which adds an extra tool to his arsenal to separate puck carriers from the puck. His puck skills and passing game are both alright, but they’ll need to improve and he’ll need to cut down on his turnovers in order to have an NHL future, because right now he can’t protect the puck well enough using his size or skating. His skating ability can be described as roughly average, as his top speed makes it difficult for him to pull away from forecheckers on the breakout, though he is able to control his gaps well and keep up when defending in transition. As an attacker and asset on the breakout he is a very basic player, not showing remarkable creativity with the puck on his stick, deferring to basic plays to the outside of the ice. The best-case scenario for Ozolins is a third-pair NHL defender who can drive possession in a somewhat sheltered role.

– FCHockey’s 2021 NHL Draft Guide