An impressive two-way defender who excelled playing on a strong Edmonton team in the WHL. His skating is his best attribute because it’s well rounded in every way. He’s agile and has a smooth stride, Dowhaniuk can use his footwork to change directions with ease without losing his stride. His skating makes him elusive in transition as he can cut east to west causing opponents to miss. Dowhaniuk has above average defensive attributes, he can defend the rush relatively well but if he can use his skating to help him maintain tighter gaps and to force opponents to change their direction he will have an even greater impact on that side of the game. He’s shown impressive growth over the course of his junior career, working on his defensive game and improving his offensive instincts but he still has the potential to be even better. He always seems to leave you wanting more, he will show one flash of high-end potential but needs to play with more consistency. There is a lot to like in his game and with the way the position is evolving, Dowhaniuk could be a dark horse to turn into a solid pro hockey player if a team is willing to take a chance on him.

– FCHockey’s 2021 NHL Draft Guide