Ellis is an advanced skater who uses his edges and leg strength to escape his end with the puck with great success. His skating is easily the best attribute of his game and he displays solid crossovers, crisp lateral movements on the power play, good pirouette/spin moves and transitions well from forwards to backwards. In the defensive zone, he uses his body and strength to play physically when needed but often resorts to angling his opponents and taking the puck away with an active stick. He does a decent job clearing the net but can be pushed off his mark by stronger and bigger opponents. His board play is solid, using his stick to fish the puck out of a pile. He rarely gets caught pinching and is often the defender breaking up odd man rushes using solid position, gaps and an accurate poke check Where he needs to improve upon is his gap control. It’s too inconsistent at this stage of his development. Offensively, he is a cerebral passer who consistently makes perfect breakout passes allowing his team to break into the offensive zone with speed. He’s an offensive threat off the rush due to his skating, soft hands and good passes but he needs to work on his shot accuracy. Overall, he is the embodiment of the modern-day defensive defenseman who may not score a ton of points, but is skilled, facilitates offense and can contribute all without sacrificing his defensive game.

– FCHockey’s 2020 NHL Draft Guide