A big-bodied defenseman who can use his size in multiple ways to be effective in the defensive game. Ottavainen uses his long strides and his reach to maintain great gap control and to take away space from opposing players while defending the rush. He also uses his height and weight to his advantage when engaging in the physical game, he can throw big open ice hits or pin his opponents to the boards with ease because of his strength. His skating is a work in progress, he has long legs so he has powerful strides and can get up and down the ice with little effort but lacks the agility and speed to be effective when jumping into the rush. He makes smart breakout passes, allowing his teammates to transition to the attack but rarely finds himself leading the rush. His offensive game is lacking, he has the IQ and understands where to be positionally but lacks the creativity and puck skills to be an effective offensive threat when he’s on the ice. With his size and strengths on the defensive side of the game, he makes sense as a potential shutdown defender, playing a role on the penalty kill but teams will be left wanting more if they are expecting regular offensive contributions from a player with Ottavainen’s skillset.

– FCHockey’s 2021 NHL Draft Guide