For the first time ever, Neutral Zone is releasing a “Mock Draft” of its selections in the WHL Bantam Draft, which concluded yesterday. This is by no means an original idea, but the results are quite interesting and give us a good picture of how our rankings compared to that of WHL teams. Our selections indicate that our scouts valued players from the AEHL and the SAAHL more highly than the industry did, as all but one of our picks came from those leagues, and we also value high IQ players who play a two-way game, as well as larger players, with every player we selected being 5’10” or taller. Our final selection was also the 85th player on our board, which indicates that we valued players relatively evenly in comparison to the actual teams, as most teams operate off a board 70-100 players long.
Below, we will identify the players we selected with the last pick of each of the first ten rounds: and include our analysis on that player. For simplicity’s sake, we selected six forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender, making our selections live and thus taking our best player available at each pick, adjusting as needed to account for position.
There are a few caveats that we can’t account for, such as a player’s willingness to report, as well as how our selection would impact the actual draft order, but we did our best to be as fair and honest about the process.
Round 1:
Pick 23: 4.5 Star Walker Filewich (F, L, 6’0″, 158, St. Albert Sabres U15, 01/08/2010)
NZ Ranking: 13th Overall
Actual Selection: Round 2 #35 – Calgary Hitmen
Statistics: 34GP 45G 40A 85P
Walker is a player we were surprised to see available at this position, as he was second in the AEHL in points and first in goals. He was a leader offensively for the Sabres this season and has one of the higher ceilings of any player in this draft. He was also a top performer at the Alberta Cup, leading Team Grey in points and pacing the event in goals. During the Alberta Cup, we felt that he elevated his effort level and play each game, and by the end of the camp was one of the top players and arguably the top forward. When he is at his best, Walker is a menace-with-the-puck-on-his-stick, able to sprint up ice past defenders and carry through contact. He is very skilled for his size and has the ability to deke his way through traffic to get to scoring areas. He is highly intelligent and thus spaces himself appropriately to get open as a passing option. As evidenced by his 45 goals, he has a quick release and a heavy shot. At the Alberta Cup, Walker was strong defensively as well, killing penalties with strong positioning and a quick stick. The knock on Walker, and likely why he inevitably slid to us at this position, is his consistency. When Walker isn’t on his game, he can be soft on pucks and appears disengaged. That being said, at this position, we are willing to bet on his upside, and with the proper growth and development, we believe he can be a first-line centre at the WHL level. We have seen Walker completely take over games on a number of occasions and believe that he can be a leader for Team NZ.
Round 2:
Pick 46: 4.25 Star Chayse Fedoriuk (D, L, 5’10”, 143, OHA Edmonton U15 Prep, 02/05/2010)
NZ Ranking: 21st Overall
Actual Selection: Round 5 #112 – Prince Albert Raiders
Statistics: 35GP 10G 52A 62P
Chayse’s slide to the fifth round was extremely surprising for our group, as we felt our grading of him might even be conservative, as he was the 11th highest scorer in the CSSHL and 2nd amongst defensemen; he is the best transition passer in this draft class, consistently able to thread tough stretch passes up to teammates to start the rush. He struggled to connect on passes at the CSSHL U15 Prep Championships due to most games being played on a smaller surface, and this is likely why he fell in the draft. That being said, he was back to his old self at the Alberta Cup, making elite passes off both sides of his blade. Chayse is also strong on the defensive side of the puck, as he gaps the rush up well and was able to step up and intercept passes frequently. Consistency will be a growth area for Chayse, as we have multiple notes throughout the season of off games, but his ceiling and IQ are so exceptionally high that we feel that this is a clear pick. OHA Edmonton’s Captain, Chayse will be a top-pairing defender for Team NZ and is someone who will likely wear a letter for our team.
Round 3:
Pick 69: 4.25 Star Logan Olsen (D, R, 5’10”, 145, Warman Wildcats U15, 03/18/2010)
NZ Ranking: 27th Overall
Actual Selection:Round 5 #107 – Brandon Wheat Kings
Statistics: 29GP 9G 34A 43P
We thought that Logan might be selected closer to where we ranked him on our board, due to consistently hearing his name mentioned in conversations with WHL scouts in the second half of the season. Logan is one of the most intelligent defensemen in this draft class, as he reads the play extremely well and is able to step up and force turnovers, both in the neutral zone and at the offensive blue line. He is very nimble, able to cut past opponents and spin off contact with the puck before making a smart pass to an open teammate. Logan is another defenseman who can stretch the ice with his passing and is someone we would expect to quarterback our power play. As a bigger player, Logan was able to play through contact and was also physical himself. He was a top player at the Sask Top 80 Camp, as we had notes on him in each game he played and earned a “B+” grade at the event. We didn’t necessarily plan to have our top two defensemen be a left-right pairing, but due to this, we would look to play Fedoriuk and Olsen together and think that this could emerge as a top pairing in the WHL.
Round 4:
Pick 92: 4 Star Chase Huberdeau (F, L, 5’10”, 144, St. Albert Sabres U15, 02/08/2010)
NZ Ranking: 39th Overall
Actual Selection: Round 5 #98 – Wenatchee Wild
Statistics: 34GP 25G 33A 58P
Chase was a star for the Sabres this season, finishing the season on a 30-game point streak in league play, dating back to 11/23/24. He was again another player who stood out at the Alberta Cup, emerging as a top player in best-on-best play. Chase plays a strong two-way game, working hard to win pucks in the defensive end, and he was excellent on the penalty kill at the Alberta Cup. At times, he can throw thunderous hits and wins pucks with his tenacity. Offensively, Chase uses his speed and skill to attack off the rush and can thread passes to tight gaps to create chances. We feel that there are no true flaws in Chase’s game, and he is someone we could slot up or down the lineup depending on the situation. He is someone we would expect to play both special teams and play top-six minutes. Chase’s familiarity with St. Albert teammate Walker Filewich is another added bonus.
Round 5:
Pick 115: 4 Star Adrien Brochu (G, L, 6’0″, 156, Grande Prairie Storm U15, 01/28/2010)
NZ Ranking: 51st Overall (5th Goaltender)
Actual Selection: Round 7 #140 – Swift Current Broncos
Statistics: 10-5-1 0.914 SV% 3.18 GAA
Given the strength of this goaltending class and the nature of this exercise, it was a matter of when, not if, we would select a goaltender. The goaltenders didn’t really start flying until the third round, and we decided to wait until the fifth to select Adrien, when he was then the top player available on our board. In hindsight, we could have waited until the tenth round, as there were a number of strong goaltenders who inevitably went undrafted, namely 4-star Zach Henry and 3.75-star Owen Amyotte. That being said, we were very excited to nab Adrien in the fifth round, given that we had him high on our board and believe he has legitimate starter upside. Adrien is a battle-tested goaltender who faced a ton of shots this season with the GP Storm. In each of his last five league games, he faced more than 40 shots a night and came away with an impressive 0.929 SV% in that span. In January, Adrien was also a standout at the John Reid Memorial Tournament, posting a 0.911 SV% with a 5.00 GAA, again highlighting his ability to manage a heavy workload. Despite not having the best numbers at the Alberta Cup, we were impressed with his compete level and athleticism. He is very quick when moving laterally across his crease and was able to stretch to make pad saves off passing plays. Adrien is also excellent at getting out to challenge shooters and flashes a quick glove. His biggest growth area will be in not overcommitting when moving across his crease, but we feel that this issue is both minor and fixable. In terms of his development, we would likely look for Adrien to play U17 next season before jumping to U18 the following season, and then hopefully playing in the WHL as a U18-aged player.
Round 6:
Pick 138: 4 Star Nixon Bettenson (F, L, 5’11”, 185, Grande Prairie Storm U15, 03/18/2010)
NZ Ranking: 56th Overall
Actual Selection: Round 7 #152 – Prince George Cougars
Statistics: 31GP 28G 26A 54P
Nixon is the second team captain selected by us in this draft, and is someone we could see wearing the “C” for us in the future. A player with exceptional heart and determination, Bettenson was excellent for the Storm this season, playing a skilled yet physical game. Both for the Storm and at the Alberta Cup, Nixon was a menace in transition, able to force turnovers, step up and intercept passes, and turn play the other way. He used his speed off the rush to beat defensemen and was able to make smart passes to teammates. A player who we feel would slot into the middle-six on a strong WHL team, Bettenson also flashes skill, as he is able to deke past defenders and doesn’t always need to rely on overpowering them. Bettenson’s character impressed us this season, as we noted his strong care for his team and teammates during a chance meeting while we were watching a GP game he wasn’t playing in.
Round 7:
Pick 161: 4 Star Carter Wiggins (F, R, 5’11”, 157, Saskatoon Stallions U15, 07/01/2010)
NZ Ranking: 61st Overall
Actual Selection: Round 9 #189 Kamloops Blazers
Statistics: 28GP 27G 25A 52P
Carter led the Stallions in both goals and points this season. Despite leading in these totals, he is more of a complimentary player, allowing his linemate Abercrombie to dictate the pace. That being said, in our viewings this season and at the Sask Top 80 event, we were impressed with Carter’s two-way play. He did a great job of winning puck battles in the defensive zone and consistently made strong passes in transition. He’s very good at getting open for teammates and made smart passes or was able to drive into open ice with the puck. On the defensive side of the puck, he consistently stifles opposing breakouts and back-checked aggressively through the neutral zone. We wouldn’t expect Carter to be a full-time WHL player until his U18 season but believe that he has middle-six upside at that level.
Round 8:
Pick #184: 4 Star Liam Van Caeseele (F, R, 5’10”, 154, Sask East Oilers U15, 08/31/2010)
NZ Ranking: 71st Overall
Actual Selection: Not Selected
Statistics: 26GP 19G 14A 33P
Liam is another two-way player selected out of the SAAHL. He greatly impressed us at the Sask Top 80 Camp, (earning an “A-” grade), largely due to his speed in transition. Liam can push the pace of play but is also able to slow it down and spread the offensive end with his passing. We were also intrigued with his ability to handle bouncing pucks at speed and think that this will be valuable at the WHL level. Due to his speed and effort, Liam is a standout defensively, able to get his stick into passing lanes to intercept or disrupt them. As a later pick, we would be thrilled to see Liam play in the WHL in the future and believe that he is someone who would be a valuable bottom-six player due to his speed and ability to impact the game defensively.
Round 9:
Pick #207: 4 Star Eric Schrock (F, R, 5’10”, 163, Airdrie Xtreme U15, 04/24/2010)
NZ Ranking: 83rd Overall
Actual Selection: Not Selected
Statistics: 33GP 27G 21A 48P
Eric was another player we were surprised to see fall to us in the ninth round, as we thought he was excellent at the Alberta Cup, after leading the Airdrie Xtreme with 27 (nine more than any other player on the team). Eric is a sturdy player who quickly moves in to initiate the attack when loose pucks are identified. He was also very good at pressuring defenders and forced turnovers in this manner. In that setting of best-on-best play, Eric was a menace off the rush. He consistently deked defenders and was able to drive the puck to the middle of the ice and draw penalties. Despite possessing above-average speed for this level, Eric could further enhance his impact by lengthening his stride. Eric is another late pick who we feel could play in the WHL in a bottom-six role.
Round 10:
Pick #230: 4 Star Trey Stanhope (D, R, 5’10”, 150, Moose Jaw Warriors U15, 05/25/2010)
NZ Ranking: 85th Overall
Actual Selection: Not Selected
Statistics: 26GP 7G 9A 16P
Trey was a complete unknown to us before the Sask Top 80 Camp, where he earned an “A-” grade playing against top players in the province. A slighter defenseman, Trey is one of the more fluid skaters in the age group. He is able to gap up the rush with ease and frequently joins the attack. He consistently skates into open space with the puck and is able to either skate away himself or move it to an open teammate. Trey would benefit from moving the puck quicker, as he at times held onto it too long or tried to do too much himself, leading to turnovers. In the offensive end, we were impressed with his puck control at the offensive blue line, as he was able to create space for himself and get pucks through to the net. Due to his size, Trey will need time to add muscle and strength to compete against elite-level competition. That being said, with the new NCAA CHL merger, Trey is someone who could step into the WHL as an older player before going to college. Overall, Trey has attributes that suggest success at the WHL level, namely his skating and skill with the puck, and is a player worth selecting.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling