General Game Notes: Neutral Zone was in attendance at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB as the hometown Oil Kings hosted the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers in WHL Regular Season action. The visitors prevailed by a score of 5-1 led by Cayden Lindstrom who finished the game with a goal and an assist. Our scout focused on players born after September 15th, 2005, and who are thus first-year eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft and in future drafts. Each player below has been given a grade based solely on their performance at this event and not an overall indication of the player’s upside or ability.
| Parker Alcos | Edmonton Oil Kings | WHL | R | D | 6’3″ | 181 | Edmonton Oil Kings | 2023 | Port Moody, BC | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Parker is strong defensively and in transition. Due to his size and skating, he controls the gap well defensively and is able to use his stick to disrupt passing and shooting lanes. He was also very physical and threw multiple hard hits to force turnovers. In transition, he was able to use his speed to advance the puck up ice and used his strength to protect it. His play with the puck is what is currently holding his game back and is what will be the main determinant as to whether he is drafted in June. On multiple occasions, he missed breakout passes out of the zone, and this led to turnovers. Due to the inaccuracy of his passing, Parker also struggles to contribute offensively. Improved play with the puck, combined with his skating and defensive play, could make Parker an NHL-level prospect.
| Jager Gugyelka | Edmonton Oil Kings | WHL | L | D | 6’0″ | 190 | Edmonton Oil Kings | 2022 | Coaldale, AB | 2007 | 2024-2025: C |
Game Grade: C
Comments: Jager played a simple and effective game tonight. Upon picking up loose pucks, the 2022 10th round WHL draft pick would get his head up and use his edges to move himself to open ice so that he could make a pass to an open teammate. The passes that Jager made were often short and simple plays, and as he adjusts to this level of play, he will hopefully look to make higher-level plays in order to create offense. In the offensive zone, he held the line well as he timed his pinches to stifle the breakout. It is worth noting that Jager led the AEHL U18 AAA division in scoring by defensemen last season with 34 points in 35 games despite being a U16-aged player. As the season progresses, it will become more clear as to whether Jager has the offensive abilities to put himself in contention to be an NHL draft pick next season.
| Gavin Hodnett | Edmonton Oil Kings | WHL | L | C | 5’7″ | 158 | Edmonton Oil Kings | 2021 | Winnipeg, MB | 2006 | 2023-2024: C+ |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Gavin has now played 9 games this season and has recorded 7 points. He missed time earlier in the year due to injury and is starting to look more like the player he was last season. Gavin is, first and foremost, an intelligent player who is able to identify open ice to attack either with his feet or his passing. He routinely made intelligent passes to teammates in open ice, and his passes forced the defenders to scramble to get back into position. Especially when entering the zone with the puck, Gavin was able to draw defenders in toward himself before passing to open teammates. His teammates were able to attack the space left open by the defender, and this led to odd-man chances. Away from the puck, he made smart reads to disrupt the breakout. On one play in particular, Gavin was coming off the bench, jumped into the play, and intercepted a breakout pass, which led to a chance on net for the Oil Kings. Gavin controls the Oil Kings’ power play and must continue to work on his shot selection. There were a few instances where he fired low-percentage shots on net rather than making a pass to an open teammate. At even strength, Gavin also drives his line and makes his linemates better as he is able to open up the ice for them. That being said, most likely due to his early-season injury, Gavin’s game has not significantly improved in comparison to last season. As it stands currently, given his size, Gavin projects as a middle to late-round NHL draft pick.
| Adam Jecho | Edmonton Oil Kings | WHL | R | RW | 6’5″ | 198 | Edmonton Oil Kings | 2023 | Zlin, CZE | 2006 | 2023-2024: B+ |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Adam’s combination of size, skill, and speed point to success at the NHL level. He is an above-average straight-line skater at the WHL level, and this tool projects as average for the NHL level. He is skilled with the puck, able to handle bad passes with ease, and deke opponents at full speed. Adam was able to win puck battles along the wall and cycled the puck well to his teammates. He routinely made intelligent passes to teammates, such as a one-touch pass from the goalline up to a teammate in the slot for a chance on goal. In terms of his ability to succeed at the NHL level, Adam will need to continue to refine his play in traffic. He succeeds with the puck when he has the time and space to get up to speed or make a play. Adam is effective as the second or third player into a wall battle but doesn’t want to be the first person into the scrum, as this will lead to him getting hit. His ability to make plays without time and space is yet to be determined, and it is unclear whether his success at this level will translate to the NHL level. At even strength, Adam plays with Gavin Hodnett, and it is the latter who is driving the line and pace of the game. Adam is reliant on Hodnett to create space for him, not the other way around. It is also unclear if Adam would have success as a bottom-six player, as despite his size, he plays a skilled game, not a physical or defensive one. As it stands, Adam has the physical tools to succeed at the NHL level; it is just unclear if he will be able to succeed when his time and space are limited by bigger and stronger defenders.
| Ethan MacKenzie | Edmonton Oil Kings | WHL | L | D | 5’11” | 171 | Edmonton Oil Kings | 2021 | West Kelowna, BC | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: B
Comments: Ethan’s on-ice play is yet to translate to success on the scoresheet, and this lack of offense will be the main determinant as to whether his name is called in June. As it stands, MacKenize is yet to record a point in 16 games played and is -11. It would be difficult for a team to justify picking a defenseman who is generously listed at 6’0′ tall and who doesn’t produce offensively. That being said, Ethan was one of the Oil Kings’ best players in this game. His edgework and speed are above-average for this level of play and help him to escape pressure with the puck. He is able to cut to open space and then make an accurate pass to an open teammate. While on the power play, Ethan cut to space at the blue line and fed a pass to an open teammate in the slot for a Grade-A chance on net. He also activated off the line with the puck well, and on one play, cut to space and fired a low shot on goal, but just missed far side. Defensively, he gaps up puck-carriers well and is able to routinely break up rushes. Given his success last season and play this season, the offensive production will eventually come, but it must arrive sooner than later if Ethan is to be pickled in June.
| Hayden Harsanyi | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | L | LW | 5’9″ | 160 | Medicine Hat Tigers | 2022 | Calgary, AB | 2007 | 2024-2025: C |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Hayden displayed a quick first step, which he was able to use to cut to space with the puck. In transition, Hayden was able to cut to space with the puck off the wall and either made a pass out of the zone or carried it up ice himself. When he rushed it himself, Hayden was able to drive the outside lane and distribute the puck to a teammate in the middle of the ice to create a chance on net. Away from the puck, Hayden positioned himself well to be a passing option and read the defense well. Overall, Hayden is a skilled and agile forward who will continue to develop as he adjusts to this level of play.
| Vasyl Spilka | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | L | LW | 6’2″ | 174 | Medicine Hat Tigers | 2023 | Praha, CZE | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Vasyl has only played 6 games this season and is now up to 3 points, as he has now recorded assists in back-to-back games. His assist in this game came in the third period, as he used his reach to poke-check an opposing defenseman near the bottom of the circle in the offensive zone. Vasyl head-checked to identify where his teammates were on the ice and quickly fed a pass to Wiesblatt in the slot for a goal. He is a big and strong forward who was able to identify lanes to the net to attack away from the puck and made the right read, regardless of whether his teammate was able to get him the puck. Due to his size and strength, he was effective on the forecheck, able to use his physicality and reach to force turnovers. Moving forward, he must work on his defensive play, as on one breakout attempt, Vasyl cheated down low to get to a puck and lightly played it toward the blue line. This led to a turnover as he played the puck to his own position. As it stands, Vasyl appears to be finding his game, and it will be interesting to see if he has the speed and skill to garner an NHL draft pick in June.
| Tomas Mrsic | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | L | C | 5’11” | 170 | Medicine Hat Tigers | 2021 | Surrey, BC | 2006 | 2023-2024: C+ |
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Tomas is an above-average straight-line skater for this level of play and accelerates well. He is skilled with the puck and makes intelligent passes to open teammates. When rushing with the puck, he was able to sauce a puck over a defender’s stick to his teammate for a chance on goal. On the power play, he made accurate cross-ice passes through the defenders’ box to teammates. While on the power play, he also stifled a rush as the last man back. Tomas closed the gap on the puck carrier and stole the puck to transition play in the other direction. Moving forward, he can continue to improve his positioning in the defensive zone as at times, he was too deep in the zone, which led to shots on goal from the point.
| Cayden Lindstrom | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | L | C | 6’3″ | 210 | Medicine Hat Tigers | 2021 | Chetwynd, BC | 2006 | 2023-2024: A- |
Game Grade: A
Comments: Cayden finished the game with a goal and an assist, as he recorded 2 points on Medicine Hat’s first 3 goals of the game. Cayden assisted on the first goal of the game as he hopped on a loose puck off a turnover in transition. He carried the puck towards the net and out-waited the defender in a 2-on-1 situation, feeding it through to MacKenzie at the mouth of the goal for the tap-in. On his goal, Cayden was the net-front presence on the power play. He boxed out the Oil Kings’ defender to open up his stick and swatted home the rebound. Cayden projects as an average straight-line skater at the NHL level and displayed good speed and acceleration for his size. He protected the puck well with his frame and displayed quick hands in tight. He was able to create chances with and without space and appears to have the size and skill combination necessary to be a dominant power forward in the NHL. Cayden was responsible defensively as well and forced turnovers in the neutral zone. He skated backward well and was able to cross over laterally to defend through the neutral zone and poke pucks away with his stick. Overall, Cayden is a big and skilled forward who is different than most bigger players, as his success comes from his speed and intelligence, not just his size. Cayden projects as a player who will be taken in the top 10 of this year’s draft and appears tailor-made for success in the post-season.
| Andrew Basha | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | L | C | 5’11” | 184 | Medicine Hat Tigers | 2021 | Calgary, AB | 2005 | 2023-2024: B+ |
Game Grade: B
Comments: Andrew finished the game with 2 secondary assists and 1 shot on goal. On his second assist, Andrew received the puck at the blue line on the left side of the ice while Medicine Hat was on the power play. He attacked up the wall and fed a pass cross-ice to Wiesblatt, who moved it to Andresen at the net front for the goal. Andrew is an above-average straight-line skater for this level of play and used his speed to carry the puck and enter it into the offensive zone. He made intelligent and accurate passes to open teammates and generally made those around him better. Defensively, he positioned himself well to limit chances again. Both while killing penalties and against the rush, he collapsed well to the front of his net and positioned himself to intercept centering passes and clear the zone. Overall, Andrew is a quick and skilled player. He positioned himself well defensively and projects as a middle-round pick. It is worth noting that Andrew’s point totals appear inflated right now, as almost half of his assists are secondary assists, and he benefits from playing primarily with Lindstrom.
Photo Courtesy of Edmonton Oil Kings