Game played on 11/30/2024.
The 2004s.
Brandon Whynott (LW, L, 6’1″, 202, Tri-City Americans, 04/16/2004)
Grade: B
Comments: Despite not even being halfway through the season yet, Brandon is just one point shy of his previous season’s best (33). He is a very quick skater who was able to beat a defender up the ice in transition to receive an indirect pass off the end wall for a breakaway opportunity. Brandon is a bigger forward who was physical on both sides of the puck, as he was able to carry the puck through contact and dish out hits defensively. He also made smart passes to teammates and was able to spread the ice. He would be well-suited for an NCAA program in need of a middle-six forward.
Carter MacAdams (LW, L, 6’3″, 200, Tri-City Americans, 03/07/2004)
Grade: B+
Comments: The Northern Michigan commit recorded an assist in this game after bumping a puck laterally to Garland in the slot, who scored off the pass. What stood out the most to us in this game was Carter’s passing. He was very creative with the puck, and one of the best passes he made came when he hit a teammate with a cross-ice pass on a zone entry, which led to a chance on goal. The bigger forward was effective on the forecheck as well, playing a physical game. Carter is in the midst of a breakout season with the Americans, as he is on pace to more than double his previous season’s best of 36 points.
Evan Friesen (C, L, 5’11”, 191, Wenatchee Wild, 08/24/2004)
Grade: B-
Comments: The Wild’s captain scored in this game by handling a cross-ice pass at the top of the left circle on the power play and beating the goaltender with a well-placed shot. Evan is a two-way forward who would fit well in a bottom-six role at the NCAA level. He excelled at killing penalties, using his body and stick positioning to disrupt passing and shooting lanes. At even strength, Evan forced a turnover in the defensive zone and rushed up ice in a 2-on-1 situation. He slid a pass to his teammate, who returned it to him, but his quick shot was stopped by the opposing goaltender with an excellent save. While Evan is not the biggest player on the ice and his straight-line speed is average, improving his speed should be a priority moving forward.
Kenta Isogai (LW, L, 5’9″, 175, Wenatchee Wild, 08/28/2004)
Grade: A-
Comments: The native of Nagano, Japan, made an instant impact in his first season in the WHL last year, earning a First-Team All-Star nod. In this game, he scored twice and added an assist. On his assist, he helped win a puck down low on the power play and made a cross-ice pass from the flank to Friesen at the top of the left circle, who scored on the play. The hallmark of Kenta’s game is his skating, as he accelerated quickly through his first few strides. He rushed the puck up ice effectively, showcasing quick hands and sharp edges as he deked past defenders. Kenta attacked open lanes well and consistently beat defenders with his speed. Despite being the Wild’s offensive leader, Kenta was responsible defensively. He tracked back through the neutral zone to support and excelled on the penalty kill. While killing penalties, he quickly identified when a teammate was close to forcing a turnover and supported effectively to help the Wild clear the zone. As it stands, Kenta possesses some of the best tools of any ’04 in the WHL and would be a great addition to any NCAA program. However, he may turn pro after a year or two and is unlikely to be a four-year player at the NCAA level.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images