Brayden Gorda
Gorda has often left me wanting more. He’s a player who has a lot of good tools, specifically his ability to transport the puck through the neutral zone and gain the offensive zone, which is a testament to his skating ability and puck control, but rarely do you see him truly dominate a game. His defensive zone play has been average, however after missing a stretch of games early in the season, he has begun playing with more tenacity and really makes opposing players pay for it when they have the puck. He has had a good amount of PK time, and has played fairly well in those minutes, improving from the beginning of the year where he often appeared lost when teams started moving the puck and cycling low in the defensive zone. He connects on a fair amount of breakout passes, but it is an area for growth as he has trouble connecting through traffic. He has improved on his recognition to activation time, showing much more awareness in the defensive zone from early in the year. He’s a powerful skater with a good stride, not explosive but he moves well. Could use some work on his lateral movement and overall agility, though his style of play is very north-south. The offensive zone is a frustrating aspect of his game, and though it could be a system thing, you rarely see him slide into the high slot looking for a shooting opportunity. His puck skills aren’t bad, and he has pretty good puck control, but e’s not going be a guy you want handling the puck in the last 10 seconds down by one.. The biggest areas for improvement are becoming a bigger presence in the offensive zone, as well as improving on being more effective below the goal line in the defensive zone, working on regaining possession and transitioning up ice. From what I’ve seen, I believe Brayden Gorda has potential to be a number five NHL defenceman, and will likely be a mid round draft pick.
Will Warm
The progression in Will Warm’s game from when he made his WHL debut is astounding. He has become a much more confident defender, and that’s evident in his willingness to engage physically, as well as carry the puck through traffic. His defensive zone play has improved as he’s become much better at engaging, gaining possession, and turning the puck up ice. He does occasionally get out of possession which causes chances for the opposition. He’s still a fairly raw prospect, so I believe the defensive side of the game will become much easier for him as an 18 and 19 year old as he’s a highly intelligent defender. He skates very well and can accelerate quickly and take off up ice with the puck. His situational awareness in the defensive zone could be improved as he occasionally rushes pucks out, leading to a turnover. Warm is a strong offensive zone player, and will likely be a 50 point WHL defenceman as a 19 year old. He moves the puck well, especially when given space on the power play, and has an accurate shot from distance. Warm has continually improved one game to the next, and oozes potential, the question now is whether or not he’ll be a great WHL’er or if he has what it takes to be an NHL player. He’s likely going to be drafted in rounds five or six, and I believe if a team is willing to take some time with him, and he gains strength, he could be a good player.
Trey Fix-Wolansky
Trey has played fairly well as of late, looking much more like he did at the beginning of the year, appearing more engaged in the play and scoring a decent amount of goals in the process. Trey is a strong offensive zone player, with high end small area puck skills, as well as a heavy, accurate shot. He’s a smart player who keeps his feet moving in the offensive zone, and is often the guy to take the puck from the cycle and drive the net. He isn’t afraid to hold onto the puck an extra second or two, but that has proven to lead to lead to turnovers with the other team transitioning out of the zone quite easily as the other forwards are left deep in the offensive zone. He’s a decent defensive zone player, often sticking to his assignment, but like most offense-first players he can get caught jumping the zone early. He’s a quick skater with good agility which allows him to deceptive in the offensive zone, creating new angles to the net. He accelerates quickly, often into hits which are a big part of his game as he’s a heavy, explosive player who shocks a lot of players given he’s only 5’8. There’s a chance Trey is drafted this year, but at this point I don’t believe he will be an NHL player.
Davis Koch
Davis Koch has come a long way this year in terms of his development, becoming a leader on the team and proving to be a reliable offensive cog on what is a low scoring Oil Kings team. His ability to control the puck and be deceptive in doing so has allowed him to generate a plethora of home plate scoring chances. He’s a sneaky player with excellent small are puck skills, and has the ability to beat high end defenders one on one. He doesn’t have the strongest shot, but he is often the set up man as his passing skills and overall vision are the strongest tools he possesses. His defensive zone play has been strong, proving to be a reliable penalty killer. He activates on the opposition quickly, and attacks stick first as he’s not the most physical player. His movement through the neutral zone is alright with the puck, but I believe if they used a more speed based, cerebral attack, he would be even more effective. Regardless as to whether or not he gets drafted, Koch will be at an NHL camp this Summer. He will be a dark horse to watch for in the sixth or seventh round, and I believe he could be a middle six AHL player a few years down the road.
