Prince Albert Raiders
With not only the top pick in the draft, but also six picks in the first three rounds. Prince Albert was set up to really rebuild their team and that is exactly what they did. They didn’t pick past the 7th round but found a good mix of assets and were able to bring in players who can make an impact immediately. I really like what they did in the first round, added two high ceiling prospects who have NHL potential and will be fun to watch. They were able to get a potential college commit to actually come to Prince Albert and sign. Good mix with the middle round picks on guys who have size and compete levels to play as depth or potential middle guys in the WHL.
1st Round Selections
Kaiden Guhle (1st Overall) – By far the most sure fire player in the draft, Guhle is a two-way defender who transport the pucks well and is a good skater. Brother Brendan was drafted third overall to Prince Albert a few years ago and the town saw him develop into someone who became an NHL pick. Why not do the same with younger brother Kaiden? Someone who I compare to a guy like Cam Fowler, Guhle is a potential top pairing defender at the WHL level who won’t spend his 20-year-old season in junior hockey.
Cohner Saleski (17th Overall) – With their second pick in the first round, Prince Albert took heavily skilled scorer Cohner Saleski. In our opinion he was the most skilled guy coming out of Saskatchewan and is able to really score from anywhere with his release and creativity. Saleski has ties to NHL through his family and is someone who is devoted to getting there. Will be interesting to see where his ceiling is and just how good this kid could be.
Notable Picks
Ozzy Wiesblatt (25th Overall) – Someone we felt should have been a first round pick, but with rumors around him about where he could possibly commit. Wiesblatt is a pure-playmaker who skates well, shows good instincts, and can take over the game from the perimeter. Heavily skilled and efficient Wiesblatt has a tonne of potential and will no doubt be a first line player at the WHL level someday.
Braydon Clark(47th Overall) – Just an overall physical two-way defender, Clark brings a Scott Stevens type of presence to the ice and is willing to step up to make big hits. Under-rated speed, Clark really came on in the middle goings of the season and was someone we liked for what his tools bring. Someone who can play a middle pairing role and is just generally hard to play against. Will be interesting to see how he translates to the WHL level.
Davin Griffin (100th Overall) – A highly competitive forward who has great speed and strength, Griffin to us was a safe pick in earlier rounds and a quality pick here at 100. He has really led his team this past season and looked strong at the Sask First camp. Definitely a third line or better player at the next level with some development and work on his habits, potentially better.
Conclusion
Overall if you look at the last couple draft classes coming out to Prince Albert, we feel there is a good base going forward. They have two more picks next year in the first round and really are a team to watch going forward. They added a good mix of players and the ones I didn’t mention really bring size and versatility to their future line up. We like what Prince Albert did and think this is a great start to something special.
