Kelowna Rockets
For a team who didn’t have a first round selection, Kelowna really was able to add pieces who will be able to help their lineup at the age of 16. One thing you notice is how they were able to really add players with size and who can be effective with their speed and physicality. While their first pick may not commit to the WHL, he has huge upside and is worth the risk at that pick. Towards the end of the draft they took players who are long shots but have upside to play in the WHL someday. They were able to add a good mix of forward and defenders while only taking one goalie late in the draft. No Americans were taken by the Kelowna Rockets. All in all, we really like the draft picks that Kelowna took and believe they got the best value for what they had in their 12 picks.
1st Selection
Ethan Bowen (39th Overall) – Ethan Bowen may never play a game in the WHL, but the top five ranked player was taken with Kelowna’s first pick in the draft and we love it. A big framed player who is dangerous around the net. He has good hands and speed but also the ability to score from anywhere with his lethal shot. He draws comparisons to Michael Rasmussen with a little better skating, we believe that he will be a top line WHL player immediately if he commits to the dub.
Notable Picks
Ethan Ernst (61st Overall) – A huge pickup in the third round for Kelowna, Ernst possesses a big frame and good speed that allows him to be effective on the rush. Good shot from the outside and a real one dimensional offensive threat. Ernst was in our second round rankings and someone we are high on to become an effective WHLer.
Jake Poole (127th Overall) – The top player from the Yellowhead chiefs, Poole is a pure power forward who plays with size and grit. He has learned this year to use his body effectively and how to be efficient with the puck. I’m very interested to see how he develops these next two years and where he will end up playing.
James Bohn (149th Overall) – Bohn really improved this season and learned to play a stay at home type of game. He is steady and hard to knock off the puck, but has the ability to make a good first pass out of his zone. Bohn was highly touted by our scouts and we were surprised to see him fall to this pick. Two-way defender.
Conclusion
We love the size and depth that Kelowna added and really think this was a good draft for a team who may not have a top-60 pick commit to them. They were able to address a bunch of future needs and add depth scoring to their future line-up. Defensively they took more stay at home defenders (Outside of Thurston) and players who are reliable. The most interesting pick in our opinion was 193rd overall with Robert Kincaid who has come along this year and has the potential to be a top six defender. Definitely look back at this draft in five years’ time and really see how much the size and speed helped there line up.
