Tri-City Americans Draft Overview
With only a few teams left to go over and the season only weeks from starting, it is an exciting time for people who love hockey. So in going over the Tri-City Americans’ 2017 bantam draft class, one of the big things I noticed is that they took guys who have some solid physical tools and grit in their game. I like how they were able to really add grit and “compete” to all positions. This really showed the direction they are going in with their line-up. A lot of the prospects they added have a fairly raw skill set and will take time to develop into solid producing WHL players but their top picks (Kohle and Cadieux) should be able to crack the line up at age 16. They drafted three American-born players with their 11 total picks.
1st Round Selection
–Kaden Kohle (12th Overall) – By far one of the rawest prospects selected in the first round, Kohle possesses a strong physical frame at six-foot-two and a versatile offensive game. He has the ability to create and finish offensively. He can also be put in a two-way role and thrive. One of the things I liked was his confidence on his backhand and how he loves to put the puck on net from long distance. This next season will be crucial for his development and will help determine what type of player he will be at the WHL level.
Other Notables
–Tom Cadieux (34th Overall) – A well-rounded right-handed defender whose game progressed as the season moved forward. Cadieux possesses a big time shot and some good feet that allow him to transport the puck from zone to zone. Confidence in his decision making and intelligence away from the puck make him a solid prospect in Tri-City’s system. He does have pretty raw skating abilities.
-Talyn Boyko (53rd Overall) – The POE starting netminder was the sixth goalie taken in this year’s draft after coming off a sub-par season. Boyko has a raw physical frame and fairly athletic abilities. He has shown at times that he can be lights-out and take over a game. I feel like once he gets more years under his belt and some development he could be looked at as a real solid pick here at 53. He has good upside.
-Riley Stuart (104th Overall) – Riley Stuart was an American-born player who I had my eye on going into the draft. He impressed me at the John Reid tournament in January. He showed that he has WHL size and skating, as well as, versatility as a forward. For me it was all about who would take the chance on him coming to the WHL. We will be keeping an eye on his development as I see some solid tools that could make him an impact WHL player.
Conclusion
To conclude this draft for Tri-City, I personally feel like this class for Tri-City will definitely reflect their philosophy going forward. They are going after players with size and raw abilities. This is something that I like and feel gives you an edge in one-on-one situations. Kohle, Newell, Stuart, Crowe all show good physical and raw tools in their game that can be developed. I am most excited about their second round pick: Tom Cadieux. I feel like he has potential to be a real solid WHL player. Look for Tri-City to be a hard team to play against these next few years.
