Elick has been the highest-ranked Wheat King on draft lists all season long, but he hasn’t been the only player to attract attention from NHL Central Scouting. Both Caleb Hadland and Dominik Petr appeared on Central Scouting rankings of North American skaters throughout the season.
Then too, there are always the wildcards on draft day, the picks in the later rounds that see older players selected. Last season, forward Brett Hyland heard his name called by the Washington Capitals in the 7th round of the draft. Might there be a Wheat King this season who follows in his footsteps?
CHARLIE ELICK
To judge by rankings from across the hockey world, the question is not so much whether Elick will be drafted as whether or not a team will select him in the first round. If he’s taken in the first 32 picks, Elick would become the 25th player in Wheat Kings history to be a first-round pick.
The attraction to Elick for NHL teams starts with the words every GM loves to hear: “big right-shot defenseman”. Add to that his superb skating ability (he finished top-five in multiple categories at the CHL Top Prospects Game and fifth in overall on-ice testing) and Elick clearly has scouts attention.
And then there’s the mean-streak.
In addition, while scouts haven’t latched onto his offensive ability, Elick did put up 25 points just at even strength this past season, so the offensive ability is there. He also demonstrated a willingness to block shots as the season went on. He’s a player to keep an eye out for on the draft’s opening night.
CALEB HADLAND
A consistent leader and hard worker, Hadland did a little bit of everything for the Wheat Kings this past season, which was all the more impressive considering his age. Hadland posted 12 goals and 39 points in 68 games this season, and was the only Wheat King to play in every game in the regular season. He also played every preseason and playoff game, making him the team’s true iron man.
The numbers only scratch the surface of Hadland’s value to the team, however. Playing in all situations, he was the first man over the boards for penalty killing and shutdown minutes, and played a courageous physical game as well.
The Wheat Kings feel Hadland has another gear to his game offensively, and even though he was a workhorse for them in 2023-24, he’ll be given even more responsibility in 2024-25. An NHL club looking for a team-first leader would do well to look his way.
DOMINIK PETR
It didn’t take Petr long to make his mark in his first season in North America. He scored in his very first WHL game and remained an offensive stalwart for the Wheat Kings for the rest of the season.
Though he went through the inevitable ups and downs of playing his first season in a new country, Petr showed a level of hockey sense and skill that could make him a tempting player on draft day. Adept at both scoring goals and setting his teammates up, Petr had some of the more impressive tallies by any Wheat King this past season.
During his first season as a Wheat King, Petr posted 17 goals and 45 points in 67 games, scoring both shorthanded and on the power play. On the power play he could serve as both a trigger man and a setup man, and by the end of the season he was noticeably more comfortable using his impressive release.
NHL RADARS
These are the three Wheat Kings’ skaters that were ranked by NHL Central Scouting at various times during the season, but they’re not the only players that have drawn attention from the NHL. Forwards Rylen Roersma and Marcus Nguyen, and defenseman Quinn Mantei have all attended NHL development camps previously.
Last season, Hyland, Nate Danielson, and Carson Bjarnason were all drafted into the NHL. This year’s NHL entry draft will begin on Friday, June 28 at 6:00 PM Central Time. Rounds two through seven will begin the following morning at 10:30.
(Article courtesy of the Brandon Wheat Kings)
