It has been a couple months since the last update to our 2025 WHL Draft Rankings and lots of things have happened. The playoffs have come and gone in some of the U15 leagues while others are just finishing up. I’ve gotten to see the Sask regional gatherings again, some competitive down the stretch offerings, and lots of strong playoff matches around multiple leagues. This year feels a bit different comparatively. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Oh well.

Here is where things sit with me currently. I think the top group is slowly becoming more established at this moment and some of the top performers are emerging for me. However, I think this first round especially outside of that is one big giant jumble. I think the one particular element that I wonder how teams will approach is the size factor of a lot of the top players in this class. With the exception of a few really terrific two-way defenders in that top group, you have a lot of highly skilled forwards in the 5’6-5’8 range and some defenders who are in the same boat. It makes the tiers of this grouping very hard to project currently. The talent is undeniable but projecting continued growth with the help of physical maturation is another issue entirely. Some of the top U15 teams in the country though have been driven by the speed, tenacity, and goal scoring instincts by these smaller players. Let it be so.

 

Risers and Debuts

One of the biggest risers on this list personally has been the play of St. George’s Holden Wouters on the backend. He’s got size, mobility, and assertiveness but in the past games I was looking for a little more creativity, joining the rush, and evidence that he can continue to expand tactically the elements of his game and I’ve seen that in the last number of viewings. Since the range of these players is so very close, it shot him up quite a bit in the overall rankings from 20th up to 9th.

Chase Huberdeau and Kash Elke got some rises as the shifting landscape of the potential third round is taking more shape. I think their continued driving of possession and projection for me is strong so while other players moved into spots or up and down, they seemed to maintain a solid foundation for me.

Kalen Miles on NAX got a little bump from 30th up to 25 as the big body forward was quite tough to handle in his role during key playoff games. His net front presence is really becoming a key element to his game with how effective he can be at screening and finding loose puck rebounds. As many of the players down the middle don’t have that size and skill component, I think Kalen projects as a really good middle-six C option in the WHL down the line and a contributor on the PP.

It might seem like much but Ben Oliverio moving from 8th back up to 6th where I believe he had been in the past is a result of an incredibly strong playoff performance. He;s someone who has to bring that tenacity and stay in motion down the middle of the ice to be effective. When he glides or turns away from the play, he can become a bit more stagnant. I think we are seeing his best hockey so far this year with the effort and offensive touch.

Highest debut is awarded to Nixon Bettenson at 39th overall. He was one of a couple players right away that I thought was a mistake not being in the top-60. Going back and seeing some tougher matchup games with him driving possession in those games certainly justified him being placed that high. Right behind him is another strong two-way forward in Chace Turchak. It comes down to pacing and second efforts on the forechecks, quickly releasing shots in the slot, and being a no-nonsense player in some big games that I watched. I did a deep dive on this overall performance, and I think his projection came out quite favorable. He grabs the 48th spot in the rankings.

The last bigger addition in the top-60 part is defenseman Miller Watkins from Burnaby Winter Club. I had tweeted out earlier in the month about missing some obvious players and Miller was who I was speaking of. I think his game oozes potential still. He’s got size already, skill to rush the puck, and you can anticipate he isn’t done physically growing so those bolder choices he makes at times have a higher potential chance of working out. I think at this point they come across as flashes of something more special but he will be someone I expect teams might have their eye on.

 

The Landscape

I think there is rounding out a top-5 or 6 or 7 playersish for this class at this point and then the next tier is somewhere around until 20th overall for me. The reality is that the players in that next tier are all pretty close as well until you get to maybe the end of the second round. For this draft, if you have a number of picks in the top-2 rounds, you can expect to come away with a number of top-9 or potential top-4 defenders in your system in the future. That is my expectation.

The next tier after that seems pretty wide and large too honestly. There are some players I think have certainly put their stamp on third round consideration, but this draft really opens up a lot into the fourth rounds and beyond. In fact, I expect this will be the start of getting more messages about players left off of that top-80 grouping because of how close some of the projections of these players are. If you are reading this and think in particular there are some Manitoba or Sask players who could be in the top-80, the ballpark is a big ballpark for sure.

—-------

As always, I encourage folks to message me about players who you think I may have missed or some under the radar gems. I enjoy the conversation usually and it is always good to hear perspective from others about how one particular player may rise and shine in the coming years. The next update will either be the last one or close to last one as we will see more provincial gatherings and players looking to raise their stock in the eyes of local scouts. Looking forward to it.