As one of the players who lit up the Saskatchewan U15 league last year, Rylan plays with smarts and skill in motion, even if that drives him to pushing on the exterior instead of always dashing to the slot. He still is effective as that exterior cycler and when he does get those moments high slot to shoot, he has high-end accuracy to his release. I love how he’s always moving with energy and bursting through his crossovers to change angles of attack with his head up. I think he’s someone who sometimes gets lost on this team because he doesn’t have that same size but I think his IQ and approach to the game is just going to get more explosive as he grows physically.

For a smaller player, Rylan can be explosive in transition and very shifty laterally when challenged. When he gets going up ice, he has the poise to dip a shoulder and get to the middle past outstretched defenders and tuck the puck far side. I’ve seen him control the middle of the ice, win faceoffs, shoot with intention on the PP with both accurate wrist shots and a half slapper. It means he can attack off the rush into the middle, test defenders one on one, or stay wide and pass laterally. When he’s in an intense mode defensively too, he lowers his shoulder and gets that position on you along the boards. He should be a real high scoring threat in the CSSHL this season.

Edwards comes in a small package, but he attacks the game with extreme confidence. He always wants the puck and puts himself in great positions to get in the action. His blistering speed is his main weapon as he creates space for himself with the constant threat of being able to blow past his mark. He also excels at using deception as a weapon to find even more space; whether it’s a quick hesitation move, a subtle backhand toe-drag, or a shift in his release angle, he finds ways to carve out ice to execute. His finish is also a strength as he has nice accuracy on his shot and purposefully picks corners with precision. He finished the tournament with eight points in four games with very little help around him and I was impressed with his ability to stay consistently effective despite the opposition keying on him from start to finish. Size will likely be a question mark throughout his career, but the depth and polish of his offensive toolkit is a great counter to those concerns. He’s one to watch for next year’s WHL Draft.

Rylan Edwards, a 2011 birth year standing at just 5 ‘4, was a standout player in this tournament, making his performance all the more impressive. He excelled as a terrific puck distributor, combining quickness, agility, and exceptional vision to create scoring chances. Despite his smaller stature, he consistently played with his head up, ready to make smart, creative plays. His assists were particularly notable, featuring precise slip passes into tight windows that few players could execute. Edwards showcased finesse and touch in both his dekes and passes, excelling at luring defenders in before dishing off to teammates for high-quality opportunities. His ability to control the play and generate offense highlighted his advanced skill set for his age and size.

He’s another player that you can sometimes lose track of but he’s always finding gaps in coverage on the outside and opens his posture to keep all his options open as a dual threat. He was trying some quicker give and go plays and using that intelligence to break down gaps in coverage. I loved his backpassing, the pushing in and out of coverage, and his intelligence on the exterior. While he’s so good on the outside, it was another game that showed he sometimes has to settle for passing into the interior when he can’t find those chances to slash inside himself for better shot spots. Much like the other offensive catalysts on NAX, this game was kept to the outside a lot and limited the danger. As a bit of flair, he got a shot off between a defender’s legs on net which made me happy.

He had a rush shot, showed his heads up vision along the boards, and can anticipate pressure very well. Since he’s still a bit smaller, you can hound him in the corners and force him to make plays earlier in sequences. I thought his backhanded passes in motion were great, the decision on how to protect the puck in motion is sound, and he can certainly be dangerous when he’s pushing into space on the exterior. He tried to elevate short side or really catch passes quickly before attempting jam plays. He’s smart, skilled, but since others are bigger/stronger, he has to fight that extra hard for space to show his IQ. I think he’s someone that we see become naturally more effective as the season moves along. He ended up with two assists.