Strengths: Physical Maturity, Aggressive confidence, Skating
Development Opportunities: Puck Patience, Consistency

Will got the honor of living in the talented shadow on one of the deepest CSSHL teams I’ve eve covered. Will has the size, reach, anticipation, and creativity to make an impact in all three zones on the ice. There are moments where he swims too deep away from shore, or doesn’t quite glue a defensive play together but you can see how close he is in almost all situations to really make a true two-way impact shift to shift. There are moments that remind me of quality WHL players like Tarin Smith and Hunter Mayo as he can bring impact play all over the ice. With him you get matchup skating stride, leading the rush, picking off passes, and heavy shots from the point. He’s someone who should move up the lineup well until he’s hopefully a minute-eating top-pair defender.

With 9 points in 6 games, Will was also a heavy part of the offensive creation in these games. He’s big, mobile, punishes players with a long stride and quick aggression, and can deliver these long stretch passes up ice to spur the rush off poor changes by the opposition. His primary assist off a long bank pass was well executed and he was constantly pushing up the wall to drive pucks heavier in the zone when the moment called for it. He has that extension and power to his shot where he can rocket the back of the net off the PP with room to step in, or at times can simply place pucks right in the middle of the goaltender’s chest. I’d love to see him attacking while changing the shot angle or really looking to place the shot in each possession. He’s someone I’ll have to do a deep dive on to understand his process when choosing angles and placements. Either way, another strong tournament from the two-way defender.

His size, strength, and explosion in his stride from a standstill allow him so many more options than an average defender in this class. He’s so big where his pinches, gap closing, and one on one battles have him an advantage instantly. In these games I noticed his choices with the puck often came with little dump ins deeper, some turnovers, but a mixture of stronger wrist shots, half slappers, and persuing pucks deeper in the zone. While I didn’t see as much flash and flair as maybe some of his teammates, his baseline of effectiveness as a harder to handle defender leaves room to advance as a top-4 defensive option at higher levels.

Will Kelts is another long, rangy defender on NAX who impressed with his quick decisions and offensive flashes, especially in the tournament’s final two games against tough competition. Kelts played at a high pace, particularly in moving the puck. He was quick to retrieve pucks in his own end, using strong skating and sharp pivots to turn up ice and fire accurate stretch passes. In the offensive zone, Kelts showcased a tremendous shot, especially on the power play, where he unleashed powerful one timers or walked into wrist shots when given space. His lone goal came this way, though he easily could have had more. When games were tight and time and space were limited, Kelts’ quick and decisive playstyle stood out as a key factor in his and the team’s success.