The Kootenay ICE will be adding another potential key piece in the ongoing puzzle that is a re-building Western Hockey League (WHL) franchise.

The ICE this morning won the WHL Bantam Draft Lottery, held in Calgary, which moves them from fourth to second in the upcoming draft to be held in Red Deer.

The ICE appear poised for a surge up the standings thanks to rising skilled players such as Peyton Krebs, who capped his first full season in the WHL with 17 goals, 37 assists and 54 points in 67 games.

In its recent Future Watch edition The Hockey News (THN) ranks Krebs as the projected fourth overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft.

“Top pick in the 2016 bantam draft is offensive driver on talent thin re-building team. With more help, the left winger will be deadly,” THN notes.

“Really smart; really skilled and a good skater. Doesn’t have to look at the guy he’s passing to, he has such good peripheral vision and sense of space. A playmaker,” a talent scout says.

Some of that “help” THN says is needed is coming in the form of fellow left wing Connor McLennon, who suited up for five WHL contests this season, registering five shots on goal but no points.

McLennon, the second overall pick in last year’s WHL Bantam Draft, lit it up in the 2017 WHL Cup scoring six goals and four helpers in five tourney games for Team Alberta.

Along with a strong crop of young talent secured in the past two drafts, the ICE will now add another top end talent on May 3 in Red Deer.

Potential talent up for grabs includes one of two left hand defensemen in Carson Lambos (RHA Nationals of the CSSHL) and Aiden Hreschuk of the LA Jr. Kings out of the USA, according to Draft Geek’s rankings.

Three forwards are next, with Zack Ostapchuk of Northern Alberta Xtreme (NAX) (CSSHL) and his teammate Dylan Guenther as well as Logan Stankoven of the CSSHL’s Yale Lions.

Images courtesy Kootenay ICE Hockey Club

e-KNOW

Article Share