Brandon Sun: 2023 Draft Recap

CONTRIBUTED BY PERRY BERGSON (Brandon Sun)

 

Brandon Wheat Kings director of player personnel Chris Moulton discusses what he likes about each of the players the club drafted on Thursday, and also in the U.S. Prospects draft on Wednesday.

 

• ROUND ONE (5th overall) — JAXON JACOBSON.

Home: Brandon.

 

5-8, 150 lbs, F, Brandon U18 AAA.

 

44gp, 24g, 36a, 60p, 6pim. MOULTON: “Jax is just incredibly intelligent and a competitor. He handles the puck so well, he makes everyone around him better. He has unbelievable offensive instincts. There’s not much to dislike about Jax’s game. He’s got some growth left to go, but even as a guy who isn’t huge, he never avoids traffic. He plays in the tough areas. For me, Jax is a competitive, very skilled player.”

 

• ROUND ONE (19th overall) — GIORGOS PANTELAS.

Home: Victoria, B.C.

 

6-2, 183 lbs, D, Rink HA U15 Kelowna.

 

28gp, 7g, 31a, 38p, 8pim. MOULTON: “Giorgos is just complete. He’s a guy who can jump into the offence, a guy who is not afraid to handle the puck, a guy who is not afraid to create offence but also is big enough and strong enough and competitive enough that he defends well. He has a great stick and he’s a big man who takes up a lot of space.”

 

• ROUND TWO (27th overall) — NIGEL BOEHM.

Home: Saskatoon.

 

5-11, 170 lbs, D, Saskatoon Generals U15 AA.

 

30gp, 17g, 23a, 40p, 72pim. MOULTON: “Nigel is a competitor and a leader. I watched him lead his group all season this year. He plays hard, he has a great set of skills, he can make plays, he has the ability to jump into the offence, he’s a complete guy, but for me he’s a glue guy who is a great teammate, a great leader and does everything pretty well.”

 

• ROUND FOUR (71st overall) — ISAAC DAVIES.

Home: Carstairs, Alta.

 

5-10, 160 lbs, F, Airdrie Xtreme U15 AAA.

 

33gp, 27g, 24a, 51p, 48pim. MOULTON: “Isaac is a big, strong guy, a straight-ahead kid. He works really hard, he loves to engage physically and does it very well, shoots the puck very well. Isaac is the type of player you love having on your team and you don’t like playing against most nights. On top of being hard to play against and a real competitor, he has the ability to score.”

 

• ROUND FIVE (94th overall) — RYAN BOYCE.

Home: Calgary.

 

5-9, 144 lbs, F, Edge U15 prep.

 

30gp, 17g, 20a, 37p, 10pim. MOULTON: “Ryan is complete. He’s super smart, a competitor, really creative with the puck yet an incredibly responsible 200-foot game. He’s the type of player who can be on the ice whether you’re winning or losing with a minute left.”

 

• ROUND FIVE (95th overall) — KNOX BENDERA.

Home: Sherwood Park, Alta.

 

5-6, 137 lbs, F, NAX U15 prep.

 

26gp, 14g, 27a, 41p, 20pim. MOULTON: “He compared himself to Brad Marchand and that’s about where he fits. He is a pest. He plays so hard, he is the ultimate teammate, he makes life tough for the opposition because he pursues the puck so hard and is so competitive. On top of that, he has the ability to create offence and help out that way.”

 

• ROUND SIX (121st overall) — DYLAN MCFADYEN.

Home: Winnipeg.

 

6-2, 145 lbs, G, Winnipeg Wild Red U15 AAA.

 

2.32 gaa, .923 save percentage. MOULTON:“Dylan is a big body who takes up a lot of net. The thing about Dylan is he’s on the incline. He’s definitely raw in some areas and has some growth ahead of him, but we see a guy who is trending in the right way and has a huge ceiling.”

 

• ROUND SEVEN (137th overall) — JACK SWAENEPOEL.

Home: Souris.

 

6-3, 188 lbs, D, Southwest U15 AAA.

 

33gp, 13g, 21a, 34p, 38pim. MOULTON: “He’s a big man who can make plays. He has the type of abilities that make good professional players. He’s a big guy, he sees the ice, he moves well, he makes a good first pass and he’s not afraid to get involved in the offensive side.”

 

• ROUND SEVEN ( 142nd overall) — MADDOX GANDHA.

Home: Trail, B.C.

 

5-9, 157 lbs, F, Kelowna U15 prep.

 

27gp, 15g, 32a, 47p, 6pim. MOULTON: “Maddox has hockey sense and hands. He is very smart and does the little things that most people don’t notice. He controls the puck, he has tons of puck poise, he is creative, yet he is not afraid to get involved or push back in those tough areas.”

 

• ROUND EIGHT (160th overall) — CAMERON ALLARD.

Home: Yorkton

 

6-1, 150 lbs, D, Yorkton U15 AA.

 

39gp, 6g, 13a, 19p, 32pim. MOULTON: “He’s a big body and very similar to Jack, to be honest. He does a lot of things well and can make a play, can defend, is not afraid to get involved. He’s a very well-rounded guy in a big frame.”

 

• ROUND NINTH (181st overall) — JULIAN FEDORA.

Home: Winnipeg.

 

6-0, 165 lbs, F, Winnipeg Wild Green U15 AAA.

 

34gp, 43g, 30a, 73p, 6pim. MOULTON: “He scores. He’s a big body who has a very good shot, and an incredible knack around the net. When he is engaged and when things are going the right way for him, he’s incredibly dangerous. He scored over 40 goals this year and is the ideal guy to play with some of the other guys who are more distributors.”

 

U.S. DRAFT

 

• ROUND ONE (Sixth overall) — REED BROWN.

 

Home: Tempe, Arizona.

 

5-9, 148 lbs, F, Okanagan (Colorado) 14U.

 

7gp, 4g, 3a, 7p, 2pim. MOULTON: “He is a 200-foot guy. He’s not afraid to play in his own end, also likes to create at the other end, has a gritty side of him that gets involved and is not afraid to play in traffic or push back. He’s a complete guy who has some skill and some grit.”

 

• ROUND TWO (28th overall) — JIMMY EGAN.

 

Home: Mahtomedi, Minn.

 

6-0, 165 lbs, F, Mahtomedi HS.

 

29gp, 4g, 17a, 21p, 8pim. MOULTON: “Jimmy is a mature player. He does a lot of things well, he is strong on the puck, he likes to handle the puck and is not afraid to play in traffic. He plays the game heavy with skill.”