NHL Central Scouting identifies players with a rating system that includes four categories. The ‘A’ rating indicates players projected to be first-round candidates. The ‘B’ rating indicates players projected to be second- or third-round candidates, and the ‘C’ rating indicates players projected to be fourth-, fifth-, or sixth-round candidates. The ‘LV’ rating represents a player who has not had sufficient viewings, due to injury.
Seven WHL players earned ‘A’ ratings: Regina Pats forward Connor Bedard, Winnipeg ICE forward Zach Benson, Brandon Wheat Kings teammates Carson Bjarnason and Noah Danielson, Prince George Cougars forward Riley Heidt, Vancouver Giants forward Samuel Honzek and Moose Jaw Warriors forward Brayden Yager.
A further 12 WHL players were given ‘B’ ratings, including Kelowna Rockets teammates Andrew Cristall and Caden Price, Red Deer Rebels forward Kalan Lind and Seattle Thunderbirds pair Scott Ratzlaff and Gracyn Sawchyn. 23 WHL players earned ‘C’ ratings, while one WHL player received an ‘LV’ rating.
Overall, 21 of the 22 WHL Clubs are represented in the ‘Players to Watch’ List. The Vancouver Giants boast five players on the list to lead all WHL Clubs. The Brandon Wheat Kings, Kamloops Blazers, Moose Jaw Warriors, Portland Winterhawks and Saskatoon Blades have three players listed. Seven WHL Clubs are represented with two players on the list, while eight further WHL Clubs have a single player on NHL Central Scouting’s list.
A total of 25 WHL forwards find themselves on the list, joined by 12 WHL defencemen and six WHL goaltenders.
2022-23 NHL Central Scouting ‘Preliminary Players to Watch’ – WHL Players
PTW | Last Name | First Name | Hometown | Team | Height | Weight | Position |
A | Bedard | Connor | North Vancouver, B.C. | Regina Pats | 5’10” | 185 | C |
A | Benson | Zach | Chilliwack, B.C. | Winnipeg ICE | 5’9” | 160 | LW |
A | Bjarnason | Carson | Carberry, Man. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 6’3” | 186 | G |
A | Danielson | Nate | Red Deer, Alta. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 6’1” | 185 | C |
A | Heidt | Riley | Saskatoon, Sask. | Prince George Cougars | 5’10” | 182 | C |
A | Honzek | Samuel | Trencin, Slovakia | Vancouver Giants | 6’3” | 186 | LW |
A | Yager | Brayden | Saskatoon, Sask. | Moose Jaw Warriors | 5’10” | 166 | C |
B | Cagnoni | Luca | Burnaby, B.C. | Portland Winterhawks | 5’9” | 180 | D |
B | Cristall | Andrew | Burnaby, B.C. | Kelowna Rockets | 5’9” | 167 | LW |
B | Dragicevic | Lukas | Richmond, B.C. | Tri-City Americans | 6’1” | 192 | D |
B | Halaburda | Ty | Victoria, B.C. | Vancouver Giants | 5’11” | 178 | C |
B | Hammell | Kaden | Langley, B.C. | Kamloops Blazers | 6’1” | 173 | D |
B | Levis | Connor | Vancouver, B.C. | Kamloops Blazers | 6’1” | 189 | RW |
B | Lind | Kalan | Shaunavon, Sask. | Red Deer Rebels | 6’0” | 158 | LW |
B | Molendyk | Tanner | McBride, B.C. | Saskatoon Blades | 5’11” | 184 | D |
B | Price | Caden | Saskatoon, Sask. | Kelowna Rockets | 6’0” | 186 | D |
B | Ratzlaff | Scott | Irma, Alta. | Seattle Thunderbirds | 6’0” | 175 | G |
B | Sawchyn | Gracyn | Grande Prairie, Alta. | Seattle Thunderbirds | 5’11” | 157 | C |
B | Ziemmer | Koehn | Mayerthorpe, Alta. | Prince George Cougars | 6’0” | 204 | RW |
C | Birnie | Brady | Regina, Sask. | Swift Current Broncos | 5’7” | 154 | C |
C | Chadwick | Noah | Saskatoon, Sask. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 6’3” | 187 | D |
C | Ernst | Dylan | Weyburn, Sask. | Kamloops Blazers | 6’1” | 196 | G |
C | Goldsmith | Terrell | Fort St. James, B.C. | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’3” | 218 | D |
C | Leslie | Mazden | Lloydminster, Alta. | Vancouver Giants | 6’0” | 193 | D |
C | Lipinski | Jaden | Scottsdale, Ariz. | Vancouver Giants | 6’3” | 208 | C |
C | Metzger | Tim | Zurich, Switzerland | Everett Silvertips | 6’5” | 192 | G |
C | Miller | Cole | Edmonton, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’4” | 174 | C |
C | Myatovic | Nico | Prince George, B.C. | Seattle Thunderbirds | 6’2” | 182 | C |
C | Oremba | Sam | Regina, Sask. | Regina Pats | 6’1” | 195 | C |
C | Parker | Kalem | Clavet, Sask. | Victoria Royals | 6’0” | 192 | D |
C | Riche | Ben | Bethune, Sask. | Moose Jaw Warriors | 5’10” | 178 | C |
C | Roersma | Rylen | Lethbridge, Alta. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 5’10” | 161 | C |
C | Roest | Austin | Coldstream, B.C. | Everett Silvertips | 5’9” | 175 | C |
C | Seitz | Dawson | Medicine Hat, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’2” | 185 | C |
C | Semeniuk | Ethan | Fort St. John, B.C. | Vancouver Giants | 5’11” | 175 | C |
C | Sidorov | Yegor | Vitebsk, Belarus | Saskatoon Blades | 5’11” | 182 | RW |
C | Siepmann | Grayden | Abbotsford, B.C. | Calgary Hitmen | 5’10” | 185 | D |
C | Sotheran | Carter | Sanford, Man. | Portland Winterhawks | 6’3” | 197 | D |
C | Spunar | Jan | Olomouc, Czechia | Portland Winterhawks | 6’3” | 185 | G |
C | Unger | Jackson | Calgary, Alta. | Moose Jaw Warriors | 6’1” | 190 | G |
C | Weinstein | Saige | Edmonton, Alta. | Spokane Chiefs | 6’0” | 179 | D |
C | Wormald | Logan | Langley, B.C. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 5’9” | 144 | LW |
LV | Schuurman | Brayden | Abbotsford, B.C. | Victoria Royals | 5’9” | 198 | C |