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Future Watch: 2021 Draft Eligibles (Part One)

While fans, staff, and players all eagerly await the return of their hockey seasons, we are taking a look at some of the 2006-born players to watch next season and whose names may very well be called in the top-50 come draft day.  Part one brings us five solid prospects who all had outstanding seasons in their own right, playing against the top competition from the 2020 WHL draft class.

Berkly Catton, Forward, Saskatoon Contacts Midget AAA 

"Catton is probably the most hyped prospect to come out of Saskatchewan since Jared Stoll and is sure to apply for exceptional status next season. Catton's skating ability and strong edges allowed him to battle much bigger competition this past season. Catton is a cerebral offensive player that is an exceptional playmaker who also possesses a quick release. He is a creative player who has quick hands. When hockey restarts he will be playing up a level with the Saskatoon Contacts. Catton played one game with the Contacts last year as a double underage and did not look out of place, even scoring a goal. There aren't any holes in Catton's game and the offence almost always goes through him.  Even with all his offensive tools, he is often the hardest working player on ice causing turnovers in all three zones. He is considered a strong leader by example from his teammates." - Layne Lysitza

Tristen Doyle, Defenceman, Northern Alberta Xtreme Bantam Prep

"Tristen is an average size defenceman for his age, but plays much bigger and more aggressively because of his mature hockey sense and compete.  He pushes the puck up ice quickly and accurately with a snappy stick, receives the puck well, and knows where to be on the ice at all times to be an effective team player. A responsible distributor of the puck, Tristen rarely turns the puck over. During a playoff game against RINK Hockey Academy, Tristen was an impressive standout defenceman on both sides of the puck.  His ability as a two-way defenceman was uncanny. A great skater both forwards and backwards, with a real jump in his first steps and acceleration to match any forward and excellent edgework.  One of his major skills with his feet/skates is his ability to receive a pass in his feet, stopping the puck and gaining control, as well as his knack for blocking shots in the defensive zone and transitioning the puck to the offensive zone. Tristen's soft hands allow him to calmly control the puck and facilitate offence from the backend or get the puck up ice and out of his own zone. His shot from the point is quick and accurate, making it difficult for goaltenders and forcing them to make a save through traffic or off of a redirect. Despite being smaller than most of the older kids in the Bantam Prep league, Tristen's low center-of-gravity and balance allowed him to protect the puck and win battles. A solid defenceman with a great compete level and intelligence, look for him to be a high pick come 2021." - Phil Dietz

Charlie Elick, Defenceman, EDGE School for Athletes Bantam Prep

"The son of former professional hockey player Mickey Elick, Charlie is one of the top prospects for the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft. A prototypical elite, right-shot defenseman, Elick spent his 14-year old season playing for the Calgary Flames Bantam AAA, one of the top teams in the AMBHL. There he excelled as the team’s number one d-man, registering 25 points in 33 games in the regular season and 8 points in 10 games in the playoffs. Elick is physically gifted sporting a 6 foot, 170-pound frame already with some more growth expected in the coming years. Elick excels in every area of the game as he plays in all situations including quarterbacking the powerplay. In addition to a heavy, accurate shot, Elick is a creative passer, faking shots to find open teammates and holds onto pucks a split second longer to create better chances for his unit. A gifted skater, Elick loves to lug the puck up the ice in all scenarios and is able to create separation from his opponents with a smooth, powerful stride that allows him to effortlessly transition from defence to offence in a flash. Elick is able to create and finish plays off the rush because of his exceptional hockey sense. Elick’s hockey IQ is best demonstrated by his incredible ability to calmly manage the puck even when under intense pressure from his opponents. He is able to elude forechecks with his slick skating and get the puck moving up ice with his exceptional passing ability. Simply put, whenever Elick gets the puck on his stick, he always seems to make the smart play but also takes chances when the opportunity presents itself. In addition to his elite offensive ability, Elick is as sound as they come defensively. When retreating, his positioning is outstanding and is able to step up to disrupt opponent rushes with ease. Elick’s gap control is great in one-on-one situations and he easily angles opponents to the boards to take the body and retrieve the puck for a smooth transition up ice. Elick is incredibly difficult to get past as he easily neutralizes the opponent’s attacks with both his body and stick work. Elick will move to the Edge School for Athletes for the upcoming season and will certainly be a first-round talent in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft. Elick is a must-watch and possesses all the tools to be an elite number one defenseman at the next level and beyond." - Adam Goodwin

Landon Cowper, Defenceman, Pursuit of Excellence Bantam Prep

"As a first-year player in the league, Landon was heavily relied upon for the young Pursuit of Excellence (POE) team. He played lots of minutes and quarterbacked the power play, at times killing penalties as well. He has a high offensive IQ to go along with a repertoire of offensive tools giving him every ability to generate offence from the backend.  Landon is a very good forward skating defenseman with excellent three-way mobility. He walks the line effectively using his hips to evade forecheckers and create time and space to make plays. His forward skating allows him to gain the offensive zone as well as angle guys to the outside of the defensive zone, his backwards skating has room for development for him to be a complete 4-way skating defender, though. His shot is hard and accurate when he gets chances he capitalizes on them he needs to work on his shot from the point getting through traffic but when it does it creates problems for the goalies. Landon's passing is a very attractive part of his game he makes great cross-seam passes, as well as a crisp breakout passes that are hard, accurate and always seem to find their target, even through traffic. He plays a physical game too, not shying away from throwing hits and blocking shots. Landon's biggest spot for improvement is his defensive game, as he can be passive at times, lacking urgency. He doesn’t cause a lot of problems for his team as he possesses a good stick, blocks shots and is a physical player at times. At times he would benefit from a more consistent urgency and analysis of the play in his own end to avoid taking penalties when out of position. However, the young POE team had a stellar season given the number of 2006-born players on the squad and Landon was relied upon heavily. Next season Landon will be given every opportunity to play important minutes and should take huge strides in his development. When his defensive game catches up to his offensive game Landon will be an impactful presence in all areas of the ice." - Kaden Moore

Clarke Caswell, Forward, Pursuit of Excellence Bantam Prep

"Clarke Caswell is a high IQ two-way forward, as an '06 born player he still has a year to improve until his big day. Caswell shows an incredible edgework for his age, he can switch directions at high speeds without losing momentum. He has a very accurate shot, he hits the net and is consistent in forcing the goalie to make a save. He has a strong stickhandling ability which works well with his high-end skating, allowing him to maneuver well in tight situations. One of the strongest aspects of Clarke's game is his ability to shield the puck and utilize his well-developed vision and hockey IQ to find the right pass or shot. His passing is solid and he can receive pucks well, allowing him to work give and go's at a fast tempo with his teammates. Caswell has a great work ethic and a scoring touch, he is smart around the net and finds open areas, he gets himself open enough to provide time and a clear shot on goal. He forechecks and backchecks well and works hard to win back possession at either end of the ice. The best part of Clarke Caswell's game seems to be his hockey sense. Caswell tends to always be in position and has an elite level of anticipation, he makes smart decisions even when under pressure. Clarke shows on-ice leadership by example, he is the first to tap up his goalie after a big save, he hustles in all areas of the ice, he gets low and blocks the shot and isn't scared of taking a hit to make a play. For Caswell to improve to his full potential he will need to develop the physical aspect of his game. He tends to be knocked off the puck too frequently, it is definitely something that will both come with growth and need to be worked on. Clarke doesn't shy away from a physical game but he also doesn't go out of his way to get into one. Lots of times he could choose to play the body but instead, he tries and force a turnover with his stick. All in all, Caswell is an extremely smart two-way forward, who should go pretty early in next year's draft." - Brayden Abbott

Stay tuned for part two, next Monday, where the team takes a look at five more 2021 prospects!

by Zach Moffat