NHL Draft primer: Hitmen, Calgary draft-eligibles set for annual pick-em

Calgary Herald

26-06-2025

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'He's a sleeper,' said Davidson of Miller, a product of Anchorage, Alaska. 'Teams are already talking about him going to their camps, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if he's picked later in the draft. I look at him as a 6-foot-2 strong kid. He obviously needs more experience, but he's just trending in such a positive way.'
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With Kindel a possible top-20 pick, it's a chance for the longtime WHL GM and scout to reap the rewards from the development of another successful player.
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Remember last year that Yakemchuk was the first top-20 draft pick into the NHL since fellow blue-liner Jake Bean was selected 13th overall in 2016.
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'I think every team in the league has been genuinely interested in Ben,' Davidson said. 'I know there was tons of scouts in that contacted myself and obviously contacted Paul McFarland, our coach.'
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The scouts were also interested in Hitmen defenceman Reese Hamilton before he was traded to the Regina Pats, giving the Calgary club three players ranked in the top 81 of North American skaters on the NHL's mid-term list.
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That's another sign of a franchise trending in the right direction.
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'Yeah … well … that's what you're trying to do,' Davidson said. 'You're trying to put together a good team and allow players to move on. That's what we sell to players and their families.
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'So that's a real positive from my perspective.'
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Three Calgary-area talents are expected to come off the board during the pick-em, while a handful of others could be weekend selections, as well.
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Jackson Smith, a product of Edge School, tops that list as the 13th North American skater among ranked prospects.
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The 6-foot-4, 199-lb. defenceman has been a fixture — using his elite skating and logging big minutes — for a 54-point season with the WHL's Tri-City Americans.
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Deft winger Nathan Behm, of the Calgary Under-18 AAA Royals, is rated 44th after a 31-goal, 66-point season with the Kamloops Blazers.
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And Luke Vlooswyk, another Edge graduate, is ranked 72nd after asserting himself as a towering presence with the WHL's Red Deer Rebels.
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Others draft-eligible Calgarians in the mix include: