The NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Player to Watch List is the official start of the draft season. It’s the first time the top draft-eligible players have all compiled into one list, and appearing on it is a great start for a player who wants to get drafted in June.
This season, the Saskatoon Blades had three players appear on the list. To get ready for what promises to be an exciting draft season, here’s a deeper look at their skill sets and why they made the NHL’s preliminary list.
Cooper Williams – B
Last season, Cooper Williams was one of the best rookies in the Western Hockey League (WHL). He finished second among rookies with 57 points, three behind the 15-year-old phenom Landon DuPont, and his 21 goals finished third among U17 players. He was also fourth in rookie faceoff wins with 336 victories. Throughout the season, he was twice named the WHL Rookie of the Week and the Rookie of the Month in March, and was a runner-up to DuPont for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year.
Related: 2026 NHL Draft: Preseason Top 10 WHL Players
This season got off to a great start when Williams was named to Team Canada’s roster for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He made a strong impression during training camp, and even though he only appeared in three games at the tournament, he scored in the bronze medal game and made the most of his low usage. Back in Saskatoon, he has dealt with some minor injuries, but still has four goals and 10 points in 12 games while usually playing on the top line with Hunter Laing and David Lewandowski.
The best part of Williams’ game is his intelligence. He sees the ice incredibly well and can place himself in the perfect position to capitalize on loose pucks and misplays. The front of the net is his bread and butter, and although he still is undersized at 150 pounds, he uses his awareness and agility to catch a quick pass or rebound before bigger defenders force him out of his spot. He also loves to create turnovers and force the opposing defenders to respond on the fly, pushing them to their heels, and he has a great playmaking mind. Whenever Williams has the puck, there’s a good chance the Blades will score.
“He’s unbelievable,” said Tyler Parr last season of his rookie teammate. “I’ve played with a lot of great players in this league growing up, and he’s easily one of the smartest players I’ve ever played with.”
Williams is also strong defensively and has been a regular participant on the Blades’ penalty kill. Despite his lack of size and physicality, he doesn’t lack confidence, which allows him to go into tougher areas and still come out with the puck. He uses his intelligence to find weaknesses, employing stick lifts and poke checks, and protects the puck very well. He is a decent skater right now and can get up to a good speed, but he will need to keep working on that area as the NHL Draft approaches.
Still, Recruit Scouting projects Williams as a top-six forward in the NHL, and with a B-grade from Central Scouting, he could be an early pick on day two of the Draft.
Zach Olsen – C
Maybe one of the more underrated players on the Blades’ roster, Zach Olsen, has been one of the strongest competitors since joining the team full-time last season. He scored 11 goals and 23 points in 60 games as a rookie, showing strong offensive instincts, but his game is built on tenacity and competitiveness. He will do whatever it takes to help his team. This season, he’s on pace to double his point total, but his impact away from the puck will make him a target on Draft Day.
Even as a rookie, Olsen was impossible not to notice when he stepped on the ice last season. Head coach Dan DaSilva was quick to praise Olsen, calling him a player “…who consistently works and you notice his skating, his speed right away. He’s a big body, he’s a physical player.” Paired with fellow rookies Williams and Lewandowski, Olsen became the line’s spark plug. He was often the first in the corner, ready to dig out the puck, but the way he used his 6-foot-2 frame to protect the puck and force the opponent to the outside, and he was aware of his and his teammate’s positioning, leading to grade-A scoring chances.
“Zach is a guy where he can play fourth-line right wing or first-line right wing,” said DaSilva last season. “He goes out there and plays the same way every single night. He’s gotten a fair amount of ice time during the course of the year, and he’s come on and really developed. Zach’s role on the team is to provide energy every single night, use his speed, use his power, his strength. He’s a power forward in our eyes. He’s done a great job on the wing, and he’s very consistent.”
Zach Olsen, Saskatoon Blades (Mark Peterson / Prince Albert Raiders)
This season, Olsen has taken a big step in his presence on the ice. He’s still playing on the Blades’ bottom six with Hayden Harsanyi and Kazden Mathies, but that line has been one of the team’s best all-around presences. In the past eight games, Olsen leads the Blades with nine points, and he’s currently third on the team in penalty minutes. He’s never been afraid to throw his weight around and stand up for his teammates, but with a little extra weight behind his hits, he’s relished the physical side a bit more as a 17-year-old.
Olsen is a highly driven player who never takes a shift off. He is always in his opponent’s face, trying to force mistakes, but he pairs a strong defensive presence with excellent offensive skills. He’s quick on his skates and has a hard wrist shot that goalies have difficulty stopping, especially when he’s in close. He brings a lot of elements that NHL teams love, so there’s a chance he is taken above the projected 4th-5th round selection from Central Scouting’s ‘C’ rank.
Brayden Klimpke – C
In the span of a year, Brayden Klimpke has gone from an undersized defenceman with a long road ahead of him to the Blades’ assistant captain, and now a legitimate NHL prospect, and all it took was being given a chance.
Last season, Klimpke showed a lot of promise, but lacked the strength to do much about it. At just 156 pounds, he was frequently outmuscled for the puck, and he wasn’t able to establish a physical presence while patrolling the blueline. But, thanks to his incredible skating and agility, he remained with the team all season and put up 26 points in 59 games, the seventh-highest total among rookie defencemen.
With several Blades defencemen graduating, Klimpke was one of the most experienced blue-liners remaining and was thus moved up to the top pairing, where he put up 12 points in his first 12 games. His skating remained as smooth as ever, reminiscent of former Blade Tanner Molendyk, but he was now 11 pounds heavier and an inch taller, and more than willing to show off his added strength. No longer was he easily outmuscled in the corners, and he was throwing big hits to push players off the puck.
Brayden Klimpke, Saskatoon Blades (Steve Hiscock / Saskatoon Blades)
Suddenly, Klimpke was not only one of the Blades’ best offensive defencemen, but also one of the best defensively. He expertly placed himself in the right position to cut off passing lanes, showing off high levels of intelligence and hockey sense. There is still somewhat of a size disadvantage, but the work he’s put in over the offseason and during the season has paid off in spades.
According to Dobber Prospects’ scout Collin Wilcox, Klimpke, “has a tendency to make the game look easy. He is calm in possession, always keeping his head up to read the game. His transition defence is highly effective, utilizing an active stick and hip-checks to drive attackers to the outside, while demonstrating a willingness to play the body on dump-ins. Klimpke is decisive and dynamic on offence, while still being patient enough to wait for lanes to open and plays to develop. He is highly effective on the power-play and is more than capable of walking the blue line.”
Given his size, Klimpke is currently looking at a later-round draft selection, but if he can remain a point-per-game defenceman, he’ll have a great opportunity to move up into the middle rounds. A ‘C’ ranking is a great place to start for a very dynamic defenceman.
Other Blades to Watch
The Blades have two other players eligible for the NHL Draft for the first time his season. Gavin Clark is an American import who hasn’t found a regular place on the Blades roster, and when he’s played, has shown solid defensive abilities. In eight games, he has one assist and eight penalty minutes, but at 6-foot-2, he could get some attention later in the season as he continues to adjust to the WHL. Defenceman Jack Lavallee is in a similar situation. The Saskatoon local has appeared in 13 games, but has yet to register a point and has been used sparingly. He’s on the lighter side at 154 pounds, but at 6-foot-1, he has plenty of room to grow.
There are also some overagers to keep an eye on. Jack Kachkowski was ranked 224th on Central Scouting’s Midterm Ranking thanks to his blend of physicality and defensive awareness, and Harsanyi slipped into the Final Ranking at 187th as scouts were no doubt impressed with his blazing speed. They were recently joined by Derek Thurston, a strong shutdown defender who was acquired from the Red Deer Rebels and was ranked 163rd on the Final list last season. All three will re-enter the NHL Draft this June.
Isaac Poll and Kazden Mathies weren’t ranked last season, but they, too, could earn some recognition with strong performances this season. Unfortunately, they won’t be joined by burgeoning tough guy Tristan Mitchell-McEllhone, who’s Sep 15 birthdate will push him to the 2027 NHL Draft.
There’s plenty that can change over the coming months. Last season, Lewandowski was listed as a ‘W’ prospect on the Preliminary Players to Watch list, implying a late-round selection, but ended up being a fourth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers. William James was also listed as a W prospect, but regressed after a hot start and didn’t hear his name called at the draft.
Whatever happens, these three players have proven so far that they are some of the brightest up-and-coming players in the WHL. Hopefully, some NHL teams also recognize their potential and give them a chance to prove it in June.
