Kayden Stroeder/ #10, Edmonton Oil Kings
Ht. 6’0” Wt. 165
Shoots: L
Pos: C
Stroeder is a player that, in theory, should be near unstoppable at the junior level. When he’s on, he’s almost at that mark; fast, a quick release, physical, and a 200-foot player. Most notably, Stroeder can get creative at times and pull off a passing play that not many saw coming, using his vision and speed to gain space, especially on the power play. The puck handling/decision making is a little spotty at times, as unforced giveaways can happen, and he can be known to rely on his speed (which, while high, isn’t blazing fast) to get around defenders on the rush as opposed to making a move or looking for an outlet feed.
Stroeder can very much play both sides of the puck, which is important for a player whose 13 points lead the Oil Kings thus far. Rarely does he get trapped in his own zone, unless it’s an off night, but the expectation from Stroeder is that he will work to get the puck back and he can often be found in the corners battling regardless of how many teammates are with him.
There is an upside here, as he does possess the work ethic to push himself higher in the draft, but in order to really break into the upper echelon of forwards in the 2027 class, he’ll need to hone his current skill set. At the moment, I have him in the late 20s as an upside with a projection of “middle-six forward”, but realistically could see him falling toward the first half of round two come June.