Peyton Kettles

June—A very big and very young defender, Kettles wrapped up his second WHL season with some modest scoring improvement. Though still not enough to indicate some untapped offensive upside, Kettles still has a solid shot at the NHL because of his defensive upside.

At the moment, his defensive game is just that: upside. He’s 6-5 and rangy, is decent on his skates, and can kill plays along the walls when he times things correctly. Although, all too frequently he retreats rather than denying, mis-times his reads, and forces the puck out of the zone without control.

Because of his reach and his age (only a few weeks away from being eligible for the 2026 Draft) Kettles does have huge upside.—Luke Sweeney