Riley Heidt

June 2023 – In an absolute steal of a selection, the Wild selected Heidt at the end of the second round at 64th overall. Pat Quinn

April 2023 – Heidt’s versatility is his bread and butter, as he can play in any scenario. Down a goal, up a goal, on the power play or the penalty kill, coaches aren’t concerned when Heidt hops over the boards, and rightly so. His feistiness makes him a truly impressive forechecker. He boasts solid board-battle mechanics as well, making him a headache for opposing defenders below their goal line. There are also some very alluring elements to his playmaking, namely a wide array of passes and solid scanning habits, although his shot is just slightly above-average for this class. As he stands, Heidt’s ceiling projects him as a checking center with both high-end defensive capabilities and the playmaking/skill combo to hold down a second-line role. Think Yanni Gourde with better hands and passing. Hadi Kalakeche

September 2022 – Heidt led the Cougars in scoring during his first full WHL season with 21 goals and 37 assists in 65 games, taking on a prominent role as a young player, and he added six points in five games at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he was a key cog in Canada’s gold medal win.

Heidt is a smooth skating and creative playmaker who shows a high level of engagement in all situations. He has a powerful stride with good posture and a deep knee bend, and those attributes help to facilitate his constant and rapid scanning of the play. He plays one step ahead of the opposition because he usually is one step ahead of the opposition, and he transports the puck with his head up to identify lanes or routes in transition. Heidt layers great one-touch passing ability on top of that vision to set up teammates for quick strike opportunities, and he can do so through layers of coverage. When in possession, he moves and holds defensive coverages with his puck skills as well as his eyes, almost like a football quarterback does to open and sustain passing windows. Heidt is more than just soft skill, however, and he competes hard off of the puck, getting involved in puck battles and working into open space to make himself available around the net. His shot isn’t a standout weapon, but he can release it quickly, giving him some goal scoring upside because of the way he can find soft spots around the net. Able to act as a primary puck carrier in transition, execute high-end passes with pace, and finish chances for himself from dangerous areas, there isn’t much missing from his offensive toolkit. Heidt will look to build upon his strong 2021-22 season in the WHL in 2022-23, and it will be interesting to see the growth of his team as a whole and how that affects his impact on the ice. Nick Richard