Gracyn Sawchyn

October 2024 – Through six games this year, Sawchyn has been far and away the Edmonton Oil Kings’ best player. Leading the team in goals and points-per-game, Sawchyn looks primed for a 100-point WHL campaign. The Oil Kings’ offense runs through Sawchyn, and his stick-handling capabilities allow him to make plays his teammates cannot. He plays a style that thrives alongside a sniper, and unfortunately, the Oil Kings do not have a true sniper whom Sawchyn can set up. However, Sawchyn will likely play alongside a sniper at some point in the season as the Oil Kings may move for one, or Sawchyn could be traded to a team with one. One of the Panthers’ most skilled prospects, Sawchyn will have a chance to play NHL games as soon as this year as he could play a game or two at the end of the year. He is a player Panthers fans should be excited about, and it will not be too long till we see him in the NHL. James Connelly

July 2024 – Sawchyn is probably the most skilled prospect within the Panthers’ system, rivaled only by Mackie Samoskevich. Sawchyn’s stick handling is among the best for NHL prospects and will be a large part of why he becomes an NHLer. His playmaking also is quite impressive and shows best following Sawchyn dangling a defender and finding a teammate with a pass that has pace that tends to hit his teammates’ tape. His 2023-24 season was split between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Edmonton Oil Kings where he managed to score at over a point-per-game rate with both clubs. He found time in every situation for Edmonton which shows how much faith the coaches have in his defensive game. Currently, his largest limiting factor is his skating as Sawchyn lacks good top-end speed but his edge work is one of his better traits. Sawchyn’s shot, while good, is not a particularly strong aspect of his game either, leading to him passing up opportunities in the slot and making that extra pass. He will need to play less individualistically moving forward but this should be ironed out by the Panthers’ development staff. Sawchyn has the talent to make some NHL rosters this fall but likely not the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers’ roster. He should be an NHLer by 2025 at the latest. James Connelly

July 2023 – Sawchyn was ranked as high as 13th (Elite Prospects) and low as 90th (Hockey News), so perhaps it is not surprising that he slipped on draft day. Most outlets viewed him as a late-first or early-second round pick—the consensus was 32nd overall—however, so Florida definitely lucked out snagging Sawchyn down at 63rd. Part of what made him a difficult read was that he played for a stacked Seattle Thunderbirds team that featured a whopping 14 NHL prospects, including Dylan Guenther (ARI), Brad Lambert (WPG), and Kevin Korchinski (CHI), and finished the year as the WHL champions. His point-per-game performance (58 points in 58 games) was solid but not as eye-catching as many other players drafted in the first round. He will return to Seattle next year while those big three and likely some others will depart, so pencil him in for a more prominent role and imminent production spike in 2023-24. Sawchyn has a Samoskevich-like skill-set that features high-end puckhandling (Elite Prospects score: 7), passing (6.5), and hockey sense (6.5), as well as competent skating (5), shot (5), and above-average physicality (6). For reference, a score of 5 indicates NHL average, so Sawchyn boasts excellent tools across the board without the typical gaps and question marks that accompany later picks. While not a huge guy (5-11, 165lbs), he is constantly hounding the puck, harassing opponents, and battling in the corners. With possession, he is poised and deceptive, routinely battling and squirting out of pressure just in time to fire a quick pass to an open teammate. He will need to bulk up to handle the intensity of the NHL, but a couple years from now he could become a middle-six playmaker who elevates his linemates, provides some scoring punch, and fills any role required of him. Ben Gehrels

June 2023 – Sawchyn, who surprisingly dropped, was selected 63rd overall by the Panthers. Pat Quinn

February 2023 – Sawchyn is a forward with tremendous pace and intensity. One of the strongest forecheckers in the WHL already, he’s also able to create upon forcing turnovers. His release and his playmaking are both slightly above average, and he has a penchant for dirty goals around the crease. He has some good habits that will help his projection to the pro game, including establishing inside positioning, driving the middle lane, and keeping his stick on the ice. His handling skill falters a bit at high speeds, which is something he will need to rectify to remain a valuable puck carrier through the neutral zone at the next level. He may not have concrete top-six potential barring significant tool development, but his intensity and awareness make him a safe bet to bring a ton of value in a bottom-six role in the NHL and he will undoubtedly win the hearts of fans with his style of play. Sebastian High

April 2023 – Gracyn Sawchyn drew the unfavourable role as a draft-eligible of playing 3C for the stacked Seattle Thunderbirds. Nevertheless, Sawchyn was still able to have a very productive season, finishing a point-per-game with 18 goals and 40 assists. Offensively, Sawchyn plays well off the cycle, where he can make use of his great hands and puck protection to play his inside-driven game. Sawchyn has a high motor, which despite not being very big, makes him an adept checker in all three zones, fishing pucks off the boards in the offensive zone and disrupting plays in the neutral zone. His skill, checking ability and pro habits should earn Sawchyn a long look at the next level. Luke Sweeney